Frank kingdom ward biography

Francis (Frank) Kingdon-Ward (1885-1958)

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Oliver Tooley recounts the exploits of his grandfather, Frank Kingdon-Ward.

Frank Kingdon-Ward was born Francis Kingdon Ward (no hyphen) on 6th November 1885 in Manchester where his father was professor of botany at Owen College. His middle name came from his mother's maiden name. Selina Mary Kingdon (always known as Lina) came from a moderately wealthy family her father was third in a line of Exeter lace makers. The Kingdon family is very numerous in its home counties of Devon and Cornwall and has more than its fair share of Oxbridge graduates, clergy, armed services officers and government officials.

His father Harry Marshall Ward was already a distinguished botanist in his own right he eventually became professor of botany at Cambridge University. Despite his many achievements his son surpassed him in the same field. Frank had a sister Winifred 13 months older they were close friends throughout their lives. As a young boy he wanted to be a cab driver,

Ward, Frank Kingdon

Authorized form of name

Ward, Frank Kingdon

Parallel form(s) of name

  • Kingdon-Ward, Frank
  • Kingdon-Ward, Francis
  • Ward, Francis Kingdon
  • Kingdon Ward

Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules

Identifiers for corporate bodies

Dates of existence

1885-1958

History

Born Manchester 1885, died London 1958
Frank Kingdon-Ward took part one of the natural sciences tripos at Cambridge but was forced to leave university after 2 years when the death of his father left the family impoverished. After teaching in Shanghai, in 1909 he joined an American zoological expedition up the Yangtze to the borders of Tibet which gave him a lifelong passion for exploration. Through a family contact he became a professional plant collector for AK Bulley of Bee’s Nursery (replacing George Forrest), setting off to south west China for a year long expedition in 1911. A second commission saw him returning to the Himalayas in 1913-14 before moving west into Burma, Assam and Tibet. After serving in the army in the First World War he returned to collecting wi

Frank Kingdon-Ward

British botanist (1885–1958)

Frank Kingdon-Ward

BornFrancis Kingdon Ward
(1885-11-06)6 November 1885
Manchester, England
Died8 April 1958(1958-04-08) (aged 72)
Resting placeGrantchester, England
OccupationBotanist, explorer, plant collector and author
GenreNatural history
SubjectPlants
Notable worksOn the Road to Tibet
SpousesFlorinda Norman-Thompson (m. 1923), Jean Macklin (m. 1947)
RelativesHarry Marshall Ward and Selina Mary Ward

Francis Kingdon-Ward, born Francis Kingdon WardOBE, (6 November 1885 in Manchester – 8 April 1958) was an English botanist, explorer, plant collector and author. He published most of his books as Frank Kingdon-Ward and this hyphenated form of his name stuck, becoming the surname of his wives and two daughters. It also became a pen name for his sister Winifred Mary Ward by default.

Biography

Son of Harry Marshall Ward and Selina Mary Ward, née Kingdon; he went on around 25 expeditions over a period of nearly fifty years, exploring Tibet, North Wester

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