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Article The influence of social background on the emergence of British field botanists in the 17–19th centuries: William Wilson, a case study illiam Wilson (1799–1871) of that the cultural environment of our formative Mark Lawley discusses how the textile industry, non-conformism and Warrington, Lancashire (now years influences whether we become naturalists. medicines influenced the character and development of many British field Cheshire) was Britain’s lead- In particular, Wilson’s upbringing exposed him ing bryologist in the mid-19th to three influences that manifested themselves botanists in the 17–19th centuries. This article was delivered as a talk at the century, and chronologically in the formative years of many bygone British BBS Autumn 2007 meeting in Liverpool. Wlinks botanical all-rounders of the early 19th naturalists – the textile industry, non-conform- century (naturalists like Dawson Turner, Wil- ism, and medicines. living with him. Such circumstances encouraged chants were ahead of their time, just as they were liam Jackson Hooker and Thomas Taylor) with I shall discuss these general aspects of social and produced conforming attitudes and lives with their independent attitudes. leading British bryologists of subsequent genera- and cultural history that at one time predisposed with limited horizons. In contrast, the entre- tions, such as Robert Braithwaite, Hugh Dixon individuals to becoming naturalists, and then preneurial mentality and capitalistic lifestyles of (c) Literacy and Symers Macvicar. Wilson added many spe- briefly consider how these circumstances may English textile merchants of the 15th–17th cen- And thirdly, the textile industry’s far-flung trad- cies to Britain and Ireland’s moss flora, compiled have influenced the development of Wilson’s turies very likely also prompted an inquisitive and ing connections required merchants to be literate, Bryologia Britannica (1855), and planned but did character and interests. critical attitude to their environment – precisely in order that they might send and receive enquir- not live to complete a second edition that would the mind set needed by naturalists if they are to ies, instructions and orders, exchange contracts, have included an additional hundred species dis- Links between field botany and the textile notice what others have hitherto overlooked. and keep accurate accounts. Their literacy was covered in Britain between 1855 and 1870. industry also essential for an informed study of natural Why research Wilson’s background? What rel- Any correlation between centres of textile manu- (b) Travel history, enabling merchants to compare and con- evance can his background possibly have to his facture and the geographical occurrence of field In addition to their distinctive mind set, the trast species that they found with descriptions bryological career? Does study of Wilson’s back- botanists in Britain may seem implausible at first lifestyles of many textile merchants also distin- of those that other people had previously found ground and upbringing help us to understand glance, but becomes eminently credible upon guished them from their contemporaries, for they elsewhere. why he became a top-class field bryologist? investigation. How so? travelled over long distances and in doing so were This is the old debate about ‘nature versus well-placed to notice that different species of ani- (d) Social ambition nurture’. In trying to understand why a person (a) Independent attitudes mals and plants inhabited different districts and Critical and enquiring attitudes, opportunity and becomes a naturalist, one inevitably wonders First, the English woollen industry had been or- countries, and that each species had a unique incentive to travel, and literacy explain a good whether he or she was ‘born’ to natural history ganized along entrepreneurial mercantile lines and finite geographical distribution – a feature of deal of why merchants working in the textile in- and merely applied inherited traits in order to since the Middle Ages, and the cloth industry natural history which straightaway captured the dustry took interest in natural history. But there achieve their ‘calling’, or whether alternatively also developed similarly once it came into being imagination of travelling naturalists. Geographi- was also a very powerful social incentive for them (or additionally) that individual took up natural after the woollen industry. In this respect the cal differences in wildlife became universally ap- to pursue their hobby as naturalists, for like most history because of ways in which their social and English textile trade anticipated developments preciated when more people travelled widely and other people they aspired to join the social class cultural environment influenced their personal only seen in other trades after the Industrial Rev- frequently in later eras, but most Englishmen of above their own, and therefore copied the gentry interests and development of their personality. I olution. In the 15th–17th centuries, non-textile the 16th century would have been unlikely to in their interests. contend that we are born with intelligence (which trades remained largely mediaeval, organized as realize how different the flora of, say, the Welsh By the 16th and 17th centuries, the rigours is attributable to nature), and develop our intel- craft gilds and run by master craftsmen, each of hills was to that of pastoral country in southern and exigencies of survival no longer intruded on lect as a consequence of how we are nurtured, so whom had a few apprentices and journeymen England. In travelling extensively, textile mer- the lives of the English upper class with brutal, 28 FieldBryology No94 | Feb08 FieldBryology No94 | Feb08 29 Article The influence of social background on the emergence of British field botanists in the 17–19th centuries: William Wilson, a case study illiam Wilson (1799–1871) of that the cultural environment of our formative Mark Lawley discusses how the textile industry, non-conformism and Warrington, Lancashire (now years influences whether we become naturalists. medicines influenced the character and development of many British field Cheshire) was Britain’s lead- In particular, Wilson’s upbringing exposed him ing bryologist in the mid-19th to three influences that manifested themselves botanists in the 17–19th centuries. This article was delivered as a talk at the century, and chronologically in the formative years of many bygone British BBS Autumn 2007 meeting in Liverpool. Wlinks botanical all-rounders of the early 19th naturalists – the textile industry, non-conform- century (naturalists like Dawson Turner, Wil- ism, and medicines. living with him. Such circumstances encouraged chants were ahead of their time, just as they were liam Jackson Hooker and Thomas Taylor) with I shall discuss these general aspects of social and produced conforming attitudes and lives with their independent attitudes. leading British bryologists of subsequent genera- and cultural history that at one time predisposed with limited horizons. In contrast, the entre- tions, such as Robert Braithwaite, Hugh Dixon individuals to becoming naturalists, and then preneurial mentality and capitalistic lifestyles of (c) Literacy and Symers Macvicar. Wilson added many spe- briefly consider how these circumstances may English textile merchants of the 15th–17th cen- And thirdly, the textile industry’s far-flung trad- cies to Britain and Ireland’s moss flora, compiled have influenced the development of Wilson’s turies very likely also prompted an inquisitive and ing connections required merchants to be literate, Bryologia Britannica (1855), and planned but did character and interests. critical attitude to their environment – precisely in order that they might send and receive enquir- not live to complete a second edition that would the mind set needed by naturalists if they are to ies, instructions and orders, exchange contracts, have included an additional hundred species dis- Links between field botany and the textile notice what others have hitherto overlooked. and keep accurate accounts. Their literacy was covered in Britain between 1855 and 1870. industry also essential for an informed study of natural Why research Wilson’s background? What rel- Any correlation between centres of textile manu- (b) Travel history, enabling merchants to compare and con- evance can his background possibly have to his facture and the geographical occurrence of field In addition to their distinctive mind set, the trast species that they found with descriptions bryological career? Does study of Wilson’s back- botanists in Britain may seem implausible at first lifestyles of many textile merchants also distin- of those that other people had previously found ground and upbringing help us to understand glance, but becomes eminently credible upon guished them from their contemporaries, for they elsewhere. why he became a top-class field bryologist? investigation. How so? travelled over long distances and in doing so were This is the old debate about ‘nature versus well-placed to notice that different species of ani- (d) Social ambition nurture’. In trying to understand why a person (a) Independent attitudes mals and plants inhabited different districts and Critical and enquiring attitudes, opportunity and becomes a naturalist, one inevitably wonders First, the English woollen industry had been or- countries, and that each species had a unique incentive to travel, and literacy explain a good whether he or she was ‘born’ to natural history ganized