| AdminHistory | Arthur Anselm Pearson (1874-1954) was an English mycologist. He was born in London on 12 April 1874, but educated in Belgium. After leaving school he worked as a seaman before joining the firm of British Belting & Asbestos Ltd in Yorkshire, where he spent the rest of his working career, eventually becoming chairman of the firm. He had an interest in music, especially madrigals, folk song, and folk dancing, joining the English Folk Dance Society in 1924 and helping with the publication of the Folksong Index.
Pearson had a keen interest in mycology and begin to research the larger fungi in c. 1910, after being encouraged by John Ramsbottom, mycologist at the Natural History Museum. He was elected president of the British Mycological Society in 1931 and again in 1952. He was also president of the Yorkshire Naturalists Union in 1946 and a fellow of the Linnean Society. He described several new species of fungi and at least eight species of fungi are named after him, including Cortinarius pearsonii, Paullicorticium pearsonii, and Squamanita pearsonii.
He died on 13 March 1854 at Hindhead. Some of his letters and manuscripts and plants are at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. |
| Carleton Rea (1861 - 1946) was born in Worcester on 7 May 1861. He was a Barrister until 1907 and President of the British Mycological Society in 1908 and 1921 and Secretary from 1896-1920. He was President of the Worcestershire Naturalist's Club from 1902-1906, 1934-1938, and 1946. He died in Worcester in June 1946. His fungi drawings and manuscripts are at the Natural History Museum; his diaries, letters and drawings are at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. |