Mrs. F. W. Bnrhpr. 95 



Biography of the late Mrs. F. W. Barber, and a List of her 

 Paintings in the Albany Museum. 



By Dr. S. Schonland, 



Mrs. F. W. Barber, nee Mary Elizabeth Bowker, was the eightli 

 child of Miles Bov/ker, one of the British settlers of 1<S20.(') She 

 was born about 1820, just before leaving England. She 

 spent her youth at Tharfield near the Kleinemond River (about 

 8 miles east of Port Alfred), which was the location of the 

 Bowkers. From early youth she displayed an innate love of 

 natural history pursuits in all its branches. She followed her 

 brothers everywhere on their hunting expeditions, collecting 

 beetles, butterflies, plants, &c. Though cut off from the resources 

 of civilisation and without the helpful encouragement of fellow- 

 students, she developed hei- powers of observation, and accumu- 

 lated many facts which in later life brought her the friendship of 

 Charles Darwin, the Hookers, Dr. Harvey, and many other eminent 

 men of science, and which secured to some of her scientific papers 

 admission to the publications of the Unnean Society and other 

 learned Societies. She was married in 1840 to Mr. F. W. Barber 

 and had three children — Fred, Harry and Mary (Mrs. Bailie of 

 Kimberley). All her early life was spent on lonely farms. Many 

 times she had to leave her home and fly for safety from the Kafirs 

 and frequently she was shut up in laagers surrounded liy hostile 

 savages. 



In 1854 she went to live on the farm Lammermoor on the 

 Zwart Kei near Queenstown, which was granted to her husband 

 for services in war against the chief Kreli. About 1858 she moved 

 to the farm Highlands near Grahamstown and during her long 

 stay here her principal investigations were made. 



In 1872 she accompanied her sons to the Diamondfields of 

 Griqualand West, living for years in waggons and tents, all her 



(') For the data of Mrs. Barber's life I am indebted to her son, Atr 

 F. H. Barber. 



