William Edwin Saunders (16 August 1861 – 28 June 1943) was a Canadian naturalist. He contributed to the studies of birds and mammals in Canada. He served as the founding president of the

Federation of Ontario Naturalists Ontario Nature ''(formally the Federation of Ontario Naturalists)'' is an environmental charity based in Toronto, that promotes the conservation of wild species and spaces in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was established in 1931 as the Fed ...

. He was a brother of the plant breeder

Charles E. Saunders Sir Charles Edward Saunders, (February 2, 1867 – July 25, 1937) was a Canadian agronomist. He was the inventor of the 'Marquis' wheat cultivar. Saunders Secondary School in London, Ontario is named for him and other members of his promi ...

. Saunders was born in

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 ...

Canada West The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in British North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report ...

, to

William Saunders William or Bill Saunders may refer to: Science * William Saunders (physician) (1743–1817), Scottish physician, first president of Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society * William Wilson Saunders (1809–1879), British entomologist * William Saund ...

senior (1836-1914), a founding director of the Dominion Experimental Farm in Ottawa, and

Sarah Agnes Robinson Sarah (born Sarai) is a biblical matriarch, prophet, and major figure in Abrahamic religions. While different Abrahamic faiths portray her differently, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all depict her character similarly, as that of a pious woma ...

, a botanist whose rare collection of plant specimens became a crucial component of the National Herbarium of Canada. Saunders went to local schools. He then studied chemistry at

Trinity College School Trinity College School (TCS) is a co-educational, independent boarding and day school located in Port Hope, Ontario, Canada. TCS was founded on May 1, 1865, more than two years before Canadian Confederation. It includes a Senior School for ...

and graduated from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy in 1883. Saunders founded the Mcllwraith Ornithological Club in London in 1890. For a while Saunders headed the chemistry department of the newly created Western University. Saunders married Emma Lee in 1885 and they had a daughter, Muriel. He donated most of his collections to the National Museum, Ottawa and the

Royal Ontario Museum The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is a museum of art, world culture and natural history in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the largest museums in North America and the largest in Canada. It attracts more than one million visitors every year ...

, Toronto.

References

External links

Biography of William Saunders, Sr.

W. E. Saunders, London's beloved naturalist
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saunders, William Edwin 1861 births 1943 deaths Canadian ornithologists People from London, Ontario