| AdminHistory | William Borrer (1781 -1862) was one of the most eminent botanists of the early 19th century, known for his extensive knowledge of British plants and flora. He travelled the length and breadth of Britain collecting plants and lichens and has often been referred to as the 'Father of British Lichenology.' Although good at recording plant identifications, he often failed to record the date and location of where the plant had been collected. Borrer also grew many plant species in his garden in order that he could distinguish key identification characteristics without concerns that differences were caused by different habitats. On his death, over 6,600 specimens were inventoried in his garden by his head gardener Charles Green.
Borrer was born on 13 June 1781 in Henfield, Sussex. His parents were landowners and farmers who supplied the army. He received his earlier education in private schools at Hurstpierpoint and Carshalton in Surrey. Although he left school at an early age, he continued his studies under tutors, and obtained a good knowledge of the classics and French. His father wished him to adopt agriculture as a pursuit, though his own proclivities were towards medicine; but, being possessed of an ample fortune, he devoted himself to the study of botany, especially of his own country. He made repeated journeys in all parts of Britain, and endeavoured to cultivate every critical British species and all the hardy exotic plants he could obtain.
On 3rd December 1805 Borrer was elected as a fellow of the Linnean Society of London and he was admitted on 4 February 1806. Borrer, was also one of the members who proposed William Hooker to be a fellow of the Linnean Society in 1806. In addition, Borrer was elected as a member of the Wernerian Natural History Society in 1810 and elected as a fellow of The Royal Society in 1835. He was also elected a fellow of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh in 1842.
Borrer contributed his knowledge to many important works of British botany in the early 19th century, including the 'Botanist's Guide through England and Wales' by Turner and Dillwyn (1805) and 'Lichenographia Britannica' which he co-authored with Dawson Turner (1839). He also corresponded with the leading botanists of the day, including Carl Linnaeus who referred to him as "that illustrious man".
Borrer was a patron of the sciences and supported his local church financially. He also promoted education of the poor through building schools on his land and also worked as a magistrate. In 1810, he married Elizabeth Hall (1789-1863), daughter of a banker, with whom he had 13 children, 5 of whom died in childhood. Borrer remained at his residence at Barrow-hill, Sussex until his death on 10 January 1862. |
Dawson Turner (18 October 1775 – 21 June 1858) was an English banker, botanist and antiquary.
Turner was born on 18 October 1775, the son of James Turner and Elizabeth Cotman. He was educated at North Walsham Grammar School (now Paston College), Norfolk and at Barton Bendish as a pupil of the botanist Robert Forby. He then attended Pembroke College, Cambridge, but did not complete his degree due to his father's illness. He joined his father's bank in 1796. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society and a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. In 1796, he married Mary Palgrave, who went on to become a portrait artist under her married name, Mary Dawson Turner. Turner died on 21 June 1858. |