Frances Leonora "Fanny" Macleay (9 November 1793 – 8 August 1836) was an English-born Australian botanical illustrator, and member of the prominent Macleay family.
52-827: William Sharp Macleay or McLeay FLS (21 July 1792 – 26 January 1865) was a British civil servant and entomologist . He was also a prominent promoter of the Quinarian system of classification . After graduating, he worked for the British embassy in Paris , following his interest in natural history and at the same time, publishing essays on insects and corresponding with Charles Darwin . Macleay moved to Havana , Cuba , where he was, in turn: commissioner of arbitration, commissary judge, and then judge. Retiring from this work, he emigrated to Australia , where he continued to collect insects and studied marine natural history. Macleay
104-460: A joint presentation of papers by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace was made, sponsored by Joseph Hooker and Charles Lyell , as neither author could be present. The society's connection with evolution remained strong into the 20th century. Sir Edward Poulton , who was president in 1912–1916, was a great defender of natural selection, and was the first biologist to recognise the importance of frequency-dependent selection . In 1904,
156-573: A lichenologist and mycologist , Gulielma Lister , a mycologist, and Margaret Jane Benson , a paleobotanist , all formally admitted on 19 January 1905. Also numbered in the first cohort of women to be elected in 1904 were: the paleobotanist, and later pioneer of family planning, Marie Stopes , the philanthropist Constance Sladen , founder of the Percy Sladen Memorial Trust and Alice Laura Embleton (1876–1960), biologist , zoologist and suffragist , who had been one of
208-578: A "half-caste Indian" and that his sister is "not the person in my opinion to submit to the inconvenience of poverty in a cottage". This did not sway Macleay, who was finally in love, and had kept the very first note Harrington had sent her in 1830. They married at St James' Church , Sydney on 26 June 1836. The newly married couple honeymooned at Brownlow Hill for only three weeks before Fanny fell ill, her stomach pains and heart palpitations requiring her to be looked after at home by family. She died three weeks later on 8 August 1836. Her father Alexander,
260-595: A formula of admission to the fellowship. Other forms of membership exist: 'Associate' (or 'ALS'), for supporters of the society who do not wish to submit to the formal election process for fellowship, and 'Student Associate', for those registered as students at a place of tertiary education. Associate members may apply for election to the fellowship at any time. Finally, there are three types of membership that are prestigious and strictly limited in number: 'Fellow honoris causa' , 'Foreign', and lastly, 'Honorary'. These forms of membership are bestowed following election by
312-729: A harsh, even severe impression of his character. Macleay had maintained his scientific work whilst in Havana and was elected to the Linnean Society , of which his father had been Secretary (1798–1825), and the Zoological Society . He was elected president of the natural history section of the British Association for the Advancement of Science . Macleay emigrated to Australia in 1839, living briefly at
364-627: A number of different homes, initially meeting in Marlborough Coffee House (1788), before moving to Panton Square in 1795, then Gerrard Street, Soho in 1805, and Soho Square in 1821. Since 1857 the society has been based at Burlington House , Piccadilly , London ; an address it shares with a number of other learned societies: the Geological Society of London , the Royal Astronomical Society ,
416-408: A number of prestigious medals and prizes. A product of the 18th-century enlightenment , the society is the oldest extant biological society in the world and is historically important as the venue for the first public presentation of the theory of evolution by natural selection on 1 July 1858. The former patron of the society was Queen Elizabeth II . Honorary members include: King Charles III of
468-508: A week. She became good friends with the Governor's wife, Eliza Darling , who tried unsuccessfully to arrange a match between Fanny and her brother, Henry Dumaresq . At the behest of Eliza, Fanny and her sisters helped to establish and take positions at the newly opened Female School of Industry. The institution was intended to take young girls living in poverty and educate them to become domestic servants. As Macleay became more involved in
520-736: Is also held by the society. Other notable holdings of the society include the notebooks and journals of Alfred Russel Wallace and the paintings of plants and animals made by Francis Buchanan-Hamilton (1762–1829) in Nepal . In December 2014, the society's specimen, library, and archive collections were granted designated status by the Arts Council England , recognising collections of national and international importance (one of only 152 institutions so recognised as of 2020). The Linnean Society began its extensive series of publications on 13 August 1791, when Volume I of Transactions of
