Miriam Rothschild
Ashton, Northamptonshire, England | |
---|---|
Died | 20 January 2005 Oundle, Northamptonshire, England | (aged 96)
Known for | Research on fleas |
Spouse | |
Children | 6, including Charles Daniel Lane |
Awards | H. H. Bloomer Award (1968) |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Entomology, botany |
Institutions | Tertiary education:
|
Dame Miriam Louisa Rothschild
Early life
Miriam Rothschild was born in 1908 in
Her father had described about 500 new
Personal life
During
Rothschild was a vegetarian and had a close connection to her pets and wild animals that she befriended.[12] Rothschild supported many social causes including animal welfare,[9] free milk for children in schools,[7] and gay rights by contributing to the Wolfenden Report which resulted in decriminalising "homosexual behaviour between consenting adults in private".[8]
Research
During the 1930s Rothschild made a name for herself at the Marine Biological Station in
Rothschild was a leading authority on fleas. She was the first person to work out the flea's jumping mechanism. She also studied the flea's reproductive cycle and linked this, in rabbits, to the hormonal changes within the host. Her New Naturalist book on parasitism (Fleas, Flukes and Cuckoos) was a huge success. Its title can be explained as: external parasites (e.g. fleas), internal parasites (e.g. flukes) and others (the cuckoo is a 'brood parasite'). Along with Professor G. Harris, Rothschild determined that myxomatosis, a virus affecting tapeti and brush rabbits, was spread by fleas, not mosquitoes as previously understood.[2] The Rothschild Collection of Fleas (founded by Charles Rothschild) is now part of the Natural History Museum collection and her six-volume catalogue of the collection (in collaboration with G. H. E. Hopkins and illustrated by Arthur Smith) took thirty years to complete.[2]
In addition to her work on fleas and other parasites, Rothschild studied insects in the order
Another area of Lepidoptera research that Rothschild pursued was that of the production of antibiotics by butterflies.[13] This work was initially inspired by observations Rothschild made during an anthrax outbreak in the 1930s, but did not begin in earnest until around 60 years later. Rothschild drafted a manuscript on the subject and the results were eventually published 12 years after her death. [13]
Rothschild was a member of the Oxford genetics school during the 1960s, where she met the
Rothschild authored books about her father (Rothschild's Reserves – time and fragile nature) and her uncle (Dear Lord Rothschild). She wrote about 350 papers on entomology, zoology and other subjects.
Later in her career, Rothschild grew interested in hay meadow restoration. In response to a comment that it would take 1,000 years to reproduce a medieval meadow, she said "I could make a very good imitation in ten...it took me fifteen."
Awards/honours
In 1973. Rothschild was elected a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She received honorary doctorates from eight universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, and was an Honorary Fellow of St Hugh's College, Oxford.[16] She gave the Romanes Lecture for 1984–5 in Oxford. Rothschild was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1985 and was granted the title of Dame Commander of the British Empire in 2000.[6]
Rothschild was a pioneer among women in entomology and became the first woman trustee of the Natural History Museum (1967–1975),[7] the first woman president of Royal Entomological Society (1993–1994),[2] the first woman to serve on the Committee for Conservation of the National Trust,[9] and the first woman member of the eight-member Entomological Club.[2]
In 1986 the John Galway Foster Human Rights Trust was established; in 2006 the name of the trust was expanded to The Miriam Rothschild & John Foster Human Rights Trust. This funds an annual lecture on human rights. She is also honoured by the endowed Professorship in Conservation Biology in her name at University of Cambridge.[2]
Philanthropy
Rothschild founded the 'Schizophrenia Research Fund' in 1962, in honour of her sister Liberty after Liberty was diagnosed and hospitalized with schizophrenia.[9] The Schizophrenia Research Fund is an independent registered charity formed "to advance the better understanding, prevention, treatment and cure of all forms of mental illness and in particular of the illness known as Schizophrenia". In March 2006, following Miriam's death, the name of the Fund was changed in her memory to the 'Miriam Rothschild Schizophrenia Research Fund'.[17]
