Frederick DuCane Godman
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Frederick DuCane Godman DCL FRS FLS FGS
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FZS
MRI Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio waves ...
FRHS (15 January 1834 – 19 February 1919) was an English
lepidopterist Lepidopterology ()) is a branch of entomology concerning the scientific study of moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies. Someone who studies in this field is a lepidopterist or, archaically, an aurelian. Origins Post-Renaissance, t ...
,
entomologist Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...
and
ornithologist Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...
. He was one of the twenty founding members of the British Ornithologists' Union. Along with
Osbert Salvin Osbert Salvin FRS (25 February 1835 – 1 June 1898) was an English naturalist, ornithologist, and herpetologist best known for co-authoring ''Biologia Centrali-Americana'' (1879–1915) with Frederick DuCane Godman. This was a 52 volume ency ...
, he is remembered for studying the fauna and flora of Central America. Godman collected Iznik,
Hispano-Moresque Hispano-Moresque ware is a style of initially Islamic pottery created in Al-Andalus, which continued to be produced under Christian rule in styles blending Islamic and European elements. It was the most elaborate and luxurious pottery being pr ...
and early Iranian pottery. His collection of more than 600 pieces was donated to the
British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
through the will of his younger daughter, Catherine, who died in 1982.


Early life and Cambridge years

Frederick DuCane Godman was born on 15 January 1834 at Park Hatch,
Godalming Godalming is a market town and civil parish in southwest Surrey, England, around southwest of central London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, at the confluence of the Rivers Wey and Ock. The civil parish covers and includes the settleme ...
,
Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
, and was one of the thirteen children of Joseph Godman and Caroline Smith. Joseph Godman was a partner in the brewery firm
Whitbread Whitbread plc is a multinational British hotel and restaurant company headquartered in Houghton Regis, England. The business was founded as a brewery in 1742, and had become the largest brewery in the world by the 1780s. Its largest division ...
& Company. Frederick was sent to study at
Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...
in 1844 but left three years later due to poor health and was educated at home by private tutors. At the age of 18 he went with his tutor on a trip around the Mediterranean and the Black Sea visiting southern Spain, Athens and Constantinople. Godman joined
Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...
in 1853, where he met
Alfred Newton Alfred Newton FRS HFRSE (11 June 18297 June 1907) was an English zoologist and ornithologist. Newton was Professor of Comparative Anatomy at Cambridge University from 1866 to 1907. Among his numerous publications were a four-volume ''Dictionar ...
and
Osbert Salvin Osbert Salvin FRS (25 February 1835 – 1 June 1898) was an English naturalist, ornithologist, and herpetologist best known for co-authoring ''Biologia Centrali-Americana'' (1879–1915) with Frederick DuCane Godman. This was a 52 volume ency ...
. Both Salvin and Godman spent time learning to skin and mount birds at Baker's taxidermy shop on the
Trumpington Road Trumpington Road is an arterial road (part of the A1134) in southeast central Cambridge, England. It runs between the junction of Trumpington Street and Lensfield Road at the northern end to the junction of the High Street in the village of T ...
. They also spent time in the field on the fens. The custom of these ornithological friends, (which included his younger brother Percy (1836–1922)), to meet and talk over their recent acquisitions led to the idea of an organisation and the foundation of the British Ornithological Union. At a meeting in Newton's room in
Magdalene College Magdalene College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mar ...
on 17 November 1858, a group that included Godman, Salvin, Wilfred Simpson,
John Wolley John Wolley (13 May 1823 – 20 November 1859) was an English naturalist best known for his large collection of oology, bird eggs and studies on the dodo and great auk. Life and work Wolley was born at Matlock, Derbyshire, Matlock on 13 May 1 ...
,
Philip Sclater Philip Lutley Sclater (4 November 1829 – 27 June 1913) was an England, English lawyer and zoologist. In zoology, he was an expert ornithologist, and identified the main zoogeographic regions of the world. He was Secretary of the Zoological ...
and others decided that "... an Ornithological Union of twenty members should be formed, with the object of establishing a new Journal devoted to Birds: that Lieut.-Colonel H. M. Drummond should be President, Professor Newton the Secretary of the Union, and Sclater should edit the Journal: that the title of the Journal should be ''
The Ibis ''Ibis'' (formerly ''The Ibis''), subtitled ''the International Journal of Avian Science'', is the peer-reviewed scientific journal of the British Ornithologists' Union. It was established in 1859. Topics covered include ecology, conservation, be ...
''."


