TORREYA 



Vol. 42 January-February, 1942 No. 1 



Thomas Horsfield — ^American Naturalist and Explorer 



James B. McNair 



The eighty-six years of Thomas Horsfield's life may be divided 

 into three periods — the American period of twenty-six years from 

 1773 to 1799, the Javan period of twenty years from 1799 to 1819, 

 and the British period of thirty-nine years from 1820 to 1859. But 

 before taking up Dr. Horsfield's career in detail it might be well to 

 devote some time to a study of his ancestry. 



Thomas Horsfield's grandfather was Timothy Horsfield^ who 

 was born in Liverpool, England in 1708 and was educated in the 

 parish school. In 1725 he emigrated to New York and joined his 

 brother Isaac, with whom he learned the trade of butcher. In 1735 

 they leased two stands in the Old Slip Market where their business 

 became large and profitable. 



Although a member of the Church of England, he became inter- 

 ested in the Moravian Church in 1739. In 1748 he applied to the 

 authorities at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for permission to reside 

 there, but because he was one of the executors of the estate of 

 Thomas Noble, a prominent merchant of New York, and a member 

 of the newly organized Moravian congregation, as well as being 

 entrusted with the building of the Irene, he was requested to post- 

 pone his removal. He, however, took his children to Bethlehem to be 

 educated in the schools. The year following he moved there him- 

 self where, except for a short sojourn in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, 

 he resided until his death. 



On the founding of Northampton County in 1752, Timothy 

 Horsfield was appointed a justice of the peace by Governor Hamil- 

 ton. In 1763 he was commissioned colonel of the forces in the county 

 for the defense of its frontiers against Indian raids. This appoint- 



^ Timothy Horsfield, perhaps the great grandfather of T. Horsfield, ap- 

 pears in the parish register of St. Nicholas Church, Liverpool in 1694 and 

 1704. 



ToRREYA for January-February (Vol. 42: 1-32) was issued February 27, 1942. 



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