Macleay was born in Ross-shire, Scotland, eldest son of William Macleay, provost of Wick. Alexander had a classical education, before relocating to London and becoming a wine merchant with his business partner William Sharp – after whom his first son was named. In 1795 he was elected a fellow of the Linnean Society of London, also serving as its secretary,[2] and was also appointed chief clerk in the prisoners of war office. When the office was linked with the Transport Board after war broke out, Macleay became head of the correspondence department and by 1806 secretary. The board was abolished in 1815, and Macleay retired on an annual pension,[3] of £750.[4]
Macleay's chief natural history interest was entomology, principally lepidoptery, and he possessed the finest and most extensive collection then existing of any private individual in England and possibly the world.[5] This included the British Collection of John Curtis now housed in Melbourne, Australia. In 1813, he was elected a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
On 14 June 1825, Macleay was appointed Colonial Secretary for New South Wales.[6] He arrived in Sydney in January 1826, with his wife Eliza, 9 of his 10 surviving children, and his extensive collection. He was soon working twelve-hour days and on 17 July 1825 was nominated to the New South Wales Legislative and Executive Councils, holding both positions until December 1836.[1] Macleay represented Counties of Gloucester, Macquarie, and Stanley in the partially elected legislative council from June 1843 until 19 June 1848, a month before his death.[1] Originally residing at the Colonial Secretary's House in Macquarie Place, Macleay was granted land at Elizabeth Bay by Governor Ralph Darling, where he constructed Elizabeth Bay House and laid out an extensive botanic garden.
Macleay was also very active beyond his scientific pursuits and was the foundation president of the Australian Club.
FamilyEdit
Macleay married a Miss Barclay of Urie. He was the father of the entomologist William Sharp Macleay, who expanded his father's collection, and of George Macleay, also a zoologist. William John Macleay, his nephew, was also an explorer and collector in Australia and New Guinea.[3][8]
^Frodin, D.G. (1990). "New Guinea botany: Explorers. institutions and outside influences: botany north of Thursday". History of systematic botany in Australasia : proceedings of a symposium held at the University of Melbourne, 25-27 May 1988. Melbourne: Australian Systematic Botany Society. p. 196. ISBN073168463X.
alexander, macleay, also, spelt, mcleay, june, 1767, july, 1848, scottish, australian, leading, member, linnean, society, fellow, royal, society, member, south, wales, legislative, council, honourablemlc, frsborn, 1767, june, 1767ross, shire, scotlanddied18, j. Alexander Macleay also spelt McLeay MLC FLS FRS 24 June 1767 18 July 1848 was a Scottish Australian leading member of the Linnean Society a fellow of the Royal Society and member of the New South Wales Legislative Council 1 The HonourableAlexander MacleayMLC FLS FRSBorn 1767 06 24 24 June 1767Ross shire ScotlandDied18 July 1848 1848 07 18 aged 81 New South WalesNationalityScottishOther namesAlexander McLeayOccupationChief Secretary of New South WalesKnown forLepidopterology Contents 1 Life 2 Family 3 References 4 External linksLife EditMacleay was born in Ross shire Scotland eldest son of William Macleay provost of Wick Alexander had a classical education before relocating to London and becoming a wine merchant with his business partner William Sharp after whom his first son was named In 1795 he was elected a fellow of the Linnean Society of London also serving as its secretary 2 and was also appointed chief clerk in the prisoners of war office When the office was linked with the Transport Board after war broke out Macleay became head of the correspondence department and by 1806 secretary The board was abolished in 1815 and Macleay retired on an annual pension 3 of 750 4 Macleay s chief natural history interest was entomology principally lepidoptery and he possessed the finest and most extensive collection then existing of any private individual in England and possibly the world 5 This included the British Collection of John Curtis now housed in Melbourne Australia In 1813 he was elected a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences On 14 June 1825 Macleay was appointed Colonial Secretary for New South Wales 6 He arrived in Sydney in January 1826 with his wife Eliza 9 of his 10 surviving children and his extensive collection He was soon working twelve hour days and on 17 July 1825 was nominated to the New South Wales Legislative and Executive Councils holding both positions until December 1836 1 Macleay represented Counties of Gloucester Macquarie and Stanley in the partially elected legislative council from June 1843 until 19 June 1848 a month before his death 1 Originally residing at the Colonial Secretary s House in Macquarie Place Macleay was granted land at Elizabeth Bay by Governor Ralph Darling where he constructed Elizabeth Bay House and laid out an extensive botanic garden nbsp A memorial to Macleay on the wall of St James Church SydneyHis extensive entomological collections formed the basis of the Macleay Museum at the University of Sydney 7 Macleay was also very active beyond his scientific pursuits and was the foundation president of the Australian Club Family EditMacleay married a Miss Barclay of Urie He was the father of the entomologist William Sharp Macleay who expanded his father s collection and of George Macleay also a zoologist William John Macleay his nephew was also an explorer and collector in Australia and New Guinea 3 8 His daughter Rosa Roberta married Arthur Pooley Onslow her children included Arthur Alexander Walton Onslow and Sir Alexander Onslow Another daughter Christiana Susan married William Dumaresq 9 References Edit a b c Mr Alexander Macleay 1767 1848 Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales Retrieved 12 April 2019 Macleay Alexander 1767 1818 Australian National Herbarium Retrieved 28 January 2021 a b Boulger George Simonds 1893 Macleay Alexander In Lee Sidney ed Dictionary of National Biography Vol 35 London Smith Elder amp Co McLeay Alexander 1767 1848 Australian Dictionary of Biography National Centre of Biography Australian National University 1967 pp 177 180 ISSN 1833 7538 Retrieved 28 January 2021 Vickers Rich P 1993 Wildlife of Gondwana NSW Reed pp 49 51 ISBN 0730103153 Serle Percival 1949 Macleay Alexander Dictionary of Australian Biography Sydney Angus amp Robertson Retrieved 28 January 2021 About the Macleay Museum University of Sydney Archived from the original on 24 June 2007 Frodin D G 1990 New Guinea botany Explorers institutions and outside influences botany north of Thursday History of systematic botany in Australasia proceedings of a symposium held at the University of Melbourne 25 27 May 1988 Melbourne Australian Systematic Botany Society p 196 ISBN 073168463X Gray Nancy 1966 Dumaresq William John 1793 1868 Australian Dictionary of Biography National Centre of Biography Australian National University ISSN 1833 7538 Retrieved 8 September 2018 External links Edit nbsp Wikisource has original works by or about Alexander Macleay McLeay Alexander 1767 1848 Trove People and Organisation National Library of Australia Colonial Secretary s papers 1822 1877 State Library of Queensland includes digitised correspondence and letters written by Macleay when he was employed as Colonial Secretary relating to matters such as the Morton Bay Penal Settlement and Norfolk IslandGovernment officesPreceded byFrederick Goulburn Colonial Secretaryof New South Wales1825 1837 Succeeded byEdward Deas ThomsonNew South Wales Legislative CouncilNew parliament Speaker of the Legislative Council1843 1846 Succeeded byCharles NicholsonMember for Counties of Gloucester Macquarie and Stanley1843 1848 Succeeded byKenneth Snodgrass Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Alexander Macleay amp oldid 1176710332, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