Travels

Godman inherited a fortune from his father that allowed him to travel the world. In 1857 Godman and his brother Percy visited Bodø in northern Norway. They later published an account of their visit in the ''Ibis''. In 1861 he joined Salvin (who was making his third trip to South America) in a trip to Guatemala and
Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...
via Jamaica. Godman left Salvin in
Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...
due to a fever and returned home via the Atlantic coast. In 1865, he made a trip to the
Azores ) , motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace") , anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores") , image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg , map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union , map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...
with one of his younger brothers, Captain Temple Godman (1844–1894). In 1871 he visited the
Canary Canary originally referred to the island of Gran Canaria on the west coast of Africa, and the group of surrounding islands (the Canary Islands). It may also refer to: Animals Birds * Canaries, birds in the genera ''Serinus'' and ''Crithagra'' i ...
and
Madeira Islands ) , anthem = ( en, "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira") , song_type = Regional anthem , image_map=EU-Portugal_with_Madeira_circled.svg , map_alt=Location of Madeira , map_caption=Location of Madeira , subdivision_type=Sovereign st ...
. He corresponded with
Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended fr ...
. He made many other trips later including a trip to India in 1886 with his brother-in-law
Henry John Elwes Henry John Elwes, FRS (16 May 1846 – 26 November 1922) was a British botanist, entomologist, author, lepidopterist, collector and traveller who became renowned for collecting specimens of lilies during trips to the Himalaya and Korea. He w ...
. They visited Bombay, Delhi,
Allan Octavian Hume Allan Octavian Hume, CB ICS (4 June 1829 – 31 July 1912) was a British civil servant, political reformer, ornithologist and botanist who worked in British India. He was the founder of the Indian National Congress. A notable ornithologist, Hum ...
at
Simla Shimla (; ; also known as Simla, the official name until 1972) is the capital and the largest city of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared as the summer capital of British India. After independence, th ...
,
Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
and then travelled east to
Sikkim Sikkim (; ) is a state in Northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Province No. 1 of Nepal in the west and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Siligur ...
. He purchased a collection of butterflies from Robert Lidderdale (1835–1908). During this trip he had trouble walking particularly at high altitudes. They returned through Madras and Sri Lanka. Later on he had a blood clot in the veins of his legs, leading him to move and live in the warmth of Mexico in 1885. Even here he joined Elwes on a trip up Popacatapetl.


