BygoneBryologists Bygone Bryologists – George Don Lochnagar in 1801 he came across Cicerbita coming south from Aberdeenshire in the 17th alpina. In the following year he discovered Carex century. Alexander, however, was additionally George Don (1764–1814) rariflora above Caenlochan, and in 1810 the or alternatively a currier, who made boots and grass Elymus caninus var. donianus. For collecting shoes. This is one in a series of articles by Mark Lawley about prominent British and Irish some of these plants, Don used a pole 15 feet Alexander Don’s paternal grandfather James field bryologists of the past. Mark would be very pleased to learn of any information long, crowned with an iron straddle for hooking Don had married an Isabel Fairweather, whose them down from precipitous cliffs. brother George was a paternal great-grandfather which supplements its content. A Social and Biographical History of British and Irish In 1804, Don began to publish Herbarium of George Don’s mother. Thus, George’s parents Field-bryologists is also available online at www.britishbryologicalsociety.org.uk Britannicum, issuing four fascicles of 25 plants were distant cousins. George’s mother Isabella each year. Nine such instalments were issued was a daughter of George Fairweather (1710– Botanical career lived 200 years ago it is astonishing. Not only between 1804 and 1806, and a final one in 1812 1770) and Jean (née Brand, ca 1710–1749) George Don (senior) was the first botanist to was travelling far slower and more arduous or 1813. Extant copies are at the Royal Botanic who lived at Mains of Findowrie, near Brechin, extensively and repeatedly explore the Scottish than today, the study of mosses was still Gardens in Edinburgh, and at Oxford. In 1813, Angus. Jean Brand was a daughter of William Highlands. He lived in Angus for much of his poorly advanced, and bryologists would have Don published Account of the Native Plants in the Brand. life, but explored far and wide in the Caledonian had to rely on James Dickson’s Fascicularis county of Forfar, and the Animals to be found there In the early 1770s Alexander moved his family hills, reaching as far north and west as Skye and plantarum cryptogamicarum Britanniae (1785– in the Reverend James Headrick’s Agricultural to Forfar, 10 miles south-west of Menmuir, where Knoydart. As a youth, he discovered Seligeria 1801), or James Edward Smith’s accounts in Survey of the county of Angus. they lived in Little Causeway, a square off the donniana in Dupplin Den near Perth in the early English Botany (1790–1814). What did Don’s Some of Don’s dried plants are at Montrose West High Street. George may have combined 1780s. In 1804 he found Encalypta alpina on bryological library consist of? And did he own a Museum. The single surviving volume of his schooling with learning his father’s trade of Ben Lawers. He seems to have collected mainly microscope, or just rely on very acute vision and private herbarium contains nearly 300 specimens shoe-making, but then went to Dunblane to between 1780 and 1806, and in his native a hand lens in the field? Contemporary cottage- of monocotyledons, and is at the Department learn the trade of making clocks and watches. county of Angus he found – among others – the weavers (of whom there were many thousands in of Botany in Oxford. Dundee University There he also developed his botanical interests, following liverworts: Anastrophyllum donianum, Angus in Don’s time) used a lens at their work Archives contains a 13-page commonplace book and formed his first herbarium (now lost) which Haplomitrium hookeri, Herbertus stramineus and for examining and separating fibres, so Don Illustrations of Scottish Flora, chiefly of Forfarshire included mosses. Don’s affinity for plants won Targionia hypophylla, while his mosses from would have had no trouble acquiring a lens for and Fifeshire (ref: MS 103/3/5), and two pages out over his apprenticeship, and in 1779 he took Angus include Amblyodon dealbatus, Amphidium bryological study. detailing botanical purchases. a position as gardener at Dupplin Castle, about lapponicum, Bartramia halleriana, Brachythecium Don was highly accomplished in finding and Don’s correspondence is in the National 4 miles south-west of Perth. On days off work, reflexum, Catoscopium nigritum, Dicranodontium identifying lichens and vascular plants as well Library at Edinburgh, and his vasculum is in the Don explored the Ochil and Grampian moun- uncinatum, Dicranum spurium, Distichium as bryophytes. For example, in 1789 he found Meffan Institute, West High Street, Forfar. tains. While at Dupplin he met his future bride, inclinatum, Grimmia atrata, G. ramondii, Carex saxatilis on Ben Lomond and Bartsia Caroline Clementine Sophia Oliphant Stuart Hennediella heimii, Hygrohypnum duriusculum, alpina on Meall Ghaordie. In 1791 he met Family background, biography and social (?1767–1834), who lived at nearby Gask. With Isopterygiopsis pulchella, Kiaeria falcata, Meesia