Robert Fortune - Revision history

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← Older revision		Revision as of 20:36, 24 June 2022
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	{{Infobox ~~person~~		{{Use dmy dates\|date=April 2022}}
			{{Infobox scientist
	\| name = <!--Use this parameter only if the name is different from page title-->		\| name = <!--Use this parameter only if the name is different from page title-->
	\| image = RobertFortune.gif		\| image = RobertFortune.gif
	~~\| alt =~~		\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1812\|09\|16\|df=y}}
	~~\| caption =~~		\| birth_place = [[Edrom]], [[Berwickshire]]
	~~\| birth_name =~~		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1880\|04\|13\|1812\|09\|16\|df=y}}
	\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1812\|09\|16}}		\| death_place = London
	\| birth_place = ~~Kelloe~~, [[Berwickshire]]		\| fields = botanist, plant hunter
	\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1880\|04\|13\|1812\|09\|16}}		\| known_for = Introducing many plants to Europe, Australia and America
	\| death_place =		\| author_abbrev_bot = '''Fortune'''
	\| ~~nationality~~ =		\| workplaces = [[Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh]], [[Horticultural Society of London]]
	\| ~~other_names~~ =
	\| ~~occupation~~ =
	\| ~~years_active~~ =
	~~\| known_for =~~
	~~\| notable_works =~~
	}}		}}
	'''Robert Fortune''' (16 September 1812 – 13 April 1880)<ref>{{cite EB1911\|wstitle=Fortune, Robert}}</ref><ref>"Ten Things…You Never Knew About The Scottish." Britain 79.5 (2011): 98. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Nov. 2012.</ref> was a [[Scotland\|Scottish]] botanist, [[plant collecting\|plant hunter]] and traveller, best known for introducing around 250 new ornamental plants, mainly from [[China]], but also [[Japan]], into the gardens of Britain, Australia, and the USA. He also played a role in the development of the [[history of tea in India\|tea industry in India]] in the 19th century.		'''Robert Fortune''' (16 September 1812 – 13 April 1880)<ref>{{cite EB1911\|wstitle=Fortune, Robert}}</ref><ref>"Ten Things…You Never Knew About The Scottish." Britain 79.5 (2011): 98. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Nov. 2012.</ref> was a [[Scotland\|Scottish]] botanist, [[plant collecting\|plant hunter]] and traveller, best known for introducing around 250 new ornamental plants, mainly from [[China]], but also [[Japan]], into the gardens of Britain, Australia, and the USA. He also played a role in the development of the [[history of tea in India\|tea industry in India]] in the 19th century.

	==Life==		==Life==
	Fortune was born at ~~Kelloe~~, [[Berwickshire]]. After completing his apprenticeship, he was then employed at Moredun House, just to the south of [[Edinburgh]], before then moving on to the [[Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh]]. In 1840 he and his family moved to London to take up a position at the [[Royal Horticultural Society\|Horticultural Society of London]]'s garden at [[Chiswick]]. Following the [[Treaty of Nanking]] in 1842, in early 1843 he was commissioned by the H.S. to undertake a three year plant collection expedition to southern China.		Fortune was born at [[Edrom]], [[Berwickshire]].<ref>{{cite web \| url = https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Fortune,_Robert \| title = Fortune, Robert \| accessdate = 10 June 2022}}</ref> After completing his apprenticeship, he was then employed at Moredun House, just to the south of [[Edinburgh]], before then moving on to the [[Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh]]. In 1840 he and his family moved to London to take up a position at the [[Royal Horticultural Society\|Horticultural Society of London]]'s garden at [[Chiswick]]. Following the [[Treaty of Nanking]] in 1842, in early 1843 he was commissioned by the H.S. to undertake a three-year plant collection expedition to southern China.

