| AdminHistory | Emil Bretschneider (1833-1901)) was a Russian sinologist, botanist, cartographer and doctor. The plant genus ‘Bretschneidera’ was named after him, as well as the plant species ‘Bretschneideri’ and ‘Pyrus bretschneideri Rehder’.
Bretschneider was born on 4 July 1833 in Bankaushof (today Benkavas muiža, Saldus novads, Latvia). He trained for a medical degree at the University of Dorpat in Estonia and after went to work in St Petersburg. He served as physician to the Russian legation in Tehran between 1862 to 1865, before being transferred to Peking (Beijing) for the same post from 1866 to 1883. It is here where his passion for Chinese culture, botany and language began, becoming of the leading sinologists of his time. He also collected Chinese specimens, some of which he sent to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and even kept his own herbarium in the mountains close to Peking.
He published several books on Chinese history, geography and culture. He also published works on Chinese Botany such as ‘Early European Researches into the Flora of China’ (1881), Botanicon Sinicum’ (1882-1895) and ‘History of European Botanical Studies in China’ (1898).
He held strong links with the Chinese Imperial Court and was a corresponding member of Académie française.
Bretschneider died in St Petersburg in 1901. |
William Richard Carles (1848-1929) was a British diplomat and botanist. He is best known for his book ‘Life in Corea’. The plants ‘Castanopsis carlesii’ and ‘Vaccinium carlesii’ were both named in his honour. The plant Spicebush Viburnum ('Viburnum carlesii') was also named after him by the Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, William Botting Hemsley.
Carles was born on 1 June 1848 to Georgiana Baker and the Reverand Charles Edward Carles, B.A. Vicar of the parish of Haselor, Warwick. He was educated at Marlborough College, where he was nominated as a student interpreter to China.
From 1867 to 1901 he worked in several posts around China, including in the British Consular Service and as Assistant Chinese Secretary. He was appointed British Vice-Consul to Corea [Korea] on 17th March 1884, residing there until 1885, and becoming one of the first Europeans to live in the country for a significant period of time. He was subsequently appointed as Vice-Consul for Shanghai in July 1886. In September of the same year, he got married to Helen Maude James in Devon and they had five children together.
He was appointed as Consul at Swatow in September 1897. He became Consul at Tientsin in May 1899, before being promoted to Consul-General in June 1900.
Carles was passionate about botany, collecting specimens in China, Korea, India and Japan which he sent to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He was elected as a Fellow of the Linnean Society on 17th November 1898.
Carles died in Bradfield, Berkshire, in June 1929. |