Frederick William Burbidge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Wymeswold,Leicestershire, England |
| Died | Dublin, Ireland |
| Occupations | Explorer; plant collector |
| Known for | Victorian Medal of Honour by the Royal Horticultural Society |
Frederick William Thomas Burbidge (1847–1905) was a British explorer who collected many rare tropical plants for the famousVeitch Nurseries.
Burbidge was born at Wymeswold, Leicestershire, on 21 March 1847, was son of Thomas Burbidge, a farmer and fruit-grower.[1]
Burbridge entered the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society at Chiswick as a student in 1868, and proceeded in the same year to theRoyal Gardens, Kew. Here he showed skill as a draughtsman and was partly employed in making drawings of plants in theherbarium. Leaving Kew in 1870, he was on the staff ofthe Garden from that year until 1877.[2]
In 1877 Burbidge was sent by Messrs. Veitch as a collector to Borneo. He was absent two years, during which he also visited Johore, Brunei, and the Sulu Islands. He brought back to Great Britain many remarkable plants, especially:[3]
The first set of the dried specimens brought back by Burbidge numbered nearly a thousand species, and was presented by Messrs. Veitch to theKew Herbarium.[2]
Sir Joseph Hooker in describing the Scitamineous "Burbidgea nitida" names it:
in recognition of Burbidge's eminent services to horticulture, whether as a collector in Borneo, or as author ofCultivated Plants, their Propagation and Improvement, a work which should be in every gardener's library.[4]
In 1880 Burbidge was appointed curator of thebotanical gardens ofTrinity College, Dublin, atGlasnevin. There he did much to encourage gardening in Ireland.[5] In 1889Dublin University conferred on him the honorary degree of M.A., and in 1894 he became keeper of the college park as well as curator of the botanical gardens.[2]
On the establishment of theVictoria Medal of Honour by theRoyal Horticultural Society, in 1897, Burbidge was one of the first recipients, and he was also a member of the Royal Irish Academy. He died from heart-disease on Christmas Eve 1905, and was buried in Dublin.[2]
Burbidge is commemorated in the name of the genusBurbidgea (Hook.f.) and several species includingGlobba burbidgei (Ridl.).Nepenthes burbidgeae (Hook.f.ex Burb.) is thought to be named after his wife.[citation needed]
In the opinion of Frederick Corder the author of his biography in theDictionary of National Biography (DNB) "Although no scientific botanist, nor very skilful as a cultivator, Burbidge did admirable service as a horticultural writer".[2]
Burbidge married in 1876 Mary Wade, who died, six months before him. They had no children.
During his period at Kew and working on theGardener Burbidge published:[3]
After the 1877–79 Borneo, Johore, Brunei, and the Sulu Islands expedition, the chronicle of his journey was published:[3]
While at Dublin he published two books:[3]
Attribution
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Boulger, George Simonds (1912). "Burbidge, Frederick William". InLee, Sidney (ed.).Dictionary of National Biography (2nd supplement). London:Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 257–258.
