The career of Dawson Turner began in 1796 when he entered his father's financial institution, Gurney and Turner's Yarmouth Bank, during the terminal illness of his parent. Born in Great Yarmouth in 1775, he balanced his professional responsibilities as a banker with a rigorous commitment to the study of cryptogams and regional history throughout the nineteenth century.
Financial and Academic Trajectory
Before joining the family business, Turner received his early education at North Walsham Grammar School, now known as Paston College, and studied under the botanist Robert Forby. Although he later attended Pembroke College, Cambridge, he did not complete a degree. His appointment as a Fellow of the Royal Society in December 1802 solidified his standing within the scientific community, complementing his later membership in the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.
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Turner authored several significant publications, including Synopsis of British Fuci in 1802 and Muscologia Hibernicae Spicilegium in 1804. He co-authored the Botanist's Guide through England and Wales with Weston Dillwyn in 1805. By 1820, his focus shifted toward antiquities. He collaborated with the Norfolk artist John Sell Cotman on the 1822 publication Architectural Antiquities of Normandy, which featured etchings provided by Cotman.
Personal Life and Final Years
He married Mary Palgrave in 1796, with whom he had 11 children. Following her death in 1850, he married Rosamund Matilda Duff at Gretna Green, a decision that caused friction with his family and banking associates. Turner subsequently left Yarmouth, residing in Barnes before retiring to Lee Cottage in Old Brompton. His extensive collections were auctioned by Sotheby in 1853 and 1859, fetching over £11,000 in total. He died in 1858 and remains interred at Brompton Cemetery in London.
Fast facts
- Born: 1775, Great Yarmouth
- Died: 1858, London
- Education: Paston College
- Primary Occupations: Banker, botanist
- Royal Society Membership: Elected 1802
- Burial Site: Brompton Cemetery
- First Wife: Mary Palgrave
- Notable Auction Proceeds: Over £11,000
Questions readers ask
What subjects did Dawson Turner study?
He focused on the botany of cryptogams and later transitioned his research interests toward historical antiquities.
Which major works did he publish?
His notable publications include Synopsis of British Fuci, Muscologia Hibernicae Spicilegium, and Architectural Antiquities of Normandy.
Achievements
- Educated at Paston College
