Thomas Blakiston
Encyclopedia
Thomas Wright Blakiston (27 December 1832 – 15 October 1891) was an English
explorer and naturalist
.
Born in Lymington
, Hampshire
, England
, Blakiston was the son of Major John Blakiston, second son of Sir Matthew Blakiston, 2nd Baronet (see Blakiston Baronets
for earlier history of the family). His mother was Jane, daughter of Reverend Thomas Wright, Rector of Market Bosworth
, Leicestershire
. Blakiston explored western Canada
with the Palliser Expedition
between 1857 and 1859. In 1861 he traveled up the Yangtze River
in China
, going further than any Westerner before him. He spent the next part of his life in Japan
and became one of the major naturalists in that country. He moved to the United States
in 1885. Blakiston died aged 58 of pneumonia
in October 1891 while in San Diego, California
and is buried in Green Lawn Cemetery
, Columbus, Ohio
.
Blakiston was the first person to notice that animals in Hokkaidō
, Japan's northern island, were related to northern Asia
n species, whereas those on Honshū
to the south were related to those from southern Asia. The Tsugaru Strait
between the two islands was therefore established as a zoogeographical
boundary, and became known as "Blakiston's Line".
Blakiston collected an owl specimen in Hakodate, Japan in 1883. This was later described by Henry Seebohm
and named Blakiston's Fish Owl
.
Blakiston married Ann Mary in 1885. She was the daughter of James Dunn and the sister of Edwin Dun
. They had one daughter and one son. Ann Mary survived him by 46 years and died in England in March 1937.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
explorer and naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
.
Born in Lymington
Lymington
Lymington is a port on the west bank of the Lymington River on the Solent, in the New Forest district of Hampshire, England. It is to the east of the South East Dorset conurbation, and faces Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight which is connected to it by a car ferry, operated by Wightlink. The town...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Blakiston was the son of Major John Blakiston, second son of Sir Matthew Blakiston, 2nd Baronet (see Blakiston Baronets
Blakiston Baronets
There have been three Baronetcies created for members of the Blakiston family of Blakiston, County Durham, two in the Baronetage of England and one in the Baronetage of Great Britain...
for earlier history of the family). His mother was Jane, daughter of Reverend Thomas Wright, Rector of Market Bosworth
Market Bosworth
Market Bosworth is a small market town and civil parish in Leicestershire, England. It formerly formed a district known as the Market Bosworth Rural District. In 1974 it merged with the Hinckley Rural District to form a new district named Hinckley and Bosworth...
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
. Blakiston explored western Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
with the Palliser Expedition
Palliser Expedition
The British North American Exploring Expedition, commonly called the Palliser Expedition, explored and surveyed the open prairies and rugged wilderness of western Canada from 1857 to 1860. The purpose was to explore possible routes for the Canadian Pacific Railway and discover new species of plants...
between 1857 and 1859. In 1861 he traveled up the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, going further than any Westerner before him. He spent the next part of his life in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and became one of the major naturalists in that country. He moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1885. Blakiston died aged 58 of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
in October 1891 while in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
and is buried in Green Lawn Cemetery
Greenlawn Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio
Green Lawn Cemetery is a large and historically significant burial ground in Central Ohio, United States. Located in the southern section of Columbus, Ohio , it is the final resting place for many local notables and well-known figures from national history...
, Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
.
Blakiston was the first person to notice that animals in Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
, Japan's northern island, were related to northern Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n species, whereas those on Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
to the south were related to those from southern Asia. The Tsugaru Strait
Tsugaru Strait
is a channel between Honshu and Hokkaido in northern Japan connecting the Sea of Japan with the Pacific Ocean. It was named after the western part of Aomori Prefecture...
between the two islands was therefore established as a zoogeographical
Biogeography
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species , organisms, and ecosystems in space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities vary in a highly regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, isolation and habitat area...
boundary, and became known as "Blakiston's Line".
Blakiston collected an owl specimen in Hakodate, Japan in 1883. This was later described by Henry Seebohm
Henry Seebohm
Henry Seebohm was an English steel manufacturer, and amateur ornithologist, oologist and traveller.Seebohm was born in Bradford. His interest in natural history led him to travel widely, in Greece, Scandinavia, Turkey, and South Africa...
and named Blakiston's Fish Owl
Blakiston's Fish Owl
Blakiston's Fish Owl, Bubo blakistoni, is a fish owl, a sub-group of eagle owls who specialized in hunting riparian areas. This species is a part of the family known as typical owls, Strigidae, which contains most species of owl...
.
Blakiston married Ann Mary in 1885. She was the daughter of James Dunn and the sister of Edwin Dun
Edwin Dun
Edwin Dun was a rancher from Ohio who was employed as an o-yatoi gaikokujin in Hokkaidō by the Hokkaidō Development Commission and advised the Japanese government on modernizing agricultural techniques during the Meiji modernization period.Dun was a native of Chillicothe, Ohio and had studied at...
. They had one daughter and one son. Ann Mary survived him by 46 years and died in England in March 1937.