Obits in Year Book 2013 FINAL

BSBI Yearbook 2013: 85-87 DAVID RIDLEY HUMPHREYS, MD, FRCP (1916 – 2011) David was born in Birmingham, the eldest of Calcutta and in Darjeeling and was once heard three, to a father who was an insurance to casually mention dining, under the stars in company manager. He was educated in Small a Maharaja’s palace, in the company of the Heath and Kings Heath, attending King writer E M Forster. Edward’s Boys School where his academic On his return from India in 1948, just in time talents won him a scholarship to Birmingham for the birth of the NHS, David was appointed Medical School when he was seventeen. After as chest consultant at his beloved Queen Eliza- further awards and prizes, he qualified as a beth Hospital and was introduced into the lives doctor in 1938. His first post was at the Queen of his two year old daughters, who did not Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, starting as know the strange man suddenly living in their a house physician, becoming the Resident home. After the birth of two further daugh- Medical Officer in 1939 and running the ters, Philippa and Nicola, family and working pneumothorax clinic. With the outbreak of life left little time for botany, but it was always World War II he took on the admission of air there on the sidelines. When Philippa was raid casualties as well as teaching students and asked to take wild flowers to school there was night-time fire-watching duties on the roof of a rather high standard, as David vied with the hospital. David also attended to military other botanically minded parents to find the services cases and was appointed Penicillin best specimens around the Birmingham area. Officer when this remedy was first used. It David joined the BSBI in 1964 and, having was at this time that he developed his career- bought the derelict Knill Court on the borders long interest in chest medicine. of Radnorshire and Herefordshire in 1965, Through his studies and work, David met his spent weekends there restoring the property wife-to-be, Helen Mason. They married in and exploring the beautiful border country in 1944 having met as medical students sharing which it lay. After retirement from a distin- a mutual passion for music. David was a keen guished medical career, the family finally amateur musician with a fine piano and then moved to Knill in 1979. had the luck to obtain a second piano. Helen, David joined the Herefordshire Botanical a charming young doctor at the hospital, not Society in 1978, in what might be considered only played the piano but was also a very good the golden years of the Society, organized and sight reader and, although very shy, David led by Peter and Stephanie Thompson. The managed to invite her to come and try some Society had been formed by Mrs Margaret piano duets. Romance blossomed with the Whitehead as a breakaway group from the music and a long lasting and fruitful partner- Woolhope Club which, in its early years, did ship began. not encourage lady members. Mrs Whitehead In 1944 David did a course in tropical had published a plant list for the county in medicine, was commissioned into the Royal 1976 and the Society was enthusiastically Army Medical Corps and in September 1945 recording to update this. The Society had well was posted to India. As he set sail, Helen gave over a hundred members and attracted new birth to twins, Caroline and Bridget, daughters younger members, such as Jean Wynne-Jones he was not to see for two years. In India David and Liz Dean. There was also great expertise went to Bikaner where he was in charge of from the likes of Peter and Joan Hall, who had about fifty beds for Japanese patients and produced the first county flora for Sussex. acted as consultant for the Japanese Prison Both, but particularly Joan, were regarded Camp Hospital. Later he served on a hospital with awe when they came on field trips and ship, in the Indian General Hospital in many were reduced to complete silence in their company. David flourished in this distributions of species in Herefordshire and environment, increasing his own knowledge Radnorshire such as the almost complete and taking great pleasure in helping and absence of Traveller’s Joy in Radnorshire encouraging beginners. On field trips, when compared with its ubiquity in Herefordshire. difficult plants were encountered, David Following the retirement of Miss Ann would always produce his Clapham, Tutin and Powell, David took over as vice-county Warburg and insist that people work through recorder for Radnorshire in 1989, the least the key. He always made this fun and densely populated vice-county in England and accepted that an answer would not necessarily Wales. He was an enthusiastic and diligent be forthcoming and that hybrids and natural recorder until his retirement in 2007 and liked variation had to be allowed for. Botanical nothing more than to receive a phone call from Society meetings often seemed to unearth someone requesting a botanical survey of their plants showing quite a lot of natural variation. land, or with details of a potentially scarce By the the mid-eighties, computerised plant. When he was forced to give up as botanical recording became commonplace. recorder he was delighted to be able to hand David embraced this technology with enthusi- over the position to Liz Dean and Sue Spencer asm, working on the Herefordshire and with whom he had botanized for many years. Radnorshire plant records as well as assisting David was an active member of the groups in with records for Brecknock and County which he was involved. He was on the commit- Wexford. All of his records in these years tee of the Herefordshire Botanical Society for were computerised using Alan Morton’s many years, served on the Welsh BSBI DMAP. Having got to know Alan, who had a committee and was a trustee of the Radnorshire holiday home in mid-Wales, David was very Wildlife Trust where he helped create a very pleased to work with him in the development vibrant Trust with a selection of botanically rich of the programme. Alan used to bring his reserves of which Radnorshire is rightly proud. family to visit David and Helen and, while the Although his contribution as a committee children played in the Hindwell Brook that member was of course worthwhile, his enthusi- bordered the garden, Alan and David would asm, good nature and steadfastness were of far discuss the latest changes to DMAP. greater value. Botanical walks anywhere near David’s help was crucial in the production of Knill ended with invitations to tea where Helen the maps for Flora of Radnorshire (Woods always provided wonderful hospitality and 1993), a Lichen Flora of Brecknock (Woods committee meetings were regularly hosted, 2003) and The Mosses and Liverworts of again with never failing hospitality. David Brecknock (Woods 2006). It is doubtful that enjoyed bringing people together and helped any of these publications would have been forge many friendships through his contribu- completed without his help and support. tions to group activities such as the Hereford- Perhaps his greatest contribution was in the shire Botanical Society’s annual trip to the production of An Atlas of the Vascular Plants wilds of Radnorshire and memorably, their of Herefordshire (2nd edn. 2001). He was week-long trip to Ireland and the Burren. involved in the editorial work and by compu- David’s other great love in retirement was ter produced all the maps. David was not music and Knill Court acted as a hub for those intimidated by the vast numbers of records in the area interested in music. He and Helen involved (over 150,000 for the Herefordshire established the Halcyon choir that still meets plant atlas alone) and would work steadily and weekly at Knill and which put on joint methodically to get through them (typically, concerts with the Asklepios Orchestra that an hour or so every morning before breakfast) David established whilst on the teaching staff and was always spurred on by his wish to see at Birmingham University. The choir and interpret the final maps. He was forever regularly performed when David and Helen fascinated by the differences between the opened their exceptionally fine garden to raise funds for the nearby historic Knill Church. hunt each year for old and new flowers. They were also instrumental in setting up the David’s funeral took place on a day of Presteigne Festival which, thirty years later, is wonderful spring sunshine and he is buried in now a major event in the British musical the churchyard at Knill, amidst the flowers calendar. In recognition of his contribution to that he loved, a few yards from his home and the festival, the David Humphreys Memorial the beautiful garden that he and Helen created. Concert took place in August 2012, featuring The doors at Knill were always open to the appropriately his favourite instruments, the botanical community - it was ever a happy oboe and piano, with the world-renowned place to visit and David is sorely missed. oboist Nicholas Daniel. Again, it was David’s Bibliography calm support and encouragement which David made a significant contribution to the helped to see projects through in the early days following volumes:- when funding and support was so uncertain. Herefordshire Botanical Society (2nd edn. When arriving at David and Helen’s home of 2001). An Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Knill Court “to go out botanizing”, one was Herefordshire. regarded as improperly dressed if not wearing Port, J.

Load more