William Theobald
Encyclopedia
William Theobald was a malacologist
and naturalist
on the staff of the Geological Survey of India
in Burma
. That organization then covered Burma, as it was at the time still a part of British India.
Theobald was referred to in official documents as "William Theobald, Junior". He arrived in Calcutta on the ship Hindostan via the Suez
in March 1847 and worked as a volunteer in the coal exploration of the upper Damodar and Son valleys under David Williams. During this time Joseph Hooker
visited him and they spent time together. Later Theobald became an assistant to John McClelland who took over the exploration from David Williams. He went to Burma in 1855 as a staff of the Geological Survey of India and took over the Pegu survey. He returned Bengal on completion of the survey in 1873 to be appointed Deputy Superintendent of Bengal in 1876.
Theobald was the first to publish a full catalogue of reptile specimens collected in British India, although Anderson
claimed that several new descriptions by Edward Blyth
were overlooked by this work. Theobald's work on Indian freshwater snails with illustrations was one of the first of its kind. He even made his shell collections available to Francis Mason
for his epic work on the flora and fauna of British Burma
titled Burmah, its People and Natural Productions. The third edition of this work was completely rewritten by Theobald and was published in two volumes under the title Burma, its people and productions; or notes on the fauna, flora and minerals of Tenasserim, Pegu and Burma (Hertford, England, 1882 & 1883). The first volume of this work covered geology, mineralogy and zoology and was exclusively written by him while the second volume relied on several important botanical works of his time. The phanerogamic information came from printed works of Sulpiz Kurz on the Burmese flora and from the entries in Edward Balfour's works. He also relied on Le Maout
's and Decaisne
's general system of botany translated by Mrs. Hooker and on Gamble
's Manual of Indian Timbers. However, his efforts at reforming botanical nomenclature conflicted with the British Botanical establishment at that time a majority in British India and his botanical works were largely disregarded.
He retired from the service in June 1881 and died at Ilfracombe
, Devon
, England on 31 March 1908. A photograph of him as member of a group of the Geological Survey of India is published in the Centenary publication of that organization.
Malacology
Malacology is the branch of invertebrate zoology which deals with the study of the Mollusca , the second-largest phylum of animals in terms of described species after the arthropods. Mollusks include snails and slugs, clams, octopus and squid, and numerous other kinds, many of which have shells...
and naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
on the staff of the Geological Survey of India
Geological Survey of India
Geological Survey of India , established in 1851 is a government organization in India which is an attached office to the Ministry of Mines of Union Government of India for conducting geological surveys and studies. It is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world and the second oldest...
in Burma
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
. That organization then covered Burma, as it was at the time still a part of British India.
Theobald was referred to in official documents as "William Theobald, Junior". He arrived in Calcutta on the ship Hindostan via the Suez
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
in March 1847 and worked as a volunteer in the coal exploration of the upper Damodar and Son valleys under David Williams. During this time Joseph Hooker
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker OM, GCSI, CB, MD, FRS was one of the greatest British botanists and explorers of the 19th century. Hooker was a founder of geographical botany, and Charles Darwin's closest friend...
visited him and they spent time together. Later Theobald became an assistant to John McClelland who took over the exploration from David Williams. He went to Burma in 1855 as a staff of the Geological Survey of India and took over the Pegu survey. He returned Bengal on completion of the survey in 1873 to be appointed Deputy Superintendent of Bengal in 1876.
Theobald was the first to publish a full catalogue of reptile specimens collected in British India, although Anderson
John Anderson (zoologist)
John Anderson was a Scottish anatomist and zoologist who worked in India.He was born in Edinburgh and graduated in medicine from the University of Edinburgh in 1861. His thesis however was in zoology...
claimed that several new descriptions by Edward Blyth
Edward Blyth
Edward Blyth was an English zoologist and pharmacist. He was one of the founders of zoology in India....
were overlooked by this work. Theobald's work on Indian freshwater snails with illustrations was one of the first of its kind. He even made his shell collections available to Francis Mason
Francis Mason
Francis Mason , American missionary and a naturalist, was born in York, England. His grandfather, also Francis Mason, was the founder of the Baptist Society in York, and his father, a shoemaker by trade, was a Baptist lay preacher there.-Early life:After working with his father as a shoemaker for...
for his epic work on the flora and fauna of British Burma
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
titled Burmah, its People and Natural Productions. The third edition of this work was completely rewritten by Theobald and was published in two volumes under the title Burma, its people and productions; or notes on the fauna, flora and minerals of Tenasserim, Pegu and Burma (Hertford, England, 1882 & 1883). The first volume of this work covered geology, mineralogy and zoology and was exclusively written by him while the second volume relied on several important botanical works of his time. The phanerogamic information came from printed works of Sulpiz Kurz on the Burmese flora and from the entries in Edward Balfour's works. He also relied on Le Maout
Emmanuel Le Maout
Jean-Emmanuel-Marie Le Maout was a French naturalistIn 1842 Le Maout qualified as a physician at the University of Paris where he came a Demonstrator of Natural Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine. Later he gave private lessons in literature and natural history...
's and Decaisne
Joseph Decaisne
Joseph Decaisne was a French botanist and agronomist.Although he was born in Brussels, Belgium, he exercised his activity exclusively in Paris...
's general system of botany translated by Mrs. Hooker and on Gamble
James Sykes Gamble
James Sykes Gamble FRS was an English botanist who specialized in the flora of the Indian sub-continent.He was born in London, the son of Harpur Gamble, M.D...
's Manual of Indian Timbers. However, his efforts at reforming botanical nomenclature conflicted with the British Botanical establishment at that time a majority in British India and his botanical works were largely disregarded.
Ilfracombe
Ilfracombe is a seaside resort and civil parish on the North Devon coast, England with a small harbour, surrounded by cliffs.The parish stretches along the coast from 'The Coastguard Cottages' in Hele Bay toward the east and 4 miles along The Torrs to Lee Bay toward the west...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England on 31 March 1908. A photograph of him as member of a group of the Geological Survey of India is published in the Centenary publication of that organization.