Terras, James Adam

Reference:GB 235 TER
Dates of Creation:1876 - 1920
Name of Creator:
Language of Material:English
Physical Description:

Scope and Content
•Notebook containing manuscript essay on ‘The Fiographical Distribution of Algae’
•Copy of 'A Manual of Botany' by Le Maout and Decaisne, translated by Mrs Hooker and with an Appendix by Joseph Dalton Hooker, 1876, awarded to James Adam Terras by Prof. Alexander Dickson in July 1886 as a Special Prize for High Proficiency in the Class of Advanced Practical Botany (ELWU2) (seems likely Terras eventually donated the book to the Botanical Society Library?) (book in state of disrepair now)
Administrative / Biographical History
Born Edinburgh 1836; died Peeblesshire 1887
Alexander Dickson graduated MD from Edinburgh University in 1860, lectured in botany at the University of Aberdeen and in 1866 was appointed to the chair of botany at Dublin University, returning to Scotland as professor of botany at Glasgow until 1879. He was then appointed professor of botany at Edinburgh University (the first appointee solely to this discipline) and Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden, a post he held from 1880 until his death. While in post he inherited a number of problems over integrating the Garden with the Arboretum which remained unresolved. He was regarded as an excellent research and field botanist, his studies including work on phyllotaxis, flower and embryo development and carnivorous plants. He published around 50 papers in a number of journals including the Transactions of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, of which he was twice president. He died in 1887 while curling near his Peebleshire home.
Sources: Dictionary of National Biography; HR Fletcher and WH Brown ‘The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 1670-1970’; (Deni Bown, ‘4 Gardens in One’); (R. Desmond ‘Dictionary of British and Irish Botanists and Horticulturalists)
D.W.
Access Information
Collection is open to researchers by appointment, see (right click, open link in new tab:) https://www.rbge.org.uk/science-and-conservation/library-and-archives/visiting-the-library/
Note
Born Edinburgh 1836; died Peeblesshire 1887
Alexander Dickson graduated MD from Edinburgh University in 1860, lectured in botany at the University of Aberdeen and in 1866 was appointed to the chair of botany at Dublin University, returning to Scotland as professor of botany at Glasgow until 1879. He was then appointed professor of botany at Edinburgh University (the first appointee solely to this discipline) and Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden, a post he held from 1880 until his death. While in post he inherited a number of problems over integrating the Garden with the Arboretum which remained unresolved. He was regarded as an excellent research and field botanist, his studies including work on phyllotaxis, flower and embryo development and carnivorous plants. He published around 50 papers in a number of journals including the Transactions of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, of which he was twice president. He died in 1887 while curling near his Peebleshire home.
Sources: Dictionary of National Biography; HR Fletcher and WH Brown ‘The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 1670-1970’; (Deni Bown, ‘4 Gardens in One’); (R. Desmond ‘Dictionary of British and Irish Botanists and Horticulturalists)
D.W.
Filed in individual ”T” folder boxed separately
Manual of Botany filed in the Rare Book Room
Conditions Governing Use
Permission required from RBGE.
Related Material
(right click, open link in new tab) https://rbge.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=85484&query_desc=kw%2Cwrdl%3A%20decaisne
Additional Information
published