Charles Lyell (1767–1849) was a Scottish botanist, known also as a translator of

Dante Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian people, Italian Italian poetry, poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', origin ...

Life

Lyell was born on 7 March 1767, at Kinnordy, Forfarshire, Scotland. He was the eldest son of Charles Lyell of Kinnordy, Forfarshire, Scotland, and Mary Beale of

West Looe West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some R ...

; his sister Anne married Gilbert Heathcote.

Education

He was educated at

St Paul's School, London (''By Faith and By Learning'') , established = , closed = , type = Independent school Public school , religion = Church of England , president = , h ...

, the

University of St. Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

and Peterhouse, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. in 1791, proceeding M.A. in 1794. A law student at Lincoln's Inn, Lyell also travelled. In 1796 he inherited the Kinnordy estate at

Kirriemuir Kirriemuir, sometimes called Kirrie or the ''Wee Red Toon'' ( gd, An Ceathramh Mòr; IPA: nˈkʰʲɛɾəvmoːɾ, is a burgh in Angus, Scotland. It reaches back to earliest recorded times, when it is thought to have been a major ecclesiastical ...

. He gave up law as a profession, and married. From 1797 to 1825 Lyell lived at Bartley Lodge in the

New Forest The New Forest is one of the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in Southern England, covering southwest Hampshire and southeast Wiltshire. It was proclaimed a royal forest by William the Conqueror, fea ...

; in 1813 he became a fellow of the

Linnean Society The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution, and taxonomy. It possesses several important biological specimen, manuscript and literature colle ...

. In 1826 he settled at Kinnordy, and he died there on 8 November 1849, leaving a library of works relating to his studies.

Works

Lyell concentrated on botany, especially the study of mosses; several species of these plants bear his name, besides the genus ''Lyellia'' of Robert Brown. He also contributed lichens to

James Edward Smith James Edward Smith may refer to: * James Edward Smith (botanist), English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society * James Edward Smith (murderer), American murderer * James Edward Smith (politician), Canadian businessman and mayor of Toronto * ...

's ''

English Botany ''English Botany'' was a major publication of British plants comprising a 36 volume set, issued in 267 monthly parts over 23 years from 1790 to 1814. The work was conceived, illustrated, edited and published by the botanical illustrator and natura ...

''. While not publishing, he corresponded with William Jackson Hooker,

James Sowerby James Sowerby (21 March 1757 – 25 October 1822) was an English naturalist, illustrator and mineralogist. Contributions to published works, such as ''A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland'' or ''English Botany'', include his detailed and app ...

and Brown. In 1835 Lyell published, at his own expense, a translation ''The Canzoniere of Dante ... including the poems of the Vita Nuova and Convito''. In 1842 another edition of ''The Vita Nuova and Convito'' was published in London, and in 1845 a collection of translations, ''The Lyrical Poems of Dante''. In 1847 he issued in Paris ''Notes to J. Hardouin's "Doutes proposées sur l'âge du Dante".''

Family

Lyell married in 1796 a daughter of Thomas Smith of Maker Hall,

Swaledale Swaledale is one of the northernmost dales (valleys) in Yorkshire Dales National Park, located in northern England. It is the dale of the River Swale on the east side of the Pennines in North Yorkshire. Geographical overview Swaledale runs ...

, Yorkshire, by whom he had three sons and seven daughters. His wife died in 1850. His eldest son was

Sir Charles Lyell Sir Charles Lyell, 1st Baronet, (14 November 1797 – 22 February 1875) was a Scottish geologist who demonstrated the power of known natural causes in explaining the earth's history. He is best known as the author of ''Principles of Geolo ...

. A son Henry went into the army, and another, Thomas, into the navy.

Notes

Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Lyell, Charles 1767 births 1849 deaths Scottish botanists Scottish translators People educated at St Paul's School, London Alumni of the University of St Andrews Alumni of Peterhouse, Cambridge 19th-century British botanists 19th-century British translators People from Holborn Members of Lincoln's Inn