	His travels resulted in the introduction to Europe, Australia and the USA of many new, exotic, beautiful flowers and plants. His most famous accomplishment was the successful introduction, although it was not the first by any means, of Chinese tea plants (''[[Camellia sinensis]]''), along with skilled tea makers, from China to India in 1848 on behalf of the [[British East India Company]]. Robert Fortune worked in China for several years in the period from 1843 to 1861.		His travels resulted in the introduction to Europe, Australia and the USA of many new, exotic, beautiful flowers and plants. His most famous accomplishment was the successful introduction, although it was not the first by any means, of Chinese tea plants (''[[Camellia sinensis]]''), along with skilled tea makers, from China to India in 1848 on behalf of the [[British East India Company]]. Robert Fortune worked in China for several years in the period from 1843 to 1861.
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	Similar to other European travellers of the period, such as [[Walter Henry Medhurst\|Walter Medhurst]], Fortune disguised himself as a [[Chinese people\|Chinese]] merchant during several, but not all, of his journeys beyond the newly established [[treaty port]] areas. Not only was Fortune's purchase of tea plants reportedly forbidden by the [[Chinese government]] of the time, but his travels were also beyond the allowable day's journey from the European treaty ports. Fortune travelled to some areas of China that had seldom been visited by Europeans, including remote areas of [[Fujian]], [[Guangdong]], and [[Jiangsu]] provinces.		Similar to other European travellers of the period, such as [[Walter Henry Medhurst\|Walter Medhurst]], Fortune disguised himself as a [[Chinese people\|Chinese]] merchant during several, but not all, of his journeys beyond the newly established [[treaty port]] areas. Not only was Fortune's purchase of tea plants reportedly forbidden by the [[Chinese government]] of the time, but his travels were also beyond the allowable day's journey from the European treaty ports. Fortune travelled to some areas of China that had seldom been visited by Europeans, including remote areas of [[Fujian]], [[Guangdong]], and [[Jiangsu]] provinces.

	Fortune employed many different means to obtain plants and seedlings from local tea growers, reputedly the property of the Chinese empire, although this was some 150 years before International biodiversity laws recognised State ownership of such natural resources. He is also known for his use of [[Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward]]'s portable [[Wardian case]]s to sustain the plants. It is also widely reported that he took skilled workers on contract to India who would facilitate the production of tea in the plantations of the [[East India Company]]. With the exception of a few plants which survived in established Indian gardens, most of the Chinese tea plants Fortune introduced in the north-western provinces of India perished. The other reason for the failure in India was that the British preference and fashion was for a strong dark tea brew, which was best made from the local [[Assam tea\|Assam subspecies]] (''Camellia sinensis'' var. ''assamica'') and not the selection that Fortune had made in China. The technology and knowledge that was brought over from China was, however, instrumental in the later flourishing of the Indian tea industry in Assam and [[Sri Lankan tea \|Sri Lanka]].<ref>		Fortune employed many different means to obtain plants and seedlings from local tea growers, reputedly the property of the Chinese empire, although this was some 150 years before International biodiversity laws recognised State ownership of such natural resources. He is also known for his use of [[Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward]]'s portable [[Wardian case]]s to sustain the plants. It is also widely reported that he took skilled workers on contract to India who would facilitate the production of tea in the plantations of the [[East India Company]]. With the exception of a few plants which survived in established Indian gardens, most of the Chinese tea plants Fortune introduced in the north-western provinces of India perished. The other reason for the failure in India was that the British preference and fashion was for a strong dark tea brew, which was best made from the local [[Assam tea\|Assam subspecies]] (''Camellia sinensis'' var. ''assamica'') and not the selection that Fortune had made in China. The technology and knowledge that was brought over from China was, however, instrumental in the later flourishing of the Indian tea industry in Assam and [[Sri Lankan tea\|Sri Lanka]].<ref>
	{{Citation		{{Citation
	\| first = Fa-ti \| last = Fan		\| first = Fa-ti \| last = Fan
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	*''[[Cephalotaxus fortunei]]''		*''[[Cephalotaxus fortunei]]''
	*''[[Cyrtomium fortunei]]''		*''[[Cyrtomium fortunei]]''
	*''[[Chamaerops fortunei]]''
	*''[[Euonymus fortunei]]''		*''[[Euonymus fortunei]]''
	*''[[Hosta fortunei]]''		*''[[Hosta fortunei]]''
	*''[[Keteleeria fortunei]]''		*''[[Keteleeria fortunei]]''
	*''[[Mahonia fortunei]]''		*''[[Mahonia fortunei]]'' (''Berberis fortunei'')
	{{Col-2}}		{{Col-2}}
	*''[[~~Maxburretia~~ fortunei]]''		*''[[Osmanthus × fortunei]]'' {{small\|Carrière}} (''O. fragrans'' × ''O. heterophyllus'')
	*''~~[[Osmanthus fortunei]]~~''
	*''[[Paulownia fortunei]]''		*''[[Paulownia fortunei]]''
	*''[[Pleioblastus fortunei]]''		*''[[Pleioblastus fortunei]]''
	*''[[Rhododendron fortunei]]''		*''[[Rhododendron fortunei]]''
	*''[[Rosa fortuniana]]''		*''[[Rosa fortuniana]]''
	*''[[Trachycarpus fortunei]]''		*''[[Saxifraga fortunei]]'' {{small\|Hook.}}
			*''[[Trachycarpus fortunei]]'' (has synonym ''Chamaerops fortunei'')
	{{Col-end}}		{{Col-end}}

