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William Brand (botanist)

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William Brand
Born5 January 1807
Peterhead, Aberdeenshire
Died18 October 1869
NationalityBritish
Scientific career
FieldsBotany

William Brand WS FRSE (5 January 1807, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire – 15 October 1869) was a Scottish solicitor, banker, botanist and plant collector.

Biography

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He was born in Peterhead in Scotland the son of Charles Brand a farmer. He attended parish schools, and completed a medical degree at the university of Edinburgh. It was around this time that he grew an interest for botany.[1]

After his studies, William Brand was apprenticed to Scott, Findlay and Balderston, rising to become a partner in 1834, the year he also became a Writer to the Signet.[1] In 1836 he is shown as working from 18 Dundas Street in Edinburgh's New Town.[2]

He served as secretary to the Union Bank of Scotland from 1846 to 1869.[1]

He was a founding member of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh on 8 February 1836,[1] and the discoverer of the Astragalus alpinus.[1]

A bust of William Brand stands in the library of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.[1]

Distinctions

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Personal life

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In 1848, William Brand married Eleanor Bruce Mitchell. They had 3 children.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Paterson, Leonie (12 December 2016). "William Brand WS – First Treasurer of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh". Botanics Stories. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  2. ^ "The Botanical Society of Edinburgh: Instituted 17th March 1836". 1840.
  3. ^ C D Waterston; A Macmillan Shearer (July 2006). Former Fellows of The Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1783–2002: Part 1 (A–J) (PDF). ISBN 090219884X. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2015. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)