Sir James Edward Smith (1759–1828) was an English botanist known for his contributions to botanical science and taxonomy. He founded the Linnean Society, a leading institution in natural history.
Born in Norwich, England, Smith developed a passion for botany early and studied at the University of Edinburgh, influenced by Joseph Black and John Walker. In 1784, he secured his legacy by purchasing Carl Linnaeus’s collection of books, manuscripts, and specimens. Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (1785,) he founded the Linnean Society of London (1788,) serving as its first president until his death.
Smith authored influential botanical works, including Flora Britannica (1800–04) and The English Flora (1824–28,) documenting British plant species. His contributions to Rees’s Cyclopædia (1808–19) included 3,348 botanical articles, and he wrote 57 biographies of botanists. His collaboration with James Sowerby produced English Botany (1790–1814,) a 36-volume illustrated series still significant in botanical studies.
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It is a very fine thing to have an open mind. But it is a fine thing only if you have the ability to make a decision after considering all sides of a question.
—James Edward Smith
Topics: Mind
The fairest flower in the garden of creation is a young mind, offering and unfolding itself to the influence of divine wisdom, as the heliotrope turns its sweet blossoms to the sun.
—James Edward Smith
Topics: Youth
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