			In 1913, botanists [[Alfred Rehder\|Rehder]] and [[E.H.Wilson]] named a plant genus from China, with one species, ''[[Fortunearia\|Fortunearia sinensis]]'',<ref>{{cite web \|title=''Fortunearia sinensis'' Rehder & E.H.Wilson {{!}} Plants of the World Online {{!}} Kew Science \|url=http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:430654-1 \|website=Plants of the World Online \|access-date=10 September 2021 \|language=en}}</ref> in his honour.<ref>{{cite book \| last=Quattrocchi \| first=Umberto \| title=CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names, Volume II, D–L \| publisher=CRC Press \| location=Boca Raton, Florida \| year=2000 \| isbn=978-0-8493-2676-9}}</ref>

	==Publications==		==Publications==

>Wikidoctor56: Corrected birthplace to Kelloe, Berwickshire in the photo caption

2021-05-18T08:11:05Z

Corrected birthplace to Kelloe, Berwickshire in the photo caption

New page

{{Infobox person
| name = 
| image = RobertFortune.gif
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1812|09|16}}
| birth_place = Kelloe, [[Berwickshire]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1880|04|13|1812|09|16}}
| death_place =
| nationality =
| other_names =
| occupation =
| years_active =
| known_for =
| notable_works =
}}
'''Robert Fortune''' (16 September 1812 – 13 April 1880)<ref>{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Fortune, Robert}}</ref><ref>"Ten Things…You Never Knew About The Scottish." Britain 79.5 (2011): 98. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Nov. 2012.</ref> was a [[Scotland|Scottish]] botanist, [[plant collecting|plant hunter]] and traveller, best known for introducing around 250 new ornamental plants, mainly from [[China]], but also [[Japan]], into the gardens of Britain, Australia, and the USA. He also played a role in the development of the [[history of tea in India|tea industry in India]] in the 19th century.

==Life==
Fortune was born at Kelloe, [[Berwickshire]]. After completing his apprenticeship, he was then employed at Moredun House, just to the south of [[Edinburgh]], before then moving on to the [[Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh]]. In 1840 he and his family moved to London to take up a position at the [[Royal Horticultural Society|Horticultural Society of London]]'s garden at [[Chiswick]]. Following the [[Treaty of Nanking]] in 1842, in early 1843 he was commissioned by the H.S. to undertake a three year plant collection expedition to southern China.

