Lady Katherine Sophia Kane (''née'' Baily; 11 March 1811 – 25 February 1886) was an Irish botanist, best known for her book on Irish flowering plants ''The Irish Flora'' (1833).

Life

Katherine Sophia Baily was born 11 March 1811, the only child of Henry and Bridget Baily (née O'Kelly). Her father was from Berkshire, England, and he moved around Ireland for his work as a distiller. Her uncle was the astronomer and vice-president of the Royal Society,

Francis Baily Francis Baily (28 April 177430 August 1844) was an English astronomer. He is most famous for his observations of "Baily's beads" during a total eclipse of the Sun. Baily was also a major figure in the early history of the Royal Astronomical S ...

. After the deaths of both her parents at a young age, Katherine was raised by her uncle Matthias O'Kelly of Rochestown House,

Killiney Killiney () is an affluent seaside resort and suburb in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. It lies south of neighbouring Dalkey, east of Ballybrack and Sallynoggin and north of Shankill. The place grew around the 11th century Killiney Churc ...

County Dublin "Action to match our speech" , image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Dublin.svg , map_alt = map showing County Dublin as a small area of darker green on the east coast within the lighter green background of ...

. Matthias had an interest in natural history as one of his own sons,

Joseph O'Kelly Joseph O'Kelly (29 January 1828 – 9 January 1885), composer, pianist and choral conductor, was the most prominent member of a family of Irish musicians in 19th- and early 20th-century France. He wrote nine operas, four cantatas, numerous piano ...

, went on to become a geologist. Katherine married Robert Kane in 1838. It is believed that she met Robert Kane after the proof of ''The Irish Flora'' was sent to him in error. When her husband was elected President of the newly formed Queen's College Cork, Lady Kane refused to move there, preferring to stay in Dublin, tending to her collection of exotic plants. The Kanes had seven surviving children, including

Robert Romney Kane Sir Robert Romney Kane, Bt (28 October 1842 – 26 March 1902) was an Irish barrister and legal writer. He wrote also on Irish history. Life Born at Gracefield, Blackrock, Dublin, on 28 October 1842, he was eldest son of Sir Robert Kane; his ...

and Henry Coey Kane. She died 25 February 1886 in Dublin.

Botanical work

The 1833 Linnean botanical work ''The Irish Flora'', which was published anonymously, is ascribed to her. Katherine was aged 22 at the time of its first publication and although not a large work, it was one of the first of its kind, and lauded for its accuracy. The book became the recommended botany text in Trinity College, Dublin as it contained the first record of many plants. It is believed John White, of the Irish Botanic Gardens, helped with the compilation of the work, and that it was Dr. Walter Wade who encouraged her in this work. In 1836, the then 25-year-old Katherine became the first woman to be elected member of the

Botanical Society of Edinburgh The Botanical Society of Scotland (BSS) is the national learned society for botanists of Scotland. The Society's aims are to advance knowledge and appreciation of flowering and cryptogamic plants, algae and fungi. The Society's activities includ ...

, and her herbarium is housed in

University College Cork University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh) is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one ...

. She had an interest in the cultivation of trees, writing about the subject for the ''Irish Farmer's and Gardener's Magazine''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kane, Katherine Sophia 1811 births 1886 deaths 19th-century Irish women scientists 19th-century Irish botanists Irish women botanists