Robert Brown (1773–1858) of Montrose, and contacts names like these, she was very likely well born. uliginosa, Neckera pumila, Oncophorus virens, the two men discovered Scirpus hudsonianus on George Don senior was born at Ireland Farm, Oliphants had been gentry in Perthshire and loyal Plagiopus oederianus, Polytrichastrum longisetum, the Moss of Restennith, Angus. Don also found Menmuir, Angus (Forfarshire) in 1764, a son to the Scottish crown for centuries (see Dictionary Pseudocalliergon lycopodioides, Pterygoneurum Polygonatum verticillatum in Perthshire and in of Alexander Don (1717–1813) and Isabella of National Biography, DNB). This affinity ovatum, Ptilium crista-castrensis, Saelania 1793 he discovered Carex atrofusca, Minuartia (née Fairweather, 1738). Ireland Farm is now to the Scottish crown caused them difficulties at glaucescens, Splachnum vasculosum, Tayloria rubella, Myosotis alpestris and Sagina saginoides but a pile of ruined stones at the end of a rough the time of the Jacobite rising in the early and tenuis, Tetraplodon angustatus and Tortula with John Mackay (1772–1802) on Ben Lawers. track about 2 miles north of Menmuir, some middle 18th century, but they subsequently viridifolia. In Angus, he found Lychnis alpina at Meikle 5 miles north-west of Brechin. The Dons and managed to re-establish themselves to some This would be an impressive list for a bryol- Kilrannoch in 1795, as well as Homogyne alpina Fairweathers were respectable farmers of Angus, extent at Gask. The songwriter Carolina Oliphant ogist in the 21st century; for someone who and Oxytropis campestris in Glen Clova. On the Dons having settled at Edzell in Angus after (1766–1845) was born at Gask (see DNB). 42 FieldBryology No100 | Feb10 FieldBryology No100 | Feb10 43 BygoneBryologists Bygone Bryologists – George Don Lochnagar in 1801 he came across Cicerbita coming south from Aberdeenshire in the 17th alpina. In the following year he discovered Carex century. Alexander, however, was additionally George Don (1764–1814) rariflora above Caenlochan, and in 1810 the or alternatively a currier, who made boots and grass Elymus caninus var. donianus. For collecting shoes. This is one in a series of articles by Mark Lawley about prominent British and Irish some of these plants, Don used a pole 15 feet Alexander Don’s paternal grandfather James field bryologists of the past. Mark would be very pleased to learn of any information long, crowned with an iron straddle for hooking Don had married an Isabel Fairweather, whose them down from precipitous cliffs. brother George was a paternal great-grandfather which supplements its content. A Social and Biographical History of British and Irish In 1804, Don began to publish Herbarium of George Don’s mother. Thus, George’s parents Field-bryologists is also available online at www.britishbryologicalsociety.org.uk Britannicum, issuing four fascicles of 25 plants were distant cousins. George’s mother Isabella each year. Nine such instalments were issued was a daughter of George Fairweather (1710– Botanical career lived 200 years ago it is astonishing. Not only between 1804 and 1806, and a final one in 1812 1770) and Jean (née Brand, ca 1710–1749) George Don (senior) was the first botanist to was travelling far slower and more arduous or 1813. Extant copies are at the Royal Botanic who lived at Mains of Findowrie, near Brechin, extensively and repeatedly explore the Scottish than today, the study of mosses was still Gardens in Edinburgh, and at Oxford. In 1813, Angus. Jean Brand was a daughter of William Highlands. He lived in Angus for much of his poorly advanced, and bryologists would have Don published Account of the Native Plants in the Brand. life, but explored far and wide in the Caledonian had to rely on James Dickson’s Fascicularis county of Forfar, and the Animals to be found there In the early 1770s Alexander moved his family hills, reaching as far north and west as Skye and plantarum cryptogamicarum Britanniae (1785– in the Reverend James Headrick’s Agricultural to Forfar, 10 miles south-west of Menmuir, where Knoydart. As a youth, he discovered Seligeria 1801), or James Edward Smith’s accounts in Survey of the county of Angus. they lived in Little Causeway, a square off the donniana in Dupplin Den near Perth in the early English Botany (1790–1814). What did Don’s Some of Don’s dried plants are at Montrose West High Street. George may have combined 1780s. In 1804 he found Encalypta alpina on bryological library consist of? And did he own a Museum. The single surviving volume of his schooling with learning his father’s trade of Ben Lawers. He seems to have collected mainly microscope, or just rely on very acute vision and private herbarium contains nearly 300 specimens shoe-making, but then went to Dunblane to between 1780 and 1806, and in his native a hand lens in the field? Contemporary cottage- of monocotyledons, and is at the Department learn the trade of making clocks and watches.