Thomas Horsfield

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the English Nonconformist minister, topographer, and historian, see Thomas Walker Horsfield.
Not to be confused with John Horsefield.
Portrait by J. Erxleben

Thomas Horsfield (May 12, 1773 – July 24, 1859) was an American physician and naturalist who worked extensively in Indonesia, describing numerous species of plants and animals from the region. He was later a curator of the East India Company Museum in London.[1][2]

Early life

Horsfield was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and studied medicine at the

Moravianism, a Protestant denomination with a strong emphasis on education. In 1748, he moved his family to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and joined them the next year.[1] Horsfield's father was Timothy Horsfield, Jr. and he married Juliana Sarah Parsons in 1738. Thomas Horsfield was born in Bethlehem on May 12, 1773. He was educated at the Moravian schools in Bethlehem and Nazareth. He studied medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and graduated in 1798. His thesis on the physiological effects of poison ivy demonstrated his interest in botany.[1]

Travels in Asia

In 1799, he accepted a post as surgeon on the vessel China, a merchant vessel that was to sail to

Thomas Stamford Raffles. In 1816, Java was restored to the Dutch and Horsfield moved west to Sumatra. In 1819, he was forced to leave the island due to ill health, and returned to London on board the Lady Raffles.[1][4]

England

On returning to London, Horsfield continued to be in contact with Sir Stamford Raffles and became a keeper of the museum of the East India Company on

Royal Entomological Society of London. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1828.[2] In 1838, he became correspondent of the Royal Institute of the Netherlands; when that became the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1851, he joined as foreign member.[6] Horsfield died at his home in Camden Town and was buried at the Moravian cemetery in Chelsea.[1][2]

Published works

Theodore Edward Cantor

Horsfield wrote Zoological Researches in Java and the Neighbouring Islands (1824). He also classified a number of birds with

Robert Brown and John Joseph Bennett
he published the Plantae Javanicae rariores (1838–52).

Legacy

Horsfield is commemorated in the names of a number of animals and plants, including:

The standard author abbreviation Horsf. is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g McNair JB (1942). "Thomas Horsfield—American Naturalist and Explorer". Torreya. 42 (1): 1–9.
  2. ^
    doi:10.5962/p.314515.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  3. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/13814. (Subscription or UK public library membership
    required.)
  4. ISSN 0037-9778
    .
  5. ^ "APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved 2021-04-07.
  6. ^ "Thomas Horsfield (1773 - 1859)". Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  7. ^
    ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5
    . ("Horsfield", p. 125).
  8. ^ International Plant Names Index.  Horsf.

External links

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