Life and work

In 1876 Godman and Salvin decided to work on a project to document the fauna and flora of Central America. This monumental work ''
Biologia Centrali-Americana The ''Biologia Centrali-Americana'' is an encyclopedia of the natural history of Mexico and Central America, privately issued in 215 parts from 1879 to 1915 by the editors Frederick DuCane Godman and Osbert Salvin, of the British Museum (Natural ...
'' (1879–1915) was to grow into a 63 volume encyclopaedia on the natural history of Central America. Some of the botanical plates were painted by Salvin's wife. Salvin did not live to see it completed. Godman relied on Salvin for much of the systematics involved. The work was made possible by a number of other collaborators including
Richard Bowdler Sharpe Richard Bowdler Sharpe (22 November 1847 – 25 December 1909) was an English zoologist and ornithologist who worked as curator of the bird collection at the British Museum of natural history. In the course of his career he published several mo ...
and George Charles Champion. The associated collection was also enormous and included collections made by others such as
Henry Walter Bates Henry Walter Bates (8 February 1825, in Leicester – 16 February 1892, in London) was an English naturalist and explorer who gave the first scientific account of mimicry in animals. He was most famous for his expedition to the rainforests of ...
that were purchased. Godman and Salvin also collected numerous bird and butterfly specimens. These were presented to the British Museum in 1885, including nearly 520,000 bird skins alone. Other works by Godman included ''The Natural History of the Azores'' (1870) and a two-volume ''Monograph of the Petrels'' (1907–10) with plates by J. G. Keulemans. The British Ornithologists' Union instituted the
Godman-Salvin Medal The Godman-Salvin Medal is a medal of the British Ornithologists' Union awarded "to an individual as a signal honour for distinguished ornithological work." It was instituted in 1919 in the memory of Frederick DuCane Godman and Osbert Salvin. M ...
for contributions to
ornithology Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...
while a memorial to Godman and Salvin was constructed and is exhibited in the
Natural History Museum A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, climatology, and more. ...
. Godman also took an interest in plants, maintaining a large collection of
rhododendrons ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...
, orchids and
alpine plants Alpine plants are plants that grow in an alpine climate, which occurs at high elevation and above the tree line. There are many different plant species and taxa that grow as a plant community in these alpine tundra. These include perennial grasses, ...
in his garden and rockery at South Lodge near Horsham. This house is now the
South Lodge Hotel The South Lodge Hotel is a 19th-century five star country house hotel set near Horsham, West Sussex in the south of England. The hotel has also been used in a number of feature films including the 2014 film '' A Dark Reflection''. History In 188 ...
. There appears to have been a friendly rivalry with his friend Sir Edmund Loder, a plantsman and owner of nearby
Leonardslee Leonardslee is an English country house and English landscape garden and woodland garden in Lower Beeding, near Horsham, West Sussex, England. The Grade I listed garden is particularly significant for its spring displays of rhododendrons, azal ...
country estate. They co-operated on ''loderii'' hybrid
rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...
, a cross between Leanardslee's '' Rhododendron fortunei'' and South Lodge's '' Rhododendron griffianthium''. South Lodge remains notable for its rhododendrons. His other botanical passions included
orchids Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...
and nerines, and with his gardener, Geoffrey Giles, he propagated rare orchids, regularly being awarded for his efforts by the
Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...
. Along with his brother Colonel Charles Bulkeley Godman (1849–1941), he took an interest in hunting with dogs, fishing and shooting. Godman collected early Iranian pottery,
Iznik pottery Iznik pottery, or Iznik ware, named after the town of İznik in western Anatolia where it was made, is a decorated ceramic that was produced from the last quarter of the 15th century until the end of the 17th century. İznik was an established ...
and
Hispano-Moresque Hispano-Moresque ware is a style of initially Islamic pottery created in Al-Andalus, which continued to be produced under Christian rule in styles blending Islamic and European elements. It was the most elaborate and luxurious pottery being pr ...
ware. Although he had visited Istanbul in 1852, the ceramics were purchased in England. He became well known as a collector and dealers would bring items to his home near Horsham. His collection included important inscribed and dated works. In 1873 he married Edith, the daughter of J. H. Elwes (and hence sister of Godman's friend H. J. Elwes) and after her death in 1875 married Alice, daughter of Percy Chaplin in 1891. Along with his second wife, later Dame Alice Mary Godman (1868–1944, who became deputy president of the
British Red Cross Society The British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom body of the worldwide neutral and impartial humanitarian network the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with more ...
), he travelled to the
West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...
and through Africa. He had two daughters by his second wife, Eva Mary (1895–1965) and Catherine Edith (1896–1982). Both his daughters took an interest in natural history. The elder daughter Eva was killed by a vehicle when she crossed a street to post a letter. His collection of more than 600 pieces of Islamic pottery was transferred to the
British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
through the will of his younger daughter, Catherine, who died in 1982. Godman was secretary of the British Ornithological Union from 1870 to 1882 and again from 1889 to 1897, and also served as president from 1896 until 1913. He was a fellow of the
Zoological Society of London The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats. It was founded in 1826. Since 1828, it has maintained the London Zoo, and since 1931 Whipsnade Park. History On 29 ...
, and member of its council from 1902. He was elected to the
Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
in 1882, received a gold medal from 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 1918, and was made a trustee of the
British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
.


Death

Godman died on 19 February 1919 at 45
Pont Street Pont Street is a fashionable street in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, traversing the areas of Knightsbridge and Belgravia. The street is not far from the Knightsbridge department store Harrods to its north-west. The street ...
, London, and was laid to rest in
Cowfold Cowfold is a village and civil parish between Billingshurst and Haywards Heath in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. The village is at the intersection of the A272 and A281 roads. The parish has a land area of 1926 hectare (475 ...
,
Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...
.


Legacy

Godman is commemorated in the scientific names of four species of reptiles: '' Anolis godmani'', ''
Cerrophidion godmani ''Cerrophidion godmani'' is a venomous pit viper species found in southern Mexico and Guatemala. No subspecies are currently recognized. It is also known as the Godman's montane pit viperCampbell JA, Lamar WW (2004). ''The Venomous Reptiles of ...
'', '' Rhadinella godmani'', '' Thamnophis godmani''; one amphibian, Godman's tree frog ('' Tlalocohyla godmani''), and the heliconid butterfly ''Neruda godmani''.


Works

;Books * * * * Scans from the Internet archive
Volume 1Volume 2
;Journal articles Godman published 12 article on birds in the ''Ibis''. Several of these had multiple parts and almost all were with Salvin as a co-author. He also published over 30 articles on butterflies, again mostly with Salvin.


References


Further reading

* * * *


External links


British Museum collection information
{{DEFAULTSORT:Godman, Frederick DuCane 1834 births 1919 deaths People from Godalming People educated at Eton College Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge English lepidopterists English ornithologists Fellows of the Royal Society Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society Fellows of the Zoological Society of London Fellows of the Linnean Society of London Fellows of the Royal Entomological Society Fellows of the Royal Horticultural Society People from Cowfold