Arthur Harry Church FRS (28 March 1865 – 24 April 1937) was a British

botanist Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

and botanical illustrator. He was also a pioneer amateur photographer. From 1908 to his retirement in 1930 he was a lecturer in botany at Oxford University and was best known for his inspiring lectures.

Biography

Church was born in

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, the son of a saddler, and went to school locally. He taught briefly at Ashburton Grammar School. In 1887 his mother died and, with his inheritance of £100, he went to

University College of Wales, Aberystwyth Aberystwyth University () is a Public university, public Research university, research university in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding member institution of the former federal University of Wales. The university has over 8,000 stude ...

. With a first (

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

external) degree in Botany he won in 1891 a scholarship to

Jesus College, Oxford Jesus College (in full: Jesus College in the University of Oxford of Queen Elizabeth's Foundation) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship ...

, obtaining a first-class

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

degree in botany in 1894. He was a

research fellow A research fellow is an academic research position at a university or a similar research institution, usually for academic staff or faculty members. A research fellow may act either as an independent investigator or under the supervision of a p ...

of Jesus College from 1908 to 1912 and University Reader in Botany from 1910 to 1930. He was elected as a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the Fellows of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

in 1921. His particular fields of interest were

phyllotaxy In botany, phyllotaxis () or phyllotaxy is the arrangement of leaves on a plant stem. Phyllotactic spirals form a distinctive class of patterns in nature. Leaf arrangement The basic arrangements of leaves on a stem are opposite and alterna ...

, the development and arrangement of parts of the flower and one-celled sea plants. Church was chiefly interested in morphology and did not take much interest in evolutionary trees although he wrote on the adaptations involved in evolution of land plants in his work on the ''Thalassiophyta'' (1919). He was a fine illustrator and photographer, sometimes illustrating his own publications. He was also known for his abilities in preparing microscopic specimens, illustration, and above all inspiring lectures. His publishing was quite limited. He married Emma Palmer Pratt of

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth (; ) is a University town, university and seaside town and a community (Wales), community in Ceredigion, Wales. It is the largest town in Ceredigion and from Aberaeron, the county's other administrative centre. In 2021, the popula ...

. They had three daughters. Each daughter was given as her middle name the name of a plant in flower at the time of her birth: Audrey Althea (

hollyhock ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the Iliamna rivularis, streamban ...

), Rosemary Doronica (''

Doronicum orientale ''Doronicum orientale'', the Oriental leopard's bane, is a European plant species in the family Asteraceae. Description ''Doronicum orientale'' is a perennial herb that has daisy-like yellow flower heads on long, straight stems, which attract ...

'') and Grace Coryla (

hazel Hazels are plants of the genus ''Corylus'' of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family, Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K ...

Publications

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References

External links

Profile of Church
in ''

Oxford Today ''Oxford Today: The University Magazine'' was a magazine for the alumni of Oxford University.Contact details< ...

''
Arthur Harry Church biography
1865 births 1937 deaths Scientists from Plymouth, Devon Alumni of Aberystwyth University Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford Fellows of Jesus College, Oxford Fellows of the Royal Society British botanists British botanical illustrators 19th-century British painters British male painters 20th-century British painters 19th-century British male artists 20th-century British male artists {{UK-botanist-stub