Thomas Pearson Stokoe
Encyclopedia
Thomas Pearson Stokoe born a Yorkshireman, became a South African botanist and mountaineer over the latter half of his life.
Stokoe left an unfulfilling job as printer in England to start a new life in South Africa in August 1911. He also left behind in Sunderland his wife, Lillian Downs, whom he had married on 23 February 1895, and his daughter Ena. He arrived with a team of five men selected to work as lithographers for the Cape Times
, his brother Joseph Stokoe already employed by the paper as head artist. Stokoe remained with the Cape Times until his retirement.
Stokoe was already a competent rock climber and mountaineer when he landed in Cape Town - his skills he had obviously acquired on the Yorkshire Moors and the Pennines
. He rented a cottage at 48 Kloof Road in the suburb of Gardens, a location only a stone's-throw from the South African Museum which maintained a herbarium and knowledgeable staff, essentials for an aspiring botanist in the pre-Kirstenbosch
days.
After joining the Mountain Club of South Africa
in 1913, Stokoe explored the mountains of the south-western Cape, particularly the Kogelberg
and Hottentots-Holland
mountains, collecting extensively in the Cape fynbos
, discovering new plants and rediscovering species known only from collections by the early Cape botanists. His success at finding new and long-lost species was due in no small part to his exploring of areas remote from easily traversed roads and paths. Among botanists it has long been a self-evident truth that a map of botanical collecting sites is largely a delineation of highways and byways.
Stokoe also gained the trust of Cape Town's flower sellers of the streets. These Coloured and Black vendors often had an intimate knowledge of the plants they were selling and their natural habitats. Such friendships enabled him to locate rare species such as Orothamnus zeyheri and Mimetes stokoei.
Through the Mountain Club Stokoe became friendly with Edwin Percy Phillips
, who was at that time not only the Club's secretary, but also curator of the Museum herbarium. Phillips offered much useful advice and encouragement with regard to his collecting, but his mentorship ended when in 1918 he was transferred to the National Herbarium in Pretoria
as its curator. Keppel Barnard, another Museum staff member and a close friend and climbing companion of Stokoe's, succeeded as the Mountain Club secretary. Stokoe's amateur status as a botanist and his easy relationship with the flower sellers, set him apart from the professionals - "my friends of the scalpel, pins and tweezers" - and produced a social rift such that the Cambridge botanist RH Compton, throughout his 34 years as director of Kirstenbosch, never invited Stokoe along on his field trips.
Stokoe is commemorated in some 30 species names such as Brunia stokoei, Erica stokoei, Mimetes stokoei, Protea stokoei, Watsonia stokoei, Nivenia stokoei, Esterhuysenia stokoei, Agathosma stokoei and a stag beetle Colophon stokoei.
Stokoe left an unfulfilling job as printer in England to start a new life in South Africa in August 1911. He also left behind in Sunderland his wife, Lillian Downs, whom he had married on 23 February 1895, and his daughter Ena. He arrived with a team of five men selected to work as lithographers for the Cape Times
Cape Times
The Cape Times is an English language morning newspaper owned by Independent News & Media and published in Cape Town, South Africa. The first edition of the newspaper was published on 27 March 1876 by then editor Frederick York St Leger...
, his brother Joseph Stokoe already employed by the paper as head artist. Stokoe remained with the Cape Times until his retirement.
Stokoe was already a competent rock climber and mountaineer when he landed in Cape Town - his skills he had obviously acquired on the Yorkshire Moors and the Pennines
Pennines
The Pennines are a low-rising mountain range, separating the North West of England from Yorkshire and the North East.Often described as the "backbone of England", they form a more-or-less continuous range stretching from the Peak District in Derbyshire, around the northern and eastern edges of...
. He rented a cottage at 48 Kloof Road in the suburb of Gardens, a location only a stone's-throw from the South African Museum which maintained a herbarium and knowledgeable staff, essentials for an aspiring botanist in the pre-Kirstenbosch
Kirstenbosch
Kirstenbosch is the name of a famous botanical garden nestled at the foot of Table Mountain in Cape Town....
days.
After joining the Mountain Club of South Africa
Mountain Club of South Africa
The Mountain Club of South Africa is the largest and oldest mountaineering club in South Africa. It facilitates and engages in mountaineering, climbing of all types, bouldering, hiking, international expeditions, mountain search and rescue, training, conservation of mountain areas, and procurement...
in 1913, Stokoe explored the mountains of the south-western Cape, particularly the Kogelberg
Kogelberg
The Kogelberg is a range of mountains along the False Bay coast in the Western Cape of South Africa. They form part of the Cape Fold Belt and start south of Grabouw and form a steep coastal range to Kleinmond. The Kogelberg area has the steepest and highest drop directly into the ocean of any...
and Hottentots-Holland
Hottentots-Holland
The Hottentots Holland mountain range is part of the Cape Fold Belt in the Western Cape, South Africa. The range forms a barrier between the Cape Town metropolitan area and the southern Overberg coast. The range is primarily composed of Table Mountain Sandstone and forms an impressive range to the...
mountains, collecting extensively in the Cape fynbos
Fynbos
Fynbos is the natural shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring in a small belt of the Western Cape of South Africa, mainly in winter rainfall coastal and mountainous areas with a Mediterranean climate...
, discovering new plants and rediscovering species known only from collections by the early Cape botanists. His success at finding new and long-lost species was due in no small part to his exploring of areas remote from easily traversed roads and paths. Among botanists it has long been a self-evident truth that a map of botanical collecting sites is largely a delineation of highways and byways.
Stokoe also gained the trust of Cape Town's flower sellers of the streets. These Coloured and Black vendors often had an intimate knowledge of the plants they were selling and their natural habitats. Such friendships enabled him to locate rare species such as Orothamnus zeyheri and Mimetes stokoei.
Through the Mountain Club Stokoe became friendly with Edwin Percy Phillips
Edwin Percy Phillips
Edwin Percy Phillips , was a South African botanist and taxonomist, noted for his monumental work The Genera of South African Flowering Plants first published in 1926....
, who was at that time not only the Club's secretary, but also curator of the Museum herbarium. Phillips offered much useful advice and encouragement with regard to his collecting, but his mentorship ended when in 1918 he was transferred to the National Herbarium in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
as its curator. Keppel Barnard, another Museum staff member and a close friend and climbing companion of Stokoe's, succeeded as the Mountain Club secretary. Stokoe's amateur status as a botanist and his easy relationship with the flower sellers, set him apart from the professionals - "my friends of the scalpel, pins and tweezers" - and produced a social rift such that the Cambridge botanist RH Compton, throughout his 34 years as director of Kirstenbosch, never invited Stokoe along on his field trips.
Stokoe is commemorated in some 30 species names such as Brunia stokoei, Erica stokoei, Mimetes stokoei, Protea stokoei, Watsonia stokoei, Nivenia stokoei, Esterhuysenia stokoei, Agathosma stokoei and a stag beetle Colophon stokoei.