572-417: Is an advantage, but not a necessity, for election. Following election, new fellows must be formally admitted, in person at a meeting of the society, before they are able to vote in society elections. Admission takes the form of signing the membership book, and thereby agreeing to an obligation to abide by the statutes of the society. Following this the new fellow is taken by the hand by the president, who recites
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#1732801901739624-559: Is present in the one of the most extensive natural history collections in the world, which would later be acquired by the University of Sydney and form the Macleay Museum . Macleay first met the botanist Robert Brown as a young girl, when in 1814 he was invited to stay at her family's country house at Tilbuster Lodge. Brown was the editor of Curtis's Botanical Magazine , and over the years Fanny sent him her drawings with
676-621: The Arctic explorers Sir John Franklin and Sir James Clark Ross , colonial administrator and founder of Singapore , Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Lord Aberdeen . The first public exposition of the 'Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection', arguably the greatest single leap of progress made in biology, was presented to a meeting of the Linnean Society on 1 July 1858. At this meeting
728-524: The Australian Dictionary of Biography : Fellow of the Linnean Society of London The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history , evolution , and taxonomy . It possesses several important biological specimen, manuscript and literature collections, and publishes academic journals and books on plant and animal biology. The society also awards
780-720: The Hope Department of Entomology at Oxford University. He was also a correspondent of Charles Darwin , though he disagreed fervently with the latter's theories of evolution. Macleay was the originator of the short-lived Quinarian system of classification, which is used extensively in his Horae Entomologicae . This was an attempt to classify animals into related groups and was put forward in Part 2 of his book Horae Entomologicae (1821). According to his reasoning, each major group of animals could be subdivided into 5 subgroups, and each sub-group could be further divided into 5. MacLeay
832-594: The Royal Academy of Arts in 1816, 1819, and 1824. Her father's position in the science community meant Macleay met such prominent scientists as Robert Brown and William Kirby . It was Kirby who first recognised her ability to draw, noticing her talent and requesting she draw specimens for him. When the Transport Board was abolished 1815, Alexander Macleay was left with a meager pension to support his large family. As his scientific pursuits brought
884-651: The Society of Antiquaries of London and the Royal Society of Chemistry . In April 1939 the threat of war obliged the society to relocate the Linnean collections out of London to Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire , where they remained for the duration of World War II . This move was facilitated by the 12th Duke of Bedford , a Fellow of the Linnean Society himself. Three thousand of the most precious items from
936-755: The Colonial Secretary's House in Macquarie Place with his parents before moving in September of that year to the family's still unfinished Elizabeth Bay House . He took possession of the estate in 1845, having taken on his father Alexander's considerable debts and the mortgages on the property (he formally inherited it in 1848). In an attempt to raise funds, he also sold furniture he had acquired in London on behalf of his father, but for which he had never been reimbursed. He did not, however, complete
988-547: The Linnean Society , which focuses on plant sciences, and Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society focusing on animal systematics and evolution. In 2022, the society launched the Evolutionary Journal of the Linnean Society , its first fully open access scholarly publication. The Linnean is a biannual newsletter. It contains commentary on recent activities and events, articles on history and science, and occasional biographies/obituaries of people connected to
1040-536: The Linnean Society of London at Wikisource [REDACTED] Media related to Linnean Society of London at Wikimedia Commons Fanny Macleay Macleay was born on 9 November 1793 in London , England to Alexander Macleay and Elizabeth "Eliza" Macleay (née Barclay). Her father worked in the British civil service, taking up a position of Secretary of the Transport board. Of her many brothers and sisters, Fanny
