George Henry Kendrick Thwaites
Encyclopedia
George Henry Kendrick Thwaites (1811, Bristol
- 1882, Kandy
) was an English
botanist and entomologist.
Thwaites was initially an accountant
and studied botany during his spare time. He was interested particularly in the lower plants such as the algae
and the cryptogams. He become a recognized botanist when he showed that the diatom
s are not animals, but algae.
In 1846 he was lecturer on botany at the Bristol school of pharmacy and afterwards at the medical school. In March 1849, on the death of George Gardner
, Thwaites was appointed superintendent of the botanical gardens at Peradeniya
, Ceylon.
He was made a Fellow
of the Royal Society
on 1 June 1865 following the publication of his ‘Enumeratio Plantarum Zeylaniæ,’ - (five fasciculi 1859–64) His notes form the most valuable portion of Frederic Moore
's ‘Lepidoptera of Ceylon’ (3 vols. 1880–9).
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
- 1882, Kandy
Kandy
Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...
) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
botanist and entomologist.
Thwaites was initially an accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
and studied botany during his spare time. He was interested particularly in the lower plants such as the algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
and the cryptogams. He become a recognized botanist when he showed that the diatom
Diatom
Diatoms are a major group of algae, and are one of the most common types of phytoplankton. Most diatoms are unicellular, although they can exist as colonies in the shape of filaments or ribbons , fans , zigzags , or stellate colonies . Diatoms are producers within the food chain...
s are not animals, but algae.
In 1846 he was lecturer on botany at the Bristol school of pharmacy and afterwards at the medical school. In March 1849, on the death of George Gardner
George Gardner (botanist)
George Gardner was a Scottish naturalist mainly interested in botany.Gardner's father was a gardener first to to the Earl of Dunmore in Ardentinny, then from 1816 to the Earl of Eglinton at Ardrossan. In 1822, his parents moved to Glasgow where he attended the grammar-school and acquired a...
, Thwaites was appointed superintendent of the botanical gardens at Peradeniya
Peradeniya
Peradeniya is a town of about 50,000 inhabitants on the outskirts of Kandy in Sri Lanka. It is situated on the A1 main road connecting Kandy and Colombo, just a few kilometres west of Kandy....
, Ceylon.
He was made a Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
on 1 June 1865 following the publication of his ‘Enumeratio Plantarum Zeylaniæ,’ - (five fasciculi 1859–64) His notes form the most valuable portion of Frederic Moore
Frederic Moore
Frederic Moore FZS was a British entomologist. It has been said that Moore was born at 33 Bruton Street but may be incorrect given that this was the address of the menagerie and office of the Zoological Society of London from 1826 to 1836.Moore was appointed an assistant in the East India Company...
's ‘Lepidoptera of Ceylon’ (3 vols. 1880–9).