|
See also: Bart
.
(1743—1820), See also: English naturalist, was See also: born in Argyle Street, See also: London, on the 13th of See also: February 1743
.
His See also: father, See also: William
See also: Banks, was the son of a successful Lincoln-See also: shire See also: doctor, who became See also: sheriff of his county, and represented See also: Peterborough in parliament; and See also: Joseph was brought up as the son of a See also: rich See also: man
.
In 176o he went to See also: Oxford, where he showed a decided taste for natural science and was the means of introducing botanical lectures into the university
.
In 1764 he came into possession of the ample See also: fortune See also: left by his father, and in 1766 he made his first scientific expedition to Newfound-See also: land and Labrador, bringing back a rich collection of See also: plants and See also: insects
.
Shortly after his return, Captain See also: Cook was sent by the See also: government to observe the transit of See also: Venus in the Pacific Ocean, and Banks, through the influence of his friend See also: Lord See also: Sandwich, obtained leave to join the expedition in the " Endeavour," which was fitted out at his own expense
.
He made the most careful preparations, in See also: order to be able to profit by every opportunity, and induced Dr Daniel Solander, a distinguished pupil of See also: Linnaeus, to accompany him
.
He even engaged See also: draughts-men and painters to delineate such See also: objects of See also: interest as did not admit of being transported or preserved
.
The voyage occupied three years and many hardships had to be undergone; but the rich harvest of See also: discovery was more than adequate compensation
.
Banks was equally anxious to join Cook's second expeditioft and expended large sums in engaging assistants and furnishing the necessary equipment; but circumstances obliged him to relinquish his purpose
.
He, however, employed the assistants and materials he had collected in a voyage to See also: Iceland in 1772, returning by the See also: Hebrides and Staffa
.
In 1778 Banks succeeded See also: Sir See also: John
See also: Pringle as president of the Royal Society, of which he had been a See also: fellow from 1766, and held the office until his See also: death
.
In 1781 he was made a See also: baronet; in 1795 he received the order of the See also: Bath; and in 1797 he was admitted to the privy council
.
He died at Isleworth on the 19th of See also: June 1820
.
As president of the Royal Society he did much to raise the See also: state of science in Britain, and was at the same See also: time most assiduous and successful in cultivating friendly relations with scientific men of all nations
.
It was, however, objected to him that from his own predilections he was inclined to overlook and depreciate the labours of the mathematical and See also: physical sections of the Royal Society and that he exercised his authority somewhat despotically
.
He bequeathed his collections of books and botanical specimens to the See also: British Museum
.
His fame rests rather on what his liberality enabled other workers to do than on his own achievements
.
See J
.
H
.
See also: Maiden, Sir Joseph Banks (19o9)
.
|
|
|
[back] NATHANIEL PRENTISS BANKS (1816–1894) |
[next] THOMAS BANKS (1735-1805) |
There are no comments yet for this article.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.
Links to articles and home page are encouraged.