Rash's Surname Index
Notes for David TOWNSEND
David Townsend was a life-long friend and business and civic associate of Dr. William Darlington (1782-1863), the first M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, founder of the town bank, civic leader, three term Congressman, devoted botanist, and first American botanical biographer. John Torrey, who considered Darlington his friend and respected fellow botanist, named Darlingtonia californica (and California named a state park) for him, other plants are named for him, and The Darlington Herbarium on the campus of West Chester University is named for him. (The West Chester University Herbarium has specimens collected by Engelmann, Fendler, Fremont, and William Jackson Hooker.) Darlington was the botanical Pied Piper of West Chester, leading many locals on numerous botanical outings into the surrounding countryside. He authored several books, including Florula Cestrica, a complete flora of Chester County.
In his "Memorial of David Townsend", read on the day of David Townsend's funeral, Darlington says of Townsend, "the discriminating eye, and habits of close observation, so important in a Bank officer, were equally available to the Botanist, and quite germane to the investigations of genera and species. The Plants of Chester county, and the surrounding districts, became familiar acquaintances, and were duly arranged in his Herbarium. His aptitude and pains-taking skill in preparing specimens, were very remarkable".
The genus Townsendia (mostly tiny, ground-hugging, large-flowered members of the Asteraceae Family) was named for David Townsend by the most eminent British Botanist, William Jackson Hooker in his 1833 volume of Flora Boreali-Americana. (The specimen was collected by Richardson in 1823 in Saskatchewan on the Franklin Expedition.) Hooker probably first heard of David Townsend's botanical work from John Torrey and William Darlington. Hooker wrote Townsend at Darlington's suggestion and Hooker and Townsend corresponded at least three times in the early 1830s. Hooker asked Townsend if he would like to exchange American plant specimens for British natural history books. Townsend then sent Hooker 700 plants he had collected and asked Hooker to assist in identifying some of the plants. Hooker utilized some of Townsend's plants in Flora Boreali-Americana.
Hooker wrote to Darlington in March of 1833, "I thank you a thousand times for introducing me to the correspondence of David Townsend. His copious and beautiful specimens have delighted me". Hooker later wrote Darlington saying that "the handsomest specimens he ever received, were prepared and sent by David Townsend of West Chester, and Professor Short, of Kentucky". (As quoted and stated in Darlington's "Memorial of David Townsend".)
Hooker states in his 1833 volume of Flora Boreali-Americana,
"I have named the genus [Townsendia] in compliment to David Townsend, Esq. of West Chester, Pennsylvania who having imbibed the most ardent love of Botany from his friend and instructor Dr. Darlington of the same city, has devoted his leisure hours to the science with eminent success. The plant now under consideration is peculiarly worthy of bearing his name because he has studied and ably discriminated the numerous Pennsylvania species of the allied Genus Aster."
See Townsendia annua, Townsendia incana
(The Hooker correspondence information and quotation were provided to me by the Library and Archives staff at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew and by Diane Rofini, Chester County Historical Society Librarian
| HOME | EMAIL | SURNAMES |
Return to The Pennocks of Primitive Hall website.
The information in this database may contain errors. If you find any questionable data, or if you have something to add my findings, please feel free to e-mail me by clicking on the "E-MAIL" link above. Thank you!
Page built by Gedpage Version 2.21 ©2009 on 07 July 2020