Series:

Cambridge Library Collection - Botany and Horticulture

2 primary works • 4 total works

Volume 1

Cover of Historical and Biographical Sketches of the Progress of Botany in England: Volume 1
Richard Pulteney (1730–1801) was a Leicestershire physician whose medical career suffered both from a lack of aristocratic patronage and from his dissenting religious background. However, his lifelong interest in botany and natural history, and particularly his work on the new Linnaean system of botanical classification, led to publications in the Gentleman's Magazine and the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1762. His book on Linnaeus (also reissued in this series), first published in 1782, was later considered to be of great significance for the acceptance in England of the Linnaean system, and this two-volume work, published in 1790, is still relevant to the study of the history of botany. Volume 1 begins in 'primaeval' and 'druidical' times and continues to the seventeenth century, including the first printed herbals and the work of the great botanist John Ray.

Volume 2

Cover of Historical and Biographical Sketches of the Progress of Botany in England Volume 2
Richard Pulteney (1730-1801) was a Leicestershire physician whose medical career suffered both from a lack of aristocratic patronage and from his dissenting religious background. However, his lifelong interest in botany and natural history, and particularly his work on the new Linnaean system of botanical classification, led to publications in the Gentleman's Magazine and the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1762. His book on Linnaeus (also reissued in this series), first published in 1782, was later considered to be of great significance for the acceptance in England of the Linnaean system, and this two-volume work, published in 1790, is still relevant to the study of the history of botany. Volume 2 includes the development of botanical gardens, famous figures such as Dillenius and Sherard, and the study of botany in Scotland and Ireland.

Cover of A General View of the Writings of Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus (1707–88), father of modern taxonomy, was one of the most important scientists of the eighteenth century. This biography was written by Richard Pulteney (1730–1801), a physician and botanist who greatly admired Linnaeus' methods and aimed to promote them in England. The first edition was published in 1781 and contains a thorough account of the major works of Linnaeus and his unpublished papers. As well as details of his academic career, the work also gives insights into Linnaeus' character and personal life. The second edition, reissued here, was edited by William George Maton (1774–1835), a physician and member of the Linnean Society, and published in 1805. It contains in addition a memoir of Pulteney and a translation of a Swedish life of Linnaeus based on his own notes. The book is a rich source of information on a central figure in the history of botany.

Cover of Historical and Biographical Sketches of the Progress of Botany in England 2 Volume Set
Richard Pulteney (1730-1801) was a Leicestershire botanist and physician, whose medical career suffered from a lack of aristocratic patronage and his Anabaptist religious background. However, his lifelong interest in botany and natural history, and particularly his work on the new Linnaean system of botanical classification, led to publications in the Gentleman's Magazine and the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. He corresponded with many influential figures, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1762. His book on Linnaeus, published in 1782, was later considered by J. E. Smith, the first president of the Linnaean Society, to be of great importance for the widespread adoption in England of the Linnaean system. His Progress of Botany, published in 1790, although not as popular, is still considered of importance for the study of the history of botanical science in England.