Botanical Society of the British Isles

According to its website, the Botanical Society of the British Isles traces its origins to the founding in 1836 of the Botanical Society of London.

According to Allen (1986), p.11, the founding of the Botanical Society of London was accomplished through a series of inaugural meetings beginning on 1836, July 27. The name chosen at the July 27 meeting was Practical Botanists' Society of London, but this was rejected at the next inaugural meeting in favour of the name Botanical Society of London. According to Allen (1986), pp.58-60, the Botanical Society of London was dissolved on 1856, November 24 because of serious financial problems; the hope was that a new Society would be begun to carry on the various functions of the the Botanical Society of London.

According to Allen (1986), p.69, John George Baker, one of the most active of the botanical exchange distributors in the former Society, took steps to keep the exchange service available until such time as the awaited new Society might be set up. He had recently set up a small natural history society at Thirsk (the Thirsk Natural History Society). Allen (1986), p.71 indicates that in 1857, November, the Thirsk Natural History Society set up a sub-society known as the Thirsk Botanical Exchange Club to carry on this service. This Club attracted many of the best exchangers in the country, most of them ex-members of the Botanical Society of London. The Club was eventually given the records of the latter Society, so, to some extent, it may be considered the legitimate successor to it. According to Allen (1986), pp.74-76, unfortunately, on the night of 1864, May 9, a fire consumed almost all of Baker's possessions; Baker remained in the Sussex area until he was offered a position at the Kew Herbarium eighteen months later. Since Baker had to leave the area, he indicated in 1866, January to Hewett Cottrell Watson, the guiding light of the former Botanical Society of London, that the Thirsk Club would have to be dissolved until the London botanists could find some way of continuing it themselves. Watson counselled him to seek help.

According to Allen (1986), pp.76-77, in the end, Baker was joined by Henry Trimen in establishing the new club, known as the London Botanical Exchange Club in 1866 (and at that point, the Thirsk Natural History Society ceased); the following year (1867) the London designation was dropped, so that the name was now simply the Botanical Exchange Club. In 1884, December, the Watson Botanical Exchange Club, an alternative club catering to beginners to the field of botany was founded (Allen (1986), pp.83-84). In the beginning there was only a small overlap in membership between the two clubs, but the degree of overlap was to increase over the years.

The record for the Report of the Watson Botanical Exchange Club in the Oxford Univ. cat. indicates that in 1935 the Watson Botanical Exchange Club merged with the Botanical Exchange Club to form the Botanical Society and Exchange Club of the British Isles. Allen (1986), pp.128-129, however, indicates that in 1934, although three-quarters of the members of the Watson Botanical Exchange Club by that time also belonged to the London-based Botanical Exchange Club and the former Club had fallen on hard times, the membership of the former Society voted to dissolve their Society rather than to merge with the London-based Botanical Exchange Club.

According to Allen (1986), p.138, in October 1947 the Society voted to change its name to Botanical Society of the British Isles.

Allen (1986), p.11 gives the founding year.

Allen (1986), p.58 gives the date of dissolution.

Allen (1986), p.71 gives the start date of the sub-body, the Club.

Allen (1986), pp.76-77 gives the cessation date of both bodies.

Allen (1986), pp.76-77 gives the start date for this name.

Allen (1986), pp.76-77 gives the end date for this name.

Allen (1986), pp.76-77 gives the start date for this name.

A record in the Oxford Univ. cat. gives this end date.

A record in the Nat. Lib. Scotland cat. gives the start date for this name.

A record in the Nat. Lib. Scotland cat. gives the end date for this name.

Allen (1986), pp.83-84 gives the start date.

Allen (1986), pp.128-129 gives the end date.

Allen (1986), pp.94-95 gives the start date of this name.

Allen (1986), p.98 gives the start date of the next name.

Allen (1986), p.98 gives the start date of this name.

Allen (1986), p.138 gives the end date of this name.

Allen (1986), p.138 gives the start date of this name.

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The record in the Oxford Univ. cat. gives the title for the entire 1879 - 1934 run as Report. Botanical Exchange Club of the British Isles.

The record in the Nat. Lib. Scotland cat., however, gives the title as Report for ... / Botanical Exchange Club of the British Isles only for the run from 1879 -1907 (pub. 1880-1908, and corresponding to Vol.1 and part of Vol.2), but indicates that the title for the 1908 - 1913 portion of this run (pub. in 1909 - 1914, and corresponding to part of Vol. 2 and all of Vol.3) was Report for ... / Botanical Exchange Club and Society of the British Isles.

The record in the Nat. Lib. Scotland cat., also indicates that the title from 1914 - 1946/1947 (pub. 1915 - 1948, and corresponding to Vol. 4, pt.1 - v.13, pt.4) was Report of the Botanical Society and Exchange Club of the British Isles for ....

According to Allen (1986), pp.94-95 the addition of "and Society" occurred with the 1908 Report. Allen (1986) p.98 indicates that the shift to "Society and" occurred from the 1912 Report onward.

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The record in the Oxford Univ. cat. indicates that in 1935 the Watson Botanical Exchange Club merged with the Botanical Exchange Club to form the Botanical Society and Exchange Club of the British Isles.

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The record in the Oxford Univ. cat. indicates the following note in the journal: "Journal and Proceedings of the Botanical Society of the British Isles."

The record in the Oxford Univ. cat. also indicates that Vol. 8 (1970) - includes Proceedings of the Society, which were issued as a separate series, from 1954-1969, i.e. J.

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