William Evans FRSE FFA FSA MBOU (1851–1922) was a Scottish naturalist, ornithologist and actuary. He was described as one of the most competent field naturalists of his day. He served as President of the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh.

Life

He was born at the

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) is a scientific centre for the study of plants, their diversity and conservation, as well as a popular tourist attraction. Founded in 1670 as a physic garden to grow medicinal plants, today it occupies ...

(presumably in the East Lodge), where his father, William Wilson Evans, was Curator, on 9 May 1851. After a wonderful early exposure to botany, his family moved in 1857 to Tynefield Farm near

East Linton East Linton is a village and former police burgh in East Lothian, Scotland, situated on the River Tyne and A199 road (former A1 road) five miles east of Haddington, with an estimated population of in . During the 19th century the population ...

(east of Edinburgh) where his interests continued with a more practical vein. Here though, he came under the influence of Charles Nelson of Pitcox, who extended his interests from plant life to birds, William also taking a keen interest in sculpting birds from wood from this time. During this time he was educated at the Free Kirk School in East Linton. William also spent some later years with his uncle at Buckstone Farm near

Mortonhall Mortonhall is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland, on the south edge of the city. The area is along the western end of the Frogston Road between Fairmilehead and Gilmerton; it is just to the south of Liberton and the Braid Hills. The area was ...

, Edinburgh (the farm now giving rise to the name of one of Edinburgh's suburbs). Around 1865 his father received an appointment as Agent and Factor on the estate of Sir George Clerk of Penicuik and the family therefore moved to

Penicuik Penicuik ( ; sco, Penicuik; gd, Peighinn na Cuthaig) is a town and former Police burgh, burgh in Midlothian, Scotland, lying on the west bank of the River Esk, Lothian, River North Esk. It lies on the A701 road, A701 midway between Edinburgh a ...

(south of

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

). William was then sent to the Edinburgh Institution (now

Stewart's Melville College Stewart's Melville College (SMC) is an independent day and boarding school in Edinburgh, Scotland. Classes are all boys in the 1st to 5th years and co-educational in Sixth (final) year. It has a roll of about 750 pupils. The school is twinned w ...

) for further schooling. At age 17 (in 1868) he was apprenticed as an actuary in the

Scottish Widows Scottish Widows is a life insurance and pensions company located in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is a subsidiary of Lloyds Banking Group. Its product range includes life assurance and pensions. The company has been providing financial services to th ...

Fund. By 1892 he had reached the level of Assistant Actuary to the Fund, but had to retire due to ill-health. Curiously, his election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1884 is minuted as being due to his actuarial skills rather than naturalist skills. His proposers were Robert Gray, Thomas Bond Sprague,

John MacGregor McCandlish John MacGregor McCandlish WS FRSE (1821–1901) was a Scottish lawyer and actuary. He was the first president of the Faculty of Actuaries. Life He was born at 17 Minto Street in south Edinburgh on 12 January 1821 the son of William McCandlis ...

, and Sir Peter Redford Scott. In later life he lived at 38 Morningside Park in south-west Edinburgh. In the later 19th century he conducted a correspondence with the German ornithologist Ernst Hartert, these documents are now held in the

Natural History Museum, London The Natural History Museum in London is a museum that exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history. It is one of three major museums on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, the others being the Science Museum an ...

. He died on 23 October 1922.

Family

In 1879 he married Patricia Jane Deuchar (1849–1921). They had one son, William Edgar Evans (1882-1963), and one daughter, Charlotte E. Evans. William Edgar Evans followed in his father's footsteps becoming a botanist and Assistant in Charge of the Herbarium at the

from 1919 to 1944. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Publications

*''The Mammalian Fauna of the Edinburgh District'' (1906)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, William 1851 births 1922 deaths Scottish naturalists Scottish ornithologists Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh