Watson was the eldest son of Holland Watson, a Justice of the Peace and Mayor of Congleton in Cheshire, and his wife, Harriet Powell. His mother died when he was fifteen. He had seven older sisters and two younger brothers and his early life was overshadowed by a terrible relationship with his father, a reactionary conservative whose character Watson himself detailed in later years. As a teenager, Watson suffered a serious injury to his knee in a cricket match, and never recovered full movement in the joint again. Watson's mother had attempted to distract him from family tensions by sending him to work with the family's gardener, and it was after her death that his obsession with botany began. While training for the legal profession in Liverpool, Watson became interested in phrenology and decided to study medicine and natural history at Edinburgh University (from 1828 to 1832). He was elected a Senior President of the Royal Medical Society as an undergraduate, but left without taking a degree because of a breakdown in his health. In Edinburgh, he became friendly with the botanist Robert Graham, who encouraged his interest in biogeography, and with the phrenologist George Combe, joining the Edinburgh Phrenological Society in 1829. Soon afterwards, Watson inherited an estate in Derbyshire. In 1833, he moved to Thames Ditton. He travelled to the Azores in 1842, spending three months collecting botanical specimens from four of the larger islands, while serving at his own expense as ship's botanist for the Styx under the command of Captain Vidal.[1]
Watson edited the Phrenological Journal from 1837 to 1840 and the London Catalogue of British Plants with George Edgar Dennes from 1844 to 1874.
Watson was noted for his intellectual brilliance and for his often difficult and cantankerous personality. He led an isolated and restricted life, never married and travelled only once outside Britain. He applied unsuccessfully – or withdrew his applications – for senior academic positions in London and Dublin and for a senior post at Kew – yet he was a widely acknowledged authority on botanical science and on the distribution of botanical species in the British Isles. Despite his social isolation, Watson showed a remarkable command of the scientific questions of the day, including the importance of statistical methods in scientific enquiry, the asymmetric lateralization of brain function and the transmutation of species (evolutionary theory). In 1836, he published a paper in the Phrenological Journal entitled What is the Use of the Double Brain ? in which he speculated about the differential development of the two human cerebral hemispheres. This was eight years before Arthur Ladbroke Wigan published his influential The Duality of Mind (1844). Watson was unusual among the phrenologists in explicitly disavowing phrenology in later life.
In subsequent years, Watson was heavily influenced by the ideas of the evolutionary phrenologist Robert Chambers, and collected evidence for – and defended – the concept of species transmutation. He corresponded with Charles Darwin who lived at Downe, some 30 miles from Thames Ditton, and Darwin drew heavily on Watson's unique appreciation of the distribution of British plant species. In 1856, Watson actually declined a personal invitation to discuss evolutionary theory with Darwin and Joseph Hooker, because he was too busy and did not wish to travel. Nevertheless, in On the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin made generous acknowledgement of Watson as a vitally important source of scientific information and, in turn, on the publication of On the Origin of Species, Watson was one of the first to write to Darwin – on 21 November 1859 – congratulating him on his extraordinary achievement.
The system of Watsonian vice-counties used by botanists to this day is one of his enduring contributions to botanical science.
Legacy
Eleocharis watsonii Bab. ('Slender Spike-rush'-- now known as Eleocharis uniglumis Schultes) was named after him.
The plant genus Hewittia Wight & Arn. (1837) (Convolvulaceae) is dedicated to him.
1873–1874 Topographical Botany 2 vols. Contents: pt 1st. Ranunculaceae-coniferae – pt. 2nd. Orchidaceae-equisetaceae; Bibliography: pp. 571–575. The 2nd ed. 1883 includes John G. Baker's memoir of Watson; two supplements issued in 1905 and 1929
As editor
The Phrenological Journal from 1837 to 1840
The London Catalogue of British Plants from 1844 to 1874
See also
Anna Russell (1807 – 1876), botanist, contributor to his New Botany Guide[4]
^Creese, Mary R.S (2000). Ladies in the Laboratory? American and British Women in Science, 1800-1900: A Survey of Their Contributions to Research. Scarecrow Press. pp. 31–32. ISBN9780585276847.
