William Turner (naturalist)

Mandrake - William Turner's Herbal

English naturalist and botanist (1508–1568)

William Turner

Born	1508
Birth place	Morpeth, Northumberland, England
Died	13 July 1568
Place of death	London, England
Nationality	English
Known for	A New Herball

William Turner (1508 – 13 July 1568) was an English naturalist, botanist, and ornithologist. He is sometimes referred to as the "father of English botany" due to his significant contributions to the field. Turner is best known for his work A New Herball, which was one of the first comprehensive botanical texts written in English.

Early Life and Education

William Turner was born in 1508 in Morpeth, Northumberland, England. He attended Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he developed an interest in the natural sciences. During his time at Cambridge, Turner became friends with several prominent scholars, including Nicholas Ridley and Thomas Cranmer, who would later become influential figures in the English Reformation.

Career

After completing his education, Turner traveled extensively across Europe, studying plants and animals. He spent time in Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands, where he met and collaborated with other leading naturalists of the time. Turner's travels and studies greatly influenced his work and helped him gather a vast amount of knowledge about European flora and fauna.

A New Herball

Turner's most famous work, A New Herball, was published in three parts between 1551 and 1568. The book was groundbreaking because it was written in English rather than Latin, making it accessible to a wider audience. A New Herball provided detailed descriptions of numerous plants, their medicinal properties, and their uses. It also included illustrations, which were considered highly accurate for the time.

Contributions to Ornithology

In addition to his work in botany, Turner made significant contributions to the field of ornithology. He wrote Avium Praecipuarum, quarum apud Plinium et Aristotelem mentio est, brevis et succincta historia (A Brief and Succinct History of the Principal Birds Mentioned by Pliny and Aristotle), which was one of the earliest works on birds in England. This book provided detailed descriptions of various bird species and their habits.

Later Life and Death

In his later years, Turner continued to write and publish works on natural history. He also served as a physician and clergyman, holding various positions within the Church of England. William Turner died on 13 July 1568 in London, England.

Legacy

William Turner's contributions to botany and ornithology have had a lasting impact on the fields. His work laid the foundation for future botanical studies in England and helped to popularize the study of natural history. Turner is remembered as a pioneering figure in the history of science.

See Also

• Botany
• Ornithology
• A New Herball
• English Reformation