His travels resulted in the introduction to Europe, Australia and the USA of many new, exotic, beautiful flowers and plants. His most famous accomplishment was the successful introduction, although it was not the first by any means, of Chinese tea plants (''[[Camellia sinensis]]''), along with skilled tea makers, from China to India in 1848 on behalf of the [[British East India Company]]. Robert Fortune worked in China for several years in the period from 1843 to 1861.
[[File:Wuyi Shan Fengjing Mingsheng Qu 2012.08.23 09-22-49.jpg|thumb|The remote [[Wuyi Mountains]] in Fujian Province, one of the important tea regions to which Fortune travelled.]]
Similar to other European travellers of the period, such as [[Walter Henry Medhurst|Walter Medhurst]], Fortune disguised himself as a [[Chinese people|Chinese]] merchant during several, but not all, of his journeys beyond the newly established [[treaty port]] areas. Not only was Fortune's purchase of tea plants reportedly forbidden by the [[Chinese government]] of the time, but his travels were also beyond the allowable day's journey from the European treaty ports. Fortune travelled to some areas of China that had seldom been visited by Europeans, including remote areas of [[Fujian]], [[Guangdong]], and [[Jiangsu]] provinces.

Fortune employed many different means to obtain plants and seedlings from local tea growers, reputedly the property of the Chinese empire, although this was some 150 years before International biodiversity laws recognised State ownership of such natural resources. He is also known for his use of [[Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward]]'s portable [[Wardian case]]s to sustain the plants. It is also widely reported that he took skilled workers on contract to India who would facilitate the production of tea in the plantations of the [[East India Company]]. With the exception of a few plants which survived in established Indian gardens, most of the Chinese tea plants Fortune introduced in the north-western provinces of India perished. The other reason for the failure in India was that the British preference and fashion was for a strong dark tea brew, which was best made from the local [[Assam tea|Assam subspecies]] (''Camellia sinensis'' var. ''assamica'') and not the selection that Fortune had made in China. The technology and knowledge that was brought over from China was, however, instrumental in the later flourishing of the Indian tea industry in Assam and [[Sri Lankan tea |Sri Lanka]].<ref>
{{Citation
| first = Fa-ti | last = Fan
| title = British Naturalists in Qing China: Science, Empire, and Cultural Encounter
| place = Cambridge | publisher = Harvard University Press
| year = 2004
| pages = 82–3
}}.</ref><ref>{{Citation
| first = EM
| last = Cox
| title = Plant-hunting in China: A History of Botanical Exploration in China and the Tibetan Marches
| place = London
| publisher = Scientific Book Guild
| year = 1945
| page = 89
}}.</ref>

In subsequent journeys he visited Formosa (modern day [[Taiwan]]) and [[Japan]], and described the culture of the [[silkworm]] and the manufacture of rice. He introduced many trees, shrubs and flowers to the West, including the [[cumquat]], a climbing double yellow [[rose]] ('Fortune's Double Yellow' (syn. Gold of Ophir) which proved a failure in England's climate) and many varieties of tree [[peony|peonies]], [[azalea]]s and [[chrysanthemum]]s. A climbing white rose that he brought back from China in 1850, believed to be a natural cross between ''[[Rosa laevigata]]'' and ''[[Rosa banksiae|R. banksiae]]'', was dubbed ''R. fortuniana'' (syn. ''R. fortuneana'') in his honour. This rose, too, proved a failure in England, preferring warmer climates. Today, both of these roses are still widely grown by antique rose fanciers in mild winter regions. ''Rosa fortuniana'' also serves as a valuable [[rootstock]] in Australia and the southern regions of the United States.

The incidents of his travels were related in a succession of books. He died in [[London]] in 1880, and is buried in [[Brompton Cemetery]].

