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. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. 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 (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

. 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 * 1761: DR John Hope * 1786:

Daniel Rutherford Daniel Rutherford (3 November 1749 – 15 November 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 J ...

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 Edinburgh University, University of Edinburgh and also becomin ...

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

Isaac Bayley Balfour Sir Isaac Bayley Balfour, Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, KBE, Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS, Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, FRSE (31 March 1853 – 30 November 1922) was a Scottish botanist. He was Regius Prof ...

* 1922: Prof. Sir

William Wright Smith Sir William Wright Smith (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 T. Smith, a farmer. He was ...

(d 1956) * 1966:

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

(d 1978) * 1987: Prof.

Douglas Mackay Henderson Douglas Mackay Henderson CBE FRSE FLS (30 August 1927 – 10 November 2007) was a Scottish botanist, the 12th Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh from 1970 to 1987. Life He was born in Blairgowrie on 30 August 1927, the second ...

* 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 Europ ...

Royal Botanic Garden: A Brief History

Office holders

See also

References

Sources

Further reading