William Frederick Johnson
Encyclopedia
William Frederick Johnson (1852–1934) was an Irish
naturalist
primarily interested in Entomology
.
, India
, where he spent his youth. A genial and kindly clergyman,he published over 100 papers each on Lepidoptera
, sixty or so on Hymenoptera
and smaller numbers on each of ten other insect orders. His best known work is A list of the beetles of Ireland (Coleoptera) a collaboration with J.N. Halbert published in 1902. A graduate of Dublin University, he spent most of his life in Co. Armagh, first as a teacher in Armagh
town, then as Rector in Poyntzpass. Later in life he spent time in various parts of Co Down and Co Louth. The fact that he was elected a Special Life Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society of London
gives some measure of the esteem in which he was held. Johnson was a careful and assiduous worker, careful to send dubiously identified specimens to others. His Ichneumonidae
were sent to the Swede
Per Abraham Roman
, for instance. Richard Strauss
once said of himself "I am not a composer of the first rate, but I am a splendid composer of the second". The same may said of William Johnson.
Johnson's Coleoptera Collection is in the Ulster Museum
, Belfast
. The Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera and other orders are in the National Museum of Ireland
, Dublin. Unfortunately none of his correspondence has survived.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
primarily interested in Entomology
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
.
Biography
He was born in TravancoreTravancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, where he spent his youth. A genial and kindly clergyman,he published over 100 papers each on Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
, sixty or so on Hymenoptera
Hymenoptera
Hymenoptera is one of the largest orders of insects, comprising the sawflies, wasps, bees and ants. There are over 130,000 recognized species, with many more remaining to be described. The name refers to the heavy wings of the insects, and is derived from the Ancient Greek ὑμήν : membrane and...
and smaller numbers on each of ten other insect orders. His best known work is A list of the beetles of Ireland (Coleoptera) a collaboration with J.N. Halbert published in 1902. A graduate of Dublin University, he spent most of his life in Co. Armagh, first as a teacher in Armagh
Armagh
Armagh is a large settlement in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh. It is a site of historical importance for both Celtic paganism and Christianity and is the seat, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, of the Archbishop of Armagh...
town, then as Rector in Poyntzpass. Later in life he spent time in various parts of Co Down and Co Louth. The fact that he was elected a Special Life Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society of London
Royal Entomological Society of London
The Royal Entomological Society of London is devoted to insect study. It has a major national and international role in disseminating information about insects and improving communication between entomologists....
gives some measure of the esteem in which he was held. Johnson was a careful and assiduous worker, careful to send dubiously identified specimens to others. His Ichneumonidae
Ichneumonidae
Ichneumonidae is a family within the insect order Hymenoptera. Insects in this family are commonly called ichneumon wasps. Less exact terms are ichneumon flies , or scorpion wasps due to the extreme lengthening and curving of the abdomen...
were sent to the Swede
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Per Abraham Roman
Per Abraham Roman
Abraham Roman also Per Abraham Roman was a Swedish entomologist. He specialised in Ichneumonidae, working on worldwide expedition material in the Stockholm Natural History Museum...
, for instance. Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
once said of himself "I am not a composer of the first rate, but I am a splendid composer of the second". The same may said of William Johnson.
Johnson's Coleoptera Collection is in the Ulster Museum
Ulster Museum
The Ulster Museum, located in the Botanic Gardens in Belfast, has around 8,000 square metres of public display space, featuring material from the collections of fine art and applied art, archaeology, ethnography, treasures from the Spanish Armada, local history, numismatics, industrial...
, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
. The Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera and other orders are in the National Museum of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Dublin. Unfortunately none of his correspondence has survived.
Works
- Johnson, W.F. & Halbert, J.N. (1902). A list of the beetles of Ireland. Proc. R. Ir. Acad.6(3): 535-827.
- Johnson, W.F. & Halbert, J.N. (1912). Clare Island SurveyClare Island SurveyThe Clare island Survey was a multidisciplinary survey of Clare Island an island off the West coast of Ireland....
. 28. Terrestrial Coleoptera. Proc. R. Ir. Acad. 31: 1-24