1092-469: The Linnean Society of London was produced. Over the following centuries the society published a number of different journals, some of which specialised in more specific subject areas, whilst earlier publications were discontinued. Those still in publication include: the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , which covers the evolutionary biology of all organisms, Botanical Journal of
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#17328019017391144-600: The Linnean Society: Linnaeus' botanical and zoological collections were purchased in 1783 by Sir James Edward Smith, the first president of the society, and are now held in London by the society. The collections include 14,000 plants, 158 fish, 1,564 shells, 3,198 insects, 1,600 books and 3,000 letters and documents. They may be viewed by appointment and there is a monthly tour of the collections. Smith's own plant collection of 27,185 dried specimens, together with his correspondence and book collection,
1196-523: The Linnean Society; it also includes book reviews, reference material and correspondence. The society also publishes books and Synopses of the British Fauna , a series of field-guides. Previously, an electronic magazine for Fellows, Pulse , was produced quarterly. This ceased publication in 2021. For the fellows of the Linnean Society of London, see: Fellows of the Linnean Society of London [REDACTED] Works related to Transactions of
1248-802: The Natural Affinities and Analogies of the Insects collected in Java by T. Horsfield, no. 1 (London, 1825). Other minor publications on insects include Remarks on the devastation occasioned by Hylobius abietis in fir plantations in the Zoological Journal and several notes in the Transactions of the Entomological Society of London . Macleay sent many insects to Frederick William Hope , which are now preserved in
1300-541: The United Kingdom, Emeritus Emperor Akihito of Japan , King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden (both of the latter have active interests in natural history), and the eminent naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough . The Linnean Society was founded in 1788 by botanist Sir James Edward Smith . The society takes its name from the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus , the 'father of taxonomy', who systematised biological classification through his binomial nomenclature . (He
1352-591: The books in his library. Of the many skills she learned as a girl, Macleay loved most to draw. Alexander sent Fanny for lessons with the French natural history artist Pelletier, to better improve her drawing to assist with his scientific collections. Travelling between their residence in London and country house in Surrey gave her access to the best drawing masters, and she soon became an accomplished flower painter. Her drawings and still-life paintings were exhibited at
1404-423: The earliest women to deliver a paper to the society on 4 Jun 1903. Overall, 15 out of 16 women nominated in 1904 were elected to the society. Marian Farquharson was not admitted, having been "shamefully blackballed" as the society now states, although she was finally admitted in 1908. The painting "Admission of Lady Fellows" by James Sant R.A., which hangs on the upper staircase, shows the eleven women signing
1456-461: The eminent botanist and president of the Royal Society . Five years after this purchase Banks gave Smith his full support in founding the Linnean Society, and became one of its first Honorary Members. The society has numbered many prominent scientists amongst its fellows. One such was the botanist Robert Brown , who was librarian, and later president (1849–1853); he named the cell nucleus and discovered Brownian motion . In 1854, Charles Darwin
1508-563: The family into more debt, it was Fanny who encouraged her father to accept the offer of a position as Colonial Secretary of New South Wales . The Macleay family sailed from England in 1825, arriving in Sydney in January 1826 on board The Marquis of Hastings . Their elite position in the new colony ensured their frequent attendance at many balls and parties. Macleay wrote to her brother about being invited to Government House at least twice
1560-457: The fellowship at the annual Anniversary Meeting in May. Meetings have historically been, and continue to be, the main justification for the society's existence. Meetings are venues for people of like interests to exchange information, talk about scientific and literary concerns, exhibit specimens, and listen to lectures. Today, meetings are held in the evening and also at lunchtime. Most are open to
1612-491: The general public as well as to members, and the majority are offered without charge for admission. On or near 24 May, traditionally regarded as the birthday of Carl Linnaeus, the Anniversary Meeting is held. This is for fellows and guests only, it includes ballots for membership of the council of the society and the awarding of medals. On 22 May 2020, for the first time in its history, the Anniversary Meeting