Egerton, Frank N. (2003). Hewett Cottrell Watson: Victorian Plant Ecologist and Evolutionist. Ashgate. ISBN0-7546-0862-X
January 03, 2023
hewett, watson, hewett, cottrell, watson, 1804, july, 1881, phrenologist, botanist, evolutionary, theorist, born, firbeck, near, rotherham, yorkshire, died, thames, ditton, surrey, hewett, cottrell, watson, 1839, contents, biography, legacy, publications, also. Hewett Cottrell Watson 9 May 1804 27 July 1881 was a phrenologist botanist and evolutionary theorist He was born in Firbeck near Rotherham Yorkshire and died at Thames Ditton Surrey Hewett Cottrell Watson c 1839 Contents 1 Biography 2 Legacy 3 Publications 4 See also 5 References 6 Further readingBiography EditWatson was the eldest son of Holland Watson a Justice of the Peace and Mayor of Congleton in Cheshire and his wife Harriet Powell His mother died when he was fifteen He had seven older sisters and two younger brothers and his early life was overshadowed by a terrible relationship with his father a reactionary conservative whose character Watson himself detailed in later years As a teenager Watson suffered a serious injury to his knee in a cricket match and never recovered full movement in the joint again Watson s mother had attempted to distract him from family tensions by sending him to work with the family s gardener and it was after her death that his obsession with botany began While training for the legal profession in Liverpool Watson became interested in phrenology and decided to study medicine and natural history at Edinburgh University from 1828 to 1832 He was elected a Senior President of the Royal Medical Society as an undergraduate but left without taking a degree because of a breakdown in his health In Edinburgh he became friendly with the botanist Robert Graham who encouraged his interest in biogeography and with the phrenologist George Combe joining the Edinburgh Phrenological Society in 1829 Soon afterwards Watson inherited an estate in Derbyshire In 1833 he moved to Thames Ditton He travelled to the Azores in 1842 spending three months collecting botanical specimens from four of the larger islands while serving at his own expense as ship s botanist for the Styx under the command of Captain Vidal 1 Watson edited the Phrenological Journal from 1837 to 1840 and the London Catalogue of British Plants with George Edgar Dennes from 1844 to 1874 Watson was noted for his intellectual brilliance and for his often difficult and cantankerous personality He led an isolated and restricted life never married and travelled only once outside Britain He applied unsuccessfully or withdrew his applications for senior academic positions in London and Dublin and for a senior post at Kew yet he was a widely acknowledged authority on botanical science and on the distribution of botanical species in the British Isles Despite his social isolation Watson showed a remarkable command of the scientific questions of the day including the importance of statistical methods in scientific enquiry the asymmetric lateralization of brain function and the transmutation of species evolutionary theory In 1836 he published a paper in the Phrenological Journal entitled What is the Use of the Double Brain in which he speculated about the differential development of the two human cerebral hemispheres This was eight years before Arthur Ladbroke Wigan published his influential The Duality of Mind 1844 Watson was unusual among the phrenologists in explicitly disavowing phrenology in later life In subsequent years Watson was heavily influenced by the ideas of the evolutionary phrenologist Robert Chambers and collected evidence for and defended the concept of species transmutation He corresponded with Charles Darwin who lived at Downe some 30 miles from Thames Ditton and Darwin drew heavily on Watson s unique appreciation of the distribution of British plant species In 1856 Watson actually declined a personal invitation to discuss evolutionary theory with Darwin and Joseph Hooker because he was too busy and did not wish to travel Nevertheless in On the Origin of Species Charles Darwin made generous acknowledgement of Watson as a vitally important source of scientific information and in turn on the publication of On the Origin of Species Watson was one of the first to write to Darwin on 21 November 1859 congratulating him on his extraordinary achievement The system of Watsonian vice counties used by botanists to this day is one of his enduring contributions to botanical science Legacy EditEleocharis watsonii Bab Slender Spike rush now known as Eleocharis uniglumis Schultes was named after him The plant genus Hewittia Wight amp Arn 1837 Convolvulaceae is dedicated to him The journal Watsonia was named after him 2 3 His manuscripts are housed at the Natural History Museum and also at Kew Publications EditHis many published contributions include several county floras and the following 1832 Outlines of Distribution of British Plants 1835 1837 New Botany Guide 1847 1859 Cybele Britannica 4 vols 1860 1872 Supplements to the Cybele Britannica 2 parts 1870 A Compendium of the Cybele Britannica 1870 the botany section in Frederick DuCane Godman s Natural History of the Azores 1873 1874 Topographical Botany 2 vols Contents pt 1st Ranunculaceae coniferae pt 2nd Orchidaceae equisetaceae Bibliography pp 571 575 The 2nd ed 1883 includes John G Baker s memoir of Watson two supplements issued in 1905 and 1929As editorThe Phrenological Journal from 1837 to 1840 The London Catalogue of British Plants from 1844 to 1874See also EditAnna Russell 1807 1876 botanist contributor to his New Botany Guide 4 The standard author abbreviation H C Watson is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name 5 References Edit Watson Hewett Cottrell Dictionary of National Biography London Smith Elder amp Co 1885 1900 Warburg E F 1948 Editorial Watsonia 1 1 2 Meikle R D 1948 H C Watson Watsonia 1 3 5 Creese Mary R S 2000 Ladies in the Laboratory American and British Women in Science 1800 1900 A Survey of Their Contributions to Research Scarecrow Press pp 31 32 ISBN 9780585276847 International Plant Names Index H C Watson Further reading EditEgerton Frank N 2003 Hewett Cottrell Watson Victorian Plant Ecologist and Evolutionist Ashgate ISBN 0 7546 0862 X Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hewett Watson amp oldid 1079757878, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
