Thomas Pennant

Thomas Pennant ( born June 14, 1726 Whitford, Flintshire, † December 16, 1798 ) was a Welsh naturalist, ornithologist, zoologist and archaeologist.

Life and work

He was born into a Welsh noble family which at Bychton had a big farm in the 18th century. 1724 his father David Pennant had also acquired the neighboring estate in Downing by a cousin. Thomas enjoyed an early education in a secondary school in Wrexham, before he moved to the " Thomas Croft 's school" in Fulham in 1740. 1744 he joined the Queen's College at Oxford to switch later to the Oriel College ( College, University of Oxford). How many students from wealthy families, he left in 1771 without a degree college. Thomas Pennant told later that he felt his calling as a natural historian than twelve year old boy that has not been recently reinforced by a book of the ornithologist Francis Willughby. He made various zoologists, as William Borlase, tours all over the world and helped them in their research. In 1757 he was, after intercession by Carl Linnaeus, was added to the Royal Society of Sciences in Uppsala. In 1766 he published the first part of his book British Zoology. During this work he visited the European continent and made ​​the acquaintance of Georges- Louis Leclerc de Buffon, Voltaire, Albrecht von Haller and Peter Simon Pallas.

According to him, also the Crimson Rosella was named.

Works

  • British Zoology. 1766
  • Synopsis of Quadrupeds. 1771
  • Genera of birds. 1773 Online
  • Tour in Wales. 1778
  • Journey to Snowdon I & II 1781 & 1783
  • Journey from Chester to London. 1782
  • Arctic Zoology. 1785-1787
  • Account of London. 1790
  • Literary Life of the late T. Pennant. 1793
  • The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne. 1793 ( with Gilbert White )
  • Outlines of the Globe I, II, III. & IV - 1798 & 1790
London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Oriel College, Oxford Integrated Authority File
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