Gina Douglas of Linn.Soc. advises me that members subscribing to your
e-mail list could help my researches into George Anderson 1773-1817,
FLS, son of Dr James Anderson of Cobbinshaw, LL.D (1739-1808).
Anderson was a businessman who maintained a salicetum at his garden at
West Ham and from it, he distributed specimens to other botanists who
included Pursh, Duke of Bedford, Sir James Smith & Conrad Mertens of
Hamburg.
The only herbarium specimens of his extant today that I am aware of are
at Bristol (destroyed in WWII), Oxford and in the Smith herbarium at
Linn. Soc.. The species Salix Andersoniana (Green Mountain Sallow) was
named after him. He made a botanical journey in the West Country with
the Rev Pyke Jones. He served on Council for Linn.Soc. from 1811 to
1813. He collected in Scotland and Wales, as well as in Hertfordshire
and other parts of England.
After his untimely death aged 43 his friend Joseph Sabine saw his paper
on Peonia through the press which was published under the latter's name
in Trans. Linn. Soc. Anderson also worked on Rubus, Narcissus and
other bulbous monocotyledons: he is mentioned in or wrote articles in
Trans. Linn. Soc and Trans Hort Soc.
In 1815 he travelled to Barbados and Brazil, but I cannot trace any
details of his botanical activity in Brazil, or even confirmation of
his visit there, other than the statements in Stafleu and Desmond. This
trip is not mentioned in obituaries or family letters.
I am trying to construct a list of Anderson's botanical associates.
I am also collecting references about Anderson's travels and collecting
activities. I would very much appreciate it if members of the group who
encounter George Anderson's name in any context, botanical or
otherwise, could provide details.
Virginia van der Lande, FLS
|