James Backhouse (1825–1890) was an English
botanist
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...
,
archaeologist
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
, and
geologist. He was the son of
James Backhouse (1794–1869), a botanist and missionary in Australia.
Life
Backhouse was educated at Lawrence Street School, (which later became
Bootham School), York. He worked in Norway, Ireland, and Scotland, and was particularly known for his work on the flora of
Teesdale. He was a correspondent of
Charles Darwin.
He was also a member of the
Religious Society of Friends, also known as the
Quaker
Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...
s.
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''
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James Backhouse is known as "James Backhouse (4)",[ See also: ] because he was the fourth in a line of James Backhouses:
* James Backhouse (1), 1720–1798, the founder of Backhouse's Bank.
* James Backhouse (2), 1757–1804.
* James Backhouse (3), 1794-1869, the Quaker missionary and founder of the Backhouse Nursery.
His son was also a James Backhouse:
* James Backhouse (5), 1861–1945, best known as an ornithologist.[See: ]
Notes
References
*Desmond, Ray. 1994. ''Dictionary of British and Irish botanists and horticulturists including plant collectors, flower painters and garden designers''. New edition, revised and completely updated with the assistance of Christine Ellwood. London: Taylor & Francis & the Natural History Museum, 1994.
1825 births
1890 deaths
English botanists
English Quakers
People educated at Bootham School
People from Darlington
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