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1664-459: The hope for their inclusion. It was said that Brown was in love with Fanny, but she rejected his proposal. Her mother, who depended on her daughter to help her with the children, discouraged the match. Their shared passion for science making them equally suited, Eliza later expressed regret at her interference. She and Brown continued to exchange letters throughout their lives, with Macleay considering him to be her family. Upon her death, Brown
1716-414: The house, and it remained without its planned colonnade. The house became a meeting place for a small circle of intellectuals and naturalists, though Macleay was not known for being actively sociable. Thomas Mitchell Jnr satirised the house and owner: 'Bleak House blears blindly o'er Eliza's Bay, chill as its owner's hospitality' (Carlin, p. 45). Macleay was interested in the natural history of Australia,
1768-548: The joint British and Spanish Court of Commission in Havana , Cuba , for the abolition of the slave trade ; he became commissary judge in 1830, and then was appointed judge to the Mixed Tribunal of Justice in 1833. He retired in 1836 (at the age of 44) on a pension of £900. Throughout these years, he also maintained a correspondence with his sister Frances (Fanny) Leonora Macleay (1793–1836). These letters typically convey
1820-531: The library collections were packed up and evacuated to Oxford; the country house of librarian Warren Royal Dawson provided a refuge for the society's records. Fellowship requires nomination by at least one fellow, and election by a minimum of two-thirds of those electors voting. Fellows may employ the post-nominal letters 'FLS'. Fellowship is open to both professional scientists and to amateur naturalists who have shown active interest in natural history and allied disciplines. Having authored relevant publications
1872-610: The marine fauna around Port Jackson in particular. Later, he collected a large number of Australian insects; on his death, these were bequeathed to his cousin William John Macleay , whose interest in natural history he encouraged and who in 1888 transferred them to the Macleay Museum , University of Sydney , for which act he was knighted. He also encouraged the scientific interests of his brother George Macleay . Macleay lived alone at Elizabeth Bay House until his death on 26 January 1865. Additional resources listed by
1924-442: The orchids two years earlier. Despite her passion for science and her proficiency as a natural history artist, Macleay was destined for her work to only be seen in the context of Alexander and William's scientific accomplishments. Membership of the Royal Society was forbidden for women at the time, and their work could only be read aloud by a man. The painstaking work of cataloguing, storing, and preserving specimens by Macleay
1976-717: The running of the school, she lamented that her position, along with her home duties, took away from her love for drawing. As the oldest girl, Macleay was expected to help raise her younger siblings and assist her mother with domestic chores. The constant childbearing and various illnesses of the children made Eliza heavily dependent on her. However, in the Macleay household, domestic concerns often came second to scientific pursuits, with Fanny spending much time assisting her father with his collecting of specimens. The work of drawing, recording, displaying and storing specimens, as well as sending them for exchange to other scientists around
2028-486: The society elected its first female fellows, following a number of years of tireless campaigning by the botanist Marian Farquharson . Whilst the society's council was reluctant to admit women, the wider fellowship was more supportive; only 17% voted against the proposal. Among the first to benefit from this were the ornithologist and photographer Emma Louisa Turner , Lilian J. Veley , a microbiologist , Annie Lorrain Smith ,
2080-406: The society has been a non-political and non-sectarian institution, existing solely for the furtherance of natural history. The inception of the society was the direct result of the purchase by Sir James Edward Smith of the specimen, book and correspondence collections of Carl Linnaeus. When the collection was offered for sale by Linnaeus's heirs, Smith was urged to acquire it by Sir Joseph Banks ,
2132-508: The society's Book of Admission and Obligation on 19 January 1905. The painting was altered to remove the figures of T R R Stebbing , the Zoological Secretary, and his wife, Mary Anne , from the right hand side sometime before the painting was presented to the society in 1919. The first female president of the society was Irene Manton (1973 to 1976), who pioneered the biological use of electron microscopy . Her work revealed
