^ OLTJB. , 



Botanical Gazette. 



Vol. VIII. JUNE, 1883. No. G. 



Some North American Botanists. 



VI. Dr. William Baldwin. 



In the southeastern corner of Pennsylvania, just north of the 

 famed Mason and Dixon line, lies the county of Chester, picture 

 esque, historic and fertile, but specially prolific for a century 

 past in cultivators of botanical science. Within its original 

 limits were born the Bartratns, father and son, and within its 

 present limits were born Humphrey Marshall, Dr. William 

 Darlington and his coadjutors David Townsend and Josiah 

 Hoopes, not to mention the Jacksons, father and sou, nor the 

 brothers Pierce, who, perhaps, were cultivators rather than bot- 

 anists. 1 



And in the township of Newlin, in this same county, on the 

 29th of March, 1779, was born William Baldwin, the subject of 

 this sketch. His father, Thomas Baldwin, was a member and 

 an approved minister of the society of " Friends." He gave to 

 the son such rudimentary education as the common schools of 

 the vicinity could furnish. But the youth thirsted for knowl- 

 edge, and soon became a teacher, daily acquiring for himself and 

 imparting to others such store of information as was at his com- 

 mand While thus engaged his thoughts were turned to the 

 medical profession, and he became the pupil of Dr. William A. 



1 John Bartram was born at Darby March 23, 1699, and died in 1777. His 

 son William was born at the same place Feb. 9, 1739, and died in 1823. Hum- 

 phrey Marshall was born at West Bradford Oct. 10, 1722, and died in 1801. 

 John Jackson was born at London Grove Nov. 9, 1748, and died Dec; 20,_ 1821. 

 William Darlington was born at Dilworthstown April 28, 1782, and died at 

 West Chester April 23, 1863. David Townsend (for whom Townsmdia was 

 named) was born in Pughtown Dec. 13, 1787, and died in West Chester Dec. 6, 

 1858. Joshua Hoopes was born in Westtowji Feb. 12, 1788, and died at West 

 Chester Mav 11, 1874. William Jackson, son of John, was born at London 

 Grove Nov." 7, 1789, and died there Oct. 29, 1864. Most of these dates were 

 kindly communicated by Josiah Hoopes, Esq., himself a Chester county bot- 

 anist. 



