His Majesty's Botanist is a member of the Royal household in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

. The office was created in 1699, and from 1768 until 1956 it was combined with the office of

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 ...

, who also held the post of Regius Professor of Botany at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

. Since then the office of HM Botanist has been honorary, but conferred on a serving or retired Regius Keeper.

Office holders

* 1699: James Sutherland * 1715: Dr William Arthur * 1716:

Charles Alston Charles Henry Alston (November 28, 1907 – April 27, 1977) was an American painter, sculptor, illustrator, muralist and teacher who lived and worked in the New York City neighborhood of Harlem. Alston was active in the Harlem Renaissance; A ...

* 1761: Dr John Hope * 1786:

Daniel Rutherford Daniel Rutherford (3 November 1749 – 15 December 1819) was a Scottish physician, chemist and botanist who is known for the isolation of nitrogen in 1772. Life Rutherford was born on 3 November 1749, the son of Anne Mackay and Professor John ...

MD * 1820: Robert Graham MD * 1845:

John Hutton Balfour John Hutton Balfour (15 September 1808 – 11 February 1884) was a Scottish botanist. Balfour became a Professor of Botany, first at the University of Glasgow in 1841, moving to the University of Edinburgh and also becoming the 7th Regius Kee ...

MD * 1880: Alexander Dickson MD LLD * 1888: Sir

Isaac Bayley Balfour Sir Isaac Bayley Balfour, KBE, FRS, FRSE (31 March 1853 – 30 November 1922) was a Scottish botanist. He was Regius Professor of Botany at the University of Glasgow from 1879 to 1885, Sherardian Professor of Botany at the University of Oxfor ...

* 1922: Prof. Sir

William Wright Smith Sir William Wright Smith FRS FRSE FLS VMH LLD (2 February 1875 Lochmaben, Dumfriesshire – 15 December 1956) was a Scottish botanist and horticulturalist. Life He was born at Parkend farm near Lochmaben in Dumfriesshire, the son of James ...

(d 1956) * 1966:

Harold Roy Fletcher Harold Roy Fletcher FRSE (14 April 1907 – 27 August 1978) was an English botanist and horticulturalist. He was Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh from 1956 to 1970 and Her Majesty's Botanist 1966 to 1978. As an author he is kno ...

(d 1978) * 1987: Prof. Douglas Mackay Henderson * 2010: Prof Stephen BlackmoreLondon Gazette, 10 Sep 2010.
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References

Sources

* Holders from 1703 to 1820 from "Exchequer Establishment List" c.1770 (E/229/10/1) in

National Archives of Scotland The National Archives of Scotland (NAS) is the previous name of the National Records of Scotland (NRS), and are the national archives of Scotland, based in Edinburgh. The NAS claims to have one of the most varied collection of archives in Europe ...

Royal Botanic Garden: A Brief History

Office holders

See also

References

Sources

Further reading