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2184-502: The structure of the flagellum and cilia , which are central to many systems of cellular motility. Recent years have seen an increased interest within the society in issues of biodiversity conservation. This was highlighted by the inception in 2015 of an annual award, the John Spedan Lewis Medal, specifically honouring persons making significant and innovative contributions to conservation. The society has had
2236-454: The time, and Charles Darwin, who got to know Macleay after he returned from the Beagle voyage, tried to fit Quinarian ideas into his evolutionary schemes up to about 1845 (see "The Development of Darwin's Theory" by Dov Ospovat, 1981). The ideas were also taken up by William Swainson , Nicholas Aylward Vigors , and others. In 1825, Macleay was appointed British commissioner of arbitration to
2288-573: The world often fell to Macleay. She dried and labelled seeds, presenting them in albums to send overseas to William. Fanny also made drawings of specimens for the work of her father and brother. Having such proximity to distinguished scientists meant Macleay was often pioneering the documentation of new species, with Robert Brown publishing On the Organs and Mode of Fecundation in Orchideae and Asclepiadeae in 1828 when Fanny herself had first drawn
2340-507: Was Horae Entomologicae; or, Essays on the Annulose Animals , parts 1-2 (1819–1821). The first part of Horae Entomologicae included a re-examination of Linnaeus' genus Scarabaeus (12th edition of Systema Naturae , 1767) within the taxonomic context of Pierre Andre Latreille's " Lamellicornes " becoming the first monographer of what today is the family Scarabaeidae . He also published Annulosa Javanica or an Attempt to illustrate
2392-561: Was born in London , eldest son of Alexander Macleay , who named him for his then business partner and fellow wine merchant (William Sharp). He attended Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge , graduating with honours in 1814. He was then appointed attaché to the British embassy at Paris , and secretary to the board for liquidating British claims on the French government, and following his father in taking an interest in natural history, became friendly with Georges Cuvier , and other celebrated men of science. Macleay's principal work
2444-445: Was closest to her brother William , who she wrote to often throughout her life. While she grew up in an intellectual household, Macleay was not afforded the same kind of education as her older brother, and often bemoaned the ineptitude of her governesses in her letters to him. Her father, a noted entomologist and Fellow of the Linnean Society , encouraged his daughters to learn botany , entomology , zoology , and ornithology from
2496-425: Was elected a fellow; he is undoubtedly the most illustrious scientist ever to appear on the membership rolls of the society. Another famous fellow was biologist Thomas Huxley , who would later gain the nickname "Darwin's bulldog" for his outspoken defence of Darwin and evolution. Men notable in other walks of life have also been fellows of the society, including the physician Edward Jenner , pioneer of vaccination ,
2548-538: Was held online via videotelephony . This was due to restrictions on public gatherings imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic . The Linnean Society of London aims to promote the study of all aspects of the biological sciences, with particular emphasis on evolution, taxonomy, biodiversity, and sustainability. Through awarding medals and grants, the society acknowledges and encourages excellence in all of these fields. The following medals and prizes are awarded by
2600-417: Was known as Carl von Linné after his ennoblement, hence the spelling 'Linnean', rather than 'Linnaean'.) The society had a number of minor name variations before it gained its Royal Charter on 26 March 1802, when the name became fixed as "The Linnean Society of London". As a newly incorporated society, it comprised 228 fellows. It is the oldest extant natural history society in the world. Throughout its history
2652-405: Was one of the first systematists to note the difference between similarity due to true relation, called affinity, and similarity due to function, called analogy. Major groups united by affinities could also be related to other groups or subgroups by overlaps known as osculations, based on analogy. As precursors of the concepts of homology and homoplasy , these proposals were taken very seriously at
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#17328019017392704-502: Was said to be stricken with grief, even writing to her mother to express his condolences. Despite her mother's marriage scheming in the matches of the younger Macleay sisters, Fanny remained unmarried until her forties. Her prospective husband, Thomas Harrington, was Chief Deputy in her father's office. Initially interested in her sister Christina, Harrington came to realise that Fanny was cleverer. Her brother George did not have pleasant things to say about Harrington, describing him as
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