Max Walters
Encyclopedia
Dr Max Walters (born Oughtibridge
, Sheffield
, Yorkshire
23 May 1920 - died Grantchester
, Cambridgeshire 11 December 2005) was a British
botanist
and academic. As a conscientious objector
in the Second World War, he worked as a hospital orderly in Sheffield
and Bristol
. He was Curator of the Herbarium, Botany School, University of Cambridge
1949-73, Lecturer in Botany 1962-73, and for the ten years up until his retirement, 1973-83, Director of the University Botanic Garden in Cambridge
. He was a Research Fellow at St John's College, Cambridge
1948-51 and Fellow of King's College, Cambridge
1964-84.
He was the author of numerous books on plants and flowers, most notably the 1964 Atlas of the British Flora
(with F. H. Perring) and as a co-editor of Flora Europaea
. He wrote two well-known books for the New Naturalist
library, Wild Flowers (1954, co-written with John Gilmour) and Mountain Flowers (1956, with John Raven
). He was much involved in the research and management of Wicken Fen
. After his retirement, he wrote a biography
of Darwin
's teacher and friend, John Stevens Henslow
, Darwin's mentor (2001).
Walters was a committed Christian
who was much involved both in the local life of the Church of England
(he was a churchwarden
at Grantchester for many years) and in the application of Christian principles to national and social life: he was a Christian socialist and also a Christian pacifist
, and as such was a leading member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation
and also active in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
.
Oughtibridge
Oughtibridge is a residential village on the northern outskirts of Sheffield within the bounds of Bradfield Parish Council. The village stands northwest of the city centre in the valley of the River Don...
, Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
23 May 1920 - died Grantchester
Grantchester
Grantchester is a village on the River Cam or Granta in Cambridgeshire, England. It is listed in the Domesday Book as Grantesete and Grauntsethe...
, Cambridgeshire 11 December 2005) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
botanist
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
and academic. As a conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
in the Second World War, he worked as a hospital orderly in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
and Bristol
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...
. He was Curator of the Herbarium, Botany School, University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
1949-73, Lecturer in Botany 1962-73, and for the ten years up until his retirement, 1973-83, Director of the University Botanic Garden in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
. He was a Research Fellow at St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
1948-51 and Fellow of King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
1964-84.
He was the author of numerous books on plants and flowers, most notably the 1964 Atlas of the British Flora
Atlas of the British Flora
The Atlas of the British Flora is a book by Franklyn H. Perring and S. Max Walters, published by the Botanical Society of the British Isles.It was first published in 1962, with a second edition published in 1976, and a third in 1982....
(with F. H. Perring) and as a co-editor of Flora Europaea
Flora Europaea
The Flora Europaea is a 5-volume encyclopedia of plants, published between 1964 and 1993 by Cambridge University Press. The aim was to describe all the national Floras of Europe in a single, authoritative publication that helped readers identify any wild or widely cultivated plant in Europe to the...
. He wrote two well-known books for the New Naturalist
New Naturalist
The New Naturalist Library books are a series published by Collins in the United Kingdom, on a variety of natural history topics relevant to the British Isles...
library, Wild Flowers (1954, co-written with John Gilmour) and Mountain Flowers (1956, with John Raven
John Raven
John Earle Raven , who published as J. E. Raven, was an English classical scholar, notable for his work on presocratic philosophy, and amateur botanist.-Early life and education:...
). He was much involved in the research and management of Wicken Fen
Wicken Fen
Wicken Fen is a wetland nature reserve situated near the village of Wicken, Cambridgeshire, England.It is one of Britain's oldest nature reserves, and was the first reserve acquired by the National Trust, in 1899. The reserve includes fenland, farmland, marsh, and reedbeds...
. After his retirement, he wrote a biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
of Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
's teacher and friend, John Stevens Henslow
John Stevens Henslow
John Stevens Henslow was an English clergyman, botanist and geologist. He is best remembered as friend and mentor to his pupil Charles Darwin.- Early life :...
, Darwin's mentor (2001).
Walters was a committed Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
who was much involved both in the local life of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
(he was a churchwarden
Churchwarden
A churchwarden is a lay official in a parish church or congregation of the Anglican Communion, usually working as a part-time volunteer. Holders of these positions are ex officio members of the parish board, usually called a vestry, parish council, parochial church council, or in the case of a...
at Grantchester for many years) and in the application of Christian principles to national and social life: he was a Christian socialist and also a Christian pacifist
Christian pacifism
Christian pacifism is the theological and ethical position that any form of violence is incompatible with the Christian faith. Christian pacifists state that Jesus himself was a pacifist who taught and practiced pacifism, and that his followers must do likewise.There have been various notable...
, and as such was a leading member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation
Fellowship of Reconciliation
The Fellowship of Reconciliation is the name used by a number of religious nonviolent organizations, particularly in English-speaking countries...
and also active in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is an anti-nuclear organisation that advocates unilateral nuclear disarmament by the United Kingdom, international nuclear disarmament and tighter international arms regulation through agreements such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty...
.