Humphry Marshall

Humphry Marshall (October 10, 1722 - November 5, 1801) was an American botanist and plant dealer. He was born in the village of Marshallton, Pennsylvania (within West Bradford Township). He was the cousin of botanist John Bartram and William Bartram. Like many early American botanists, he was a Quaker.

By trade, Marshall was a stonemason and farmer, but took up the study of natural history. He specialized early in native plants, after gaining his enthusiasm for botany from Bartram. When Marshall inherited more property, he created a botanical garden with both native and exotic plants in 1773. This was the second in the United States, the first having been established by John Bartram.

He published in 1785: "Arboretum Americanum: the American Grove, an Alphabetical Catalogue of Forest Trees and Shrubs, Natives of the American United States" (Philadelphia).

Marshall has been called the "Father of American Dendrology".

In his later years, Marshall was partly blinded by cataracts.

A genus of plants, "Marshallia", was named in honor of Humphry Marshall and his nephew Moses Marshall, also a botanist.

References

* [http://www.amphilsoc.org/library/exhibits/nature/marshall.htm American Philosophical Society: Humphry Marshall]
* [http://www.nal.usda.gov/speccoll/collect/history/marshthu.htm USDA: Papers of Humphry Marshall]
* [http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Farm/4038/Humphry.html Humphry Marshall Page] --accessed 25 May 2006