Thomas Falkner

Thomas Falkner

Thomas Falkner (born 6 October1707; died 30 January1784) was an English Jesuit missionary, active in Patagonia.

Life

He was the son of Thomas Falkner, a Manchester apothecary, and obtained his education at the Manchester grammar school. Later on, having studied medicine under Dr. Richard Mead, he became a surgeon and practised at his native place.

His own health being delicate, he was advised to take a sea-voyage, and being acquainted with a ship chaplain on board the "Assiento", a vessel trading with Guinea and carrying slaves to Buenos Aires, he accepted an invitation to accompany the vessel as surgeon. This was in or about 1731. On reaching Buenos Aires he was so ill that the captain was compelled to leave him there in the care of Father Mahoney, the superior of the Jesuit College.

Here he recovered his health, and was received into the Roman Catholic Church. On 15 May, 1732, he entered the Society of Jesus, becoming a member of the Paraguay province. Having spent some time at the Jesuit College of Cordoba del Tucumán in the city of Córdoba, he went as a missionary to the Puelches, near Rio Segundo. His knowledge of medicine and mechanics procured for him considerable influence among the Indians.

In 1740 or soon after he was sent to assist Father Strobel in his mission to the Patagonian Indians at Cape San Antonio. For more than thirty years he worked among the Patagonians. In 1768 the Jesuits were expelled from South America.

He returned to England where, in 1771 or 1772, he joined the English province of the Society. He was appointed chaplain to Mr. Berkeley of Spetchley. On leaving Spetchley, he became chaplain to Mr. Berington of Winsley in Herefordshire, and afterwards to the Plowdens of Plowden Hall in Shropshire.

cientific discoveries

He is credited with discovering the first fossil in present-day Argentina, an early landmark in Argentinian science. In 1760 Falkner discovered the skeleton of a big armadillo on the banks of Carcarañá River, near the village of Santa Fe; many years later the fossil was identified as originating from a glyptodon.

This event occurred twenty seven years before the Dominican friar Manuel Torres discovered the fossil of a megatherium on the banks of Luján River in 1787, later studied and described by Georges Cuvier in 1796.

Works

He wrote an account of his Patagonian experiences, which was published at Hereford in 1774 under the title "A Description of Patagonia and the adjoining parts of South America, with a grammar and a short vocabulary, and some particulars relating to Falkland's Islands". The book as published was not his original work, but a compilation by William Combe, who used Falkner's papers. The book was translated into German, French, and Spanish. Another account of the Patagonians due to Father Falkner is found in the works of Thomas Pennant, who described his essay as "formed from the relation of Fr. Falkner, a Jesuit, who had resided among them thirty-eight years".

After his death, the Spanish Jesuits who had known him in South America were anxious to obtain his unpublished works. They included treatises on the botanical and mineral products of America, and "American distempers as cured by American drugs". It is stated by Fr. Caballero, S.J., that he had also edited "Volumina duo de anatomia corporis humani".


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Thomas Falkner —     Thomas Falkner     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Thomas Falkner     Born 6 Oct., 1707; died 30 Jan., 1784. He was the son of Thomas Falkner, a Manchester apothecary, and obtained his education at the Manchester grammar school. Later on, having… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Falkner, Thomas — • Surgeon and missionary (1707 1784) Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006 …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Falkner Cornwall Stewart — (August 21 1833 ndash; ) was an Ontario merchant and political figure. He represented Dufferin in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Conservative member from 1886 to 1890.He was born in County Monaghan, Ireland in 1833, the son of Robert… …   Wikipedia

  • Thomas C. Hindman — Infobox Military Person name= Thomas Carmichael Hindman, Jr. lived= birth date|1828|01|28 ndash; death date|1868|09|27|1828|01|28 placeofbirth= Knoxville, Tennessee placeofdeath= Helena, Arkansas caption= Thomas C. Hindman, taken between 1861 and …   Wikipedia

  • Falkner Island — Infobox Islands name = Falkner image caption = image size = locator Location map|Connecticut|lat=41.210880|long= 72.653190 map custom = yes native name = native name link = nickname = location = Long Island Sound coordinates =… …   Wikipedia

  • Thomas Couture — Die Römer der Verfallszeit Thomas Couture (* 21. Dezember 1815 in Senlis, Département Oise; † 30. März 1879 auf seinem Schloss Villiers le Bel, Île de France) war ein französischer …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Falkner — This interesting surname has two distinct possible sources, the first and most likely being from an Old French occupational name for a keeper or trainer of hawks. The derivation is from the Old French fau(l)connier , one who hunts with falcons or …   Surnames reference

  • Tomás Falkner — Nacimiento 6 de octubre de 1702 Fallecimiento …   Wikipedia Español

  • Keith Falkner — Sir Keith Falkner (March 1, 1900 May 17, 1994) was a distinguished English bass baritone singer especially associated with oratorio and concert recital, who later became Director of the Royal College of Music in London. Childhood and youth Donald …   Wikipedia

  • St. Thomas the Apostle Hollywood — Infobox church name = Saint Thomas the Apostle fullname = St. Thomas the Apostle Hollywood color = BC50A5 imagesize = 250px caption = St. Thomas the Apostle Church from the west landscape = denomination = Episcopal (Anglican) diocese = Episcopal… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”