John Goldie (botanist)

For other people of the same name, see John Goldie.

John Goldie
Born	(1793-03-21)21 March 1793 Kirkoswald, South Ayrshire, Scotland
Died	Ayr, Ontario, Canada
Resting place	Ayr Cemetery, Ayr, Ontario
Fields	Botany
Alma mater	University of Glasgow
Author abbrev. (botany)	Goldie
Spouse	Margaret Smith
Children	9
Signature

John Goldie (21 March 1793 – 23 July 1886) was a Scottish-born botanist and author. He is credited with recording the existence of fourteen plant species previously unknown to science including Dryopteris goldiana.

Personal life

He was born in Kirkoswald, the son of William Goudie and Janet McClure. Goldie apprenticed as a gardener and was employed at the Glasgow Botanic Garden. In 1815, he married Margaret Smith, the daughter of James Smith, a well known local botanist and florist, and had nine children together. After many visits to Canada Goldie decided to move his family to Ayr, Ontario in 1844, where he rented land and later purchased a farm. The family also constructed and operated a number of mills throughout the Waterloo Region. Goldie later died there at the age of 92. After his death his sons and daughters continued to operate the mills until the early 20th century.

Goldie is also the great-grandfather of Canadian born aerodynamicist, Jim Chamberlin.

Botanical career

Shortly after his marriage the English Government decided to send an expedition to the coast of Africa to explore the Congo River. After passing an examination Goldie was selected to accompany the expedition as a botanist but at the last moment was superseded by someone else. Many of the officers and crew of the expedition contracted and died of coast fever and the expedition was later abandoned. In 1817, at the instance of his colleague William Hooker, Goldie was able to raise enough money to voyage to North America to collect botanical samples, he departed from Leith and landed in Halifax. Unfortunately, his first three shipments of collected materials were lost at sea en route to Scotland. In 1819, Goldie returned safely home with specimens intact. In 1822, he published Description of some new and rare plants discovered in Canada in 1819. Goldie traveled to St. Petersburgh in Russia in 1824, where he was employed by Alexander I to help establish a new botanical garden. Goldie returned there in 1830. Goldie established his own nursery business during the same period with the object of providing additional income for his family. His students also included David Douglas, another well known Scottish botanist.

The fern Aspidium goldianum, later Dryopteris goldiana, was named in his honor by William Hooker. The standard author abbreviation Goldie is used to indicate this individual as the author when citing a botanical name.

References

• "Goldie, John: 1793-1886. Correspondence". University of Waterloo. Retrieved 2013-03-04