William C Carruthers was a Scottish botanist.

Carruthers was keeper of the Botanical Department at the Natural History Museum

Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...

 from 1871 to 1895. He was consulting botanist to the Royal Agricultural Society

Royal Agricultural Society

The Royal Agricultural Society of England was established in the United Kingdom in 1838 with the motto "Practice with Science". The RASE aim is to promote the scientific development of agriculture. The society received its Royal Charter from Queen Victoria in 1840.From its early days the society...

 (1871-1909).

He was born in Moffat

Moffat

Moffat is a former burgh and spa town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, lying on the River Annan, with a population of around 2,500. The most notable building in the town is the Moffat House Hotel, designed by John Adam...

, Dumfriesshire

Dumfriesshire

Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries is a registration county of Scotland. The lieutenancy area of Dumfries has similar boundaries.Until 1975 it was a county. Its county town was Dumfries...

, the son of merchant Samuel Carruthers. Educated at Moffat Academy, he graduated from Edinburgh University. He married in 1865 Jeanie, daughter of William Moffat, architect, of Edinburgh.

He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1871. He was president of the Linnean Society from 1886 to 1890, and a member of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh.