Ernest Edward Galpin
Ernest Edward Galpin | |
---|---|
Transvaal | |
Scientific career | |
Fields | botanist and banker |
Author abbrev. (botany) | Galpin |
Ernest Edward Galpin (1858–1941), was a botanist and banker born in the
Stent.Early life
One of seven sons born in Grahamstown to Henry Carter Galpin, watchmaker and jeweller, and Georgina Maria Luck, Ernest Galpin started his education at the local
Later life
In 1892 Galpin was transferred to Queenstown, where he was to remain until his retirement in 1917. By now his herbarium specimens had grown to about 1500 in number. He made extensive collecting trips to mountains in the Eastern Cape, including Great Winterberg, Katberg, Stormberg and Andriesberg. In 1904 his wife accompanied him on a trip to the
In 1907, in the company of Prof.
From 1913 on he added few specimens to his collection, which even so numbered about 16,000 by 1916 when he donated the entire collection to the National Herbarium in Pretoria.
In 1917 he retired to his farm Mosdene on the Springbok Flats near Naboomspruit north of Pretoria. Here he became inspired to start collecting again. Following the lead of Dr. I.B. Pole Evans, he started an intensive botanical study of the countryside surrounding his farm. Despite failing eyesight, he was taught to drive by his son, and together they set out on a trip through the Transkei and the Eastern Cape. His wife suffered a fatal heart attack in Durban in 1933 while he was on an expedition in the mountains of the eastern Transvaal.
He was a life member of the
Publications
- "A contribution to the knowledge of the flora of the Drakensberg". Rep. S. Afr. Assoc. Adv. Sci. 6: 209–229. 1909.
- "The native timber trees of the Springbok Flats". Botanical Survey of South Africa. Vol. 7. Department of Agriculture. 1925.
- "Botanical Survey of the Springbok Flats" Botanical Survey Memoir No.12 (1927)
- "Biological Notes on Boscia rehmanniana and Olea verrucosa". Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa. 23: 255–258. 1935. . with EA Galpin (his son)
References
- ISBN 978-0-86961-129-6.
- "Obituary: Ernest Edward Galpin". Journal of South African Botany (8): 197–199. 1942.
- Biography of Ernest Edward Galpin at the S2A3 Biographical Database of Southern African Science