Harold Roy Fletcher
FRSE
Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...
(14 April 1907 – 27 August 1978) was an English botanist and horticulturalist. He was
Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
The Royal status of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) is intrinsically linked to the issue of a Royal Warrant to the first Intendant of the Gardens in 1699. Since that date, the appointment of each new Director of RBGE has required the as ...
from 1956 to 1970 and
Her Majesty's Botanist 1966 to 1978. As an author he is known as H.R. Fletcher.
Life
He was born in
Glossop in
Derbyshire
Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...
on 14 April 1907 the son of James Fletcher. He attended Glossop Grammar School. He attended the
University of Manchester
, mottoeng = Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity
, established = 2004 – University of Manchester Predecessor institutions: 1956 – UMIST (as university college; university 1994) 1904 – Victoria University of Manchester 1880 – Victoria Univer ...
graduating with a BSc in 1929. He then undertook postgraduate studies at the
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen ( sco, University o' 'Aiberdeen; abbreviated as ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; gd, Oilthigh Obar Dheathain) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Sc ...
gaining a doctorate (PhD) in 1933.
In 1943 he was elected a Fellow of the
Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were
Sir William Wright Smith, James R Matthews,
James Ritchie and
James Couper Brash
James Couper Brash, MC, FRCSE, FRSE (24 October 1886 in Cathcart – 19 January 1958 in Edinburgh) was a leading anatomist and embryologist in Britain.
Early life and family
James Couper Brash was born in Cathcart in Scotland, the son of ...
. He served as the Society's Vice President 1962 to 1965 and won their Neill Prize for the period 1971-73.
From 1951 to 1954 he was Director of 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 ...
at
Wisley
__NOTOC__
Wisley is a village and civil parish in Surrey, England between Cobham and Woking, in the Borough of Guildford. It is the home of the Royal Horticultural Society's Wisley Garden. The River Wey runs through the village and Ockham and ...
. In 1954 he became Assistant Keeper at the
Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh and was promoted to be the 11th
Regius Keeper in 1956, holding the post until 1970.
The University of Edinburgh and 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 ...
both awarded him honorary doctorates (DSc) in 1971.
He died on 27 August 1978.
Publications
*''New Species of Alpine Primula'' (1941)
*''Challenges and Opportunity'' (1966)
*''The Story of the Royal Horticultural Society 1804-1968'' (1969)
*''Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh 1670-1970'' (1970)
*''Quest of Flowers'' (1975)
*''The Genus Primula'' (1977)
Family
In 1941 he married Evelyn Betty Veronica Sloan.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fletcher, Harold Roy
1907 births
1978 deaths
People from Glossop
Alumni of the University of Manchester
Alumni of the University of Aberdeen
English botanists
Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Victoria Medal of Honour (Horticulture) recipients
English horticulturists
English historians