==Legacy==
Fortune is credited with the introduction of a large number of plants, shrubs, and trees to Europe from China.<ref>{{Citation | title = History of European botanical discoveries in China | author-link = Emil Bretschneider | first = Emil | last = Bretschneider | year = 1935 | publisher = KF Koehlers antiquarium | place = Leipzig}}.</ref>

==Plants named after Robert Fortune==
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
*''[[Arundinaria fortunei]]''
*''[[Cephalotaxus fortunei]]''
*''[[Cyrtomium fortunei]]''
*''[[Chamaerops fortunei]]''
*''[[Euonymus fortunei]]''
*''[[Hosta fortunei]]''
*''[[Keteleeria fortunei]]''
*''[[Mahonia fortunei]]''
{{Col-2}}
*''[[Maxburretia fortunei]]''
*''[[Osmanthus fortunei]]''
*''[[Paulownia fortunei]]''
*''[[Pleioblastus fortunei]]''
*''[[Rhododendron fortunei]]''
*''[[Rosa fortuniana]]''
*''[[Trachycarpus fortunei]]''
{{Col-end}}

==Publications==
* [https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54720 ''Three Years' Wandering in the Northern Provinces of China, A Visit to the Tea, Silk, and Cotton Countries, with an account of the Agriculture and Horticulture of the Chinese, New Plants, etc.''] (1847, [[John Murray (publishing house)|John Murray]])
* [https://archive.org/details/ajourneytoteaco00unkngoog ''A Journey To The Tea Countries Of China; Including Sung-Lo And The Bohea Hills; With A Short Notice Of The East India Company's Tea Plantations In The Himalaya Mountains.''] (1852, John Murray)
* ''[http://ebook.lib.hku.hk/CTWE/B36598719V1/ Two visits to the tea countries of China and the British tea plantations in the Himalaya]: with a narrative of adventures, and a full description of the culture of the tea plant, the agriculture, horticulture, and botany of China'' (1853, John Murray; [[Library of Congress Control Number|LCCN]] [https://lccn.loc.gov/04-32957 04-32957]; National Library: CAT10983833)
* [https://archive.org/details/residencechinese00fort ''A Residence Among the Chinese; Inland, On the Coast and at Sea; being a Narrative of Scenes and Adventures During a Third Visit to China from 1853 to 1856, including Notices of Many Natural Productions and Works of Art, the Culture of Silk, &c.''] (1857, John Murray)
* [https://archive.org/details/yedoandpeking00fortgoog ''Yedo and Peking; A Narrative of a Journey to the Capitals of Japan and China, with Notices of the Natural Productions, Agriculture, Horticulture and Trade of those Countries and Other Things Met with By the Way''] (1863, John Murray)

==Biographies==
* ''For All the Tea in China: How England Stole the World's Favorite Drink and Changed History''. By Sarah Rose. Viking: 2010. {{ISBN|0670021520}}
* ''Robert Fortune, A Plant Hunter in the Orient''. By Alistair Watt. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: 2017. {{ISBN|1842466194}}

{{botanist|Fortune|Fortune, Robert}}

==References==
*{{EB1911|wstitle=Fortune, Robert}}
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikisource author}}
{{wikispecies|Robert Fortune}}
* [http://www.plantexplorers.com/Explorers/Biographies/Fortune/ Plant Explorers: Robert Fortune (1812-80)]
* [http://gdz.sub.uni-goettingen.de/dms/load/toc/?PID=PPN51254302X Dreijährige Wanderungen in den Nord-Provinzen von China] (German)
* [http://www.magiminiland.org/1800Refs/Fortune.html "Dwarf Trees" from Robert Fortune's Books]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fortune, Robert}}
[[Category:Botanists with author abbreviations]]
[[Category:1812 births]]
[[Category:1880 deaths]]
[[Category:Scottish botanists]]
[[Category:Botanists active in China]]
[[Category:Botanists active in India]]
[[Category:Botanists active in Japan]]
[[Category:Plant collectors]]
[[Category:People from Berwickshire]]
[[Category:Burials at Brompton Cemetery]]
[[Category:People from Duns, Scottish Borders]]
[[Category:Scottish travel writers]]