Lansdown Guilding

The Reverend Lansdown Guilding (9 May 1797 – 22 October 1831) was a theologian and early naturalist. He was born on 9 May 1797 in St Vincent and was the son of the Reverend John Guilding and his wife Sarah. He is best known for his works on the flora and fauna of St Vincent in particular and on the Caribbean in general. He wrote numerous illustrated papers for journals of scholarly societies in England.

His book “An Account of the Botanic Garden in the Island of St. Vincent” was published in Glasgow in 1825. He corresponded with Charles Darwin, providing him notes on the natural history of the Caribbean region. He left St Vincent in 1802 at the age of five for England, studying there and matriculating from Oxford. He returned to St Vincent in 1817. His father died in 1818 and he took up work as garrison chaplain and left for England in 1819. Guilding became rector of St. George's Anglican church. At the age of 20 he was elected Fellow of the Linnean Society and was acquainted with William J. Hooker and A. B. Lambert with whom he corresponded. Guilding was an excellent artist and engraver and he produced a "Table of Colours Arranged for Naturalists" in 1825 which may have been the first biological colour chart.

He died in Bermuda on 22 October 1831.

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