The pioneer of British
Selected works
Books
- Rothschild, Miriam and Clay, Theresa (1953) Fleas, Flukes and Cuckoos: a study of bird parasites. The New Naturalist series. London: Collins
- Hopkins, G. H. E. and Rothschild, Miriam (1953–81) An Illustrated Catalogue to the Rothschild Collection of Fleas 6 volumes (4to.) London: British Museum (Natural History)[18]
- Rothschild, Miriam (1983) Dear Lord Rothschild: birds, butterflies and history. London: Hutchinson (ISBN 0-86689-019-X)
- Rothschild, Miriam and Farrell, Clive (1985) The Butterfly Gardener. London: Michael Joseph
- Rothschild, Miriam (1986) Animals and Man: the Romanes lecture for 1984–5 delivered in Oxford on 5 February 1985. Oxford: Clarendon Press
- Rothschild, Miriam et al. (1986) Colour Atlas of Insect Tissues via the Flea. London: Wolfe
- Rothschild, Miriam (1991) Butterfly Cooing Like a Dove. London: Doubleday
- Stebbing-Allen, George; Woodcock, Martin; Lings, Stephen and Rothschild, Miriam (1994) A Diversity of Birds: a personal voyage of discovery. London: Headstart (ISBN 1-85944-000-2)
- Rothschild, Miriam and Marren, Peter (1997) Rothschild's Reserves: time & fragile nature. London: Harley (ISBN 0-946589-62-3)
- Rothschild, Miriam; Garton, Kate; De Rothschild, Lionel & Lawson, Andrew (1997) The Rothschild Gardens: a family tribute to nature. London: Abrams
- Van Emden, Helmut F. and Rothschild, Miriam (eds.) (2004) Insect and Bird Interactions Andover, Hampshire: Intercept (ISBN 1-898298-92-0)
Papers
- Rothschild, M. (1936) Gigantism and variation in Peringia ulvae Pennant 1777, caused by infection with larval trematodes. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 20, 537–46
- Rothschild, M. (1938)a. Further observations on the effect of trematode parasites on Peringia ulvae (Pennant) 1777. Novavit Zool. 41, 84–102
- Rothschild, M. (1938)b. Observations on the growth and trematode infections of Peringia ulvae (Pennant) 1777 in a pool in the Tamar saltings, Plymouth. Parasitology, 33(4), 406–415. doi:10.1017/S0031182000024616
- [many more]
References
- ^ a b "Obituary: Dame Miriam Rothschild". The Guardian. 22 January 2005. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
- ^ S2CID 116429025.
- ^ Naomi Gryn, Rothschild, Dame Miriam, Jewish Women Encyclopedia, retrieved 3 March 2012
- ^ Seymour, Miranda (23 October 2022). "The Rothschild Women Led Lives as Full as the Men's". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
- ^ Rothschild, Miriam (22 January 2005). "Dame Miriam Rothschild". The Times. No. 68291. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
- ^ a b Bess, Emilie (23 February 2015). "Famous Female Entomologists Part 1: Dame Miriam Rothschild". Entomology Today. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ^ a b c "Miriam Louisa Rothschild (1908–2005)". The Rothschild Archives. Rothschild Family. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "Dame Miriam Rothschild". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
- ^ "The Rothschild Years | Elsfield in the 20th Century". www.elsfield.net. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
- ^ Martin, Douglas (25 January 2005). "Miriam Rothschild, High-Spirited Naturalist, Dies at 96". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 3 January 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
- ^ "Rothschild, Dame Miriam Louisa (1908–2005)". oxforddnb.com. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ a b Howse, Philip E. (2021). "Understanding Butterly Mimicry: Miriam Rothschild's Seminal Posthumous Contribution". Antenna. 45 (3): 117–121.
- doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u33265. Retrieved 13 April 2021.)
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ignored (help - ^ The CRT Archive. "Robin Page interviews Miriam Rothschild". Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Dame Miriam Rothschild". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
- ^ "Schizophrenia Research Fund". sites.google.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
- ^ "Rothschild (Charles) Collection of Fleas". Retrieved 18 April 2009.[permanent dead link]
External links
Further reading
- The Women of Rothschild: The Untold Story of the World's Most Famous Dynasty, ISBN 978-1529366716