Archibald Menzies
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Archibald Menzies (pronounced [ˈmɪŋ.ɪs] or Ming-iss, see Yogh), 15 March 1754 – 15 February 1842) was a Scottish surgeon and naturalist.
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[edit] Life and career
Menzies was born at Easter Stix (or Styx) in the parish of Weem, in Perthshire.[1] While working with his elder brother William at the Royal Botanic Gardens, he drew the attention of Dr John Hope, professor of botany at Edinburgh University, who encouraged him to study medicine there. Having qualified as a surgeon, Menzies served as assistant to a doctor in Caernarvon, then joined the Royal Navy as assistant surgeon on HMS Nonsuch. Present at Battle of the Saintes (12 April 1782), in peacetime Menzies served on Halifax Station in Nova Scotia.
In 1786 Menzies was appointed surgeon on board the Prince of Wales (Captain James Colnett), on a fur-trading voyage round Cape Horn to the northern Pacific. This ship, in company of Princess Royal (Captain Duncan), visited North America, China and Hawai'i (the Sandwich Isles) several times; Menzies collected a number of new plants on this voyage, and also ensured that none of the crew died of illness. Menzies returned to England in 1789. He was elected a fellow of the Linnean Society in 1790.
In 1790, Menzies was appointed as naturalist to accompany Captain George Vancouver on his voyage around the world on HMS Discovery.[2][3] (see Vancouver Expedition) When the surgeon fell ill, Menzies took over his duties.
In 1794, while Discovery wintered in Hawai'i, Menzies, with Lieutenant Joseph Baker and two other men, made the first recorded ascent of Mauna Loa. Menzies used a portable barometer to measure the height of the mountain as 13564 feet (4134m) compared to its actual height of 13679 feet (4169m).
After the voyage, Menzies served with the Navy in the West Indies. He received the degree of M.D. at the University of Aberdeen in 1799. After retiring from the Navy he became a doctor and surgeon at Notting Hill, London. He became the leader of the Linnean Society upon the death of A.B. Lambert.
Menzies wife died in 1837. They had no children.
Menzies himself died in London on 15 February 1842 and is buried in Kensal Green cemetery.
[edit] Legacy
Menzies' name is commemorated in the scientific names of several of the plants he discovered, including Menziesia, a genus of shrubs in the Ericaceae, and the Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga menziesii, the most important tree in western North America. The Pacific madrone, an evergreen tree and largest of the Ericaceae, was named Arbutus menziesii in his honour by Friedrich Pursh. His name is also honoured in Menzies Bay and Menzies Point, both on the west coast of Canada.
[edit] References
- ^ Birth (or Baptism) Record held in the General Registers of Scotland, 1754 Births in the Parish of Weem in the County of Perth, Reference 398/0010 0104
- ^ Archibald Menzies (1920). William Frederick Wilson:Hawaii Nei 128 Years Ago:Journal of Archibald Menzies, kept during his three visits to the Sandwich or Hawaiian Islands in the years 1792-1794. Retrieved on January 12, 2008.
- ^ Naish, John (1996). The Interwoven Lives of George Vancouver, Archibald Menzies, Joseph Whidbey and Peter Puget: The Vancouver Voyage of 1791-1795. The Edward Mellen Press, Ltd.. ISBN 0-7734-8857-X.
- ^ Brummitt, R. K.; C. E. Powell (1992). Authors of Plant Names. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ISBN 1-84246-085-4.
[edit] Further reading
- Newcombe, C. F. (ed.) (1923). "Menzies' journal of Vancouver's voyage". Memoir V. Archives British Columbia.
- Eastwood, Alice (ed.) (1924). "Archibald Menzies' journal of the Vancouver Expedition Extracts covering the visit to California". Quarterly of the California Historical Society 2.
- Jepson, W. L. (1929). "The botanical explorers of California: Archibald Menzie [sic]". Madroño 1.
- Galloway, D. J. and E. W. Groves (1967). "Archibald Menzies, MD, F.L.S. (1754–1842): Aspects of his life, travels and collections". Archives of Natural History 14.
Captain Vancouver, Northwest Navigator by E C Coleman. Tempus Publishing 2006.
