Frederick Octavius Pickard-Cambridge
Encyclopedia
Frederick Octavius Pickard-Cambridge (November 3, 1860 – February 9, 1905) was an English
arachnologist. He is often confused with his uncle, Octavius Pickard-Cambridge
(1828–1917), who was also an arachnologist and from whom F. O. Pickard-Cambridge picked up his enthusiasm for the study of spiders.
, Dorset
, where his father was rector
. He became a curate at St Cuthbert's church in Carlisle for a few years after having been educated at Sherborne School
and Exeter College
, Oxford
. He left to become a professional biological illustrator, and in 1894–1895 spent several months in the Amazon
as a naturalist on board the SS Faraday. He found much of interest on his voyage and began writing papers in 1896 to describe the spiders he discovered.
He had a promising career ahead of him, but this promise was not to be fulfilled. Bristowe, writing in the book "British Spiders", 1951, said of this time in his life:
He gave up the priesthood because of his extreme religious views, and became estranged from friends and family on account of his strong political opinions. This unfortunate new tendency also spilled over into his natural history work, and he had fierce arguments with other scientists, such as Karsch, over questions of nomenclature.
His cousin Sir Arthur Pickard-Cambridge, said of him in 1918
Later in his career he used his considerable skill as an illustrator to illustrate many books and papers on natural history and other subjects.
from 1905 (no date given) which reported that no cause other than mental strain could be assigned for the act, and that a verdict of 'Suicide while temporarily insane' was returned at the inquest.
His death is noted in The Times obituaries column, and dated to 9 February 1905. Hillyard confirms the date 1905 and Bristowe, writing in Locket & Millidge 1951, gives his dates as 1860–1905. (In Bristowe's own book The World of Spiders he writes erroneously that F. O. Pickard-Cambridge's papers were published "between 1889 and 1905 (three years after his untimely death)".)
In the Proceedings of the Royal Society of London F. O. Pickard-Cambridge was called 'a very able naturalist too early lost to science'. Hillyard speculated that "almost certainly he would have followed Reginald Innes Pocock
in the position of arachnologist at the British Museum
."
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
arachnologist. He is often confused with his uncle, Octavius Pickard-Cambridge
Octavius Pickard-Cambridge
The Reverend Octavius Pickard-Cambridge FRS was an English clergyman and zoologist.Pickard-Cambridge was born in Bloxworth rectory, Dorset, the fifth son of Revd George Pickard, rector and squire of Bloxworth: the family changed their name to Pickard-Cambridge in 1848...
(1828–1917), who was also an arachnologist and from whom F. O. Pickard-Cambridge picked up his enthusiasm for the study of spiders.
Life
F. O. Pickard-Cambridge was born in WarmwellWarmwell
Warmwell is a hamlet in south west Dorset, England, situated five miles south east of Dorchester. The village has a population of 97 .Warmwell contains several historic buildings and was the home of Dorset RAF Warmwell Air Station, dating back to the late 1930's...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, where his father was rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
. He became a curate at St Cuthbert's church in Carlisle for a few years after having been educated at Sherborne School
Sherborne School
Sherborne School is a British independent school for boys, located in the town of Sherborne in north-west Dorset, England. It is one of the original member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
and Exeter College
Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...
, Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. He left to become a professional biological illustrator, and in 1894–1895 spent several months in the Amazon
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
as a naturalist on board the SS Faraday. He found much of interest on his voyage and began writing papers in 1896 to describe the spiders he discovered.
He had a promising career ahead of him, but this promise was not to be fulfilled. Bristowe, writing in the book "British Spiders", 1951, said of this time in his life:
Whilst he was still in his 30's, however, a marked change came over him which led to misfortune
He gave up the priesthood because of his extreme religious views, and became estranged from friends and family on account of his strong political opinions. This unfortunate new tendency also spilled over into his natural history work, and he had fierce arguments with other scientists, such as Karsch, over questions of nomenclature.
Work
F. O. Pickard-Cambridge's papers were published between 1889 and 1905, some posthumously. He worked on spiders from across the world, not just British ones, and as opposed to being a collector was more concerned with the study of specimens in reference collections and papers – work which was often passed over in previous decades when many new discoveries were being made by explorers and collectors. His work was largely taxonomic, consisting of a re-examination of the relationships between various species, including many described by his celebrated uncle. For example, he discovered several species which had been described more than once and so had more than one name, or, by contrast, more than one species which had only one name. He created several new genera and added sixteen species of spider to the British list.His cousin Sir Arthur Pickard-Cambridge, said of him in 1918
[He] was a born naturalist and a very clever and artistic draughtsman, and was capable of very rapid and effective work, sometimes, indeed, too rapid, and marred by hasty conclusions and a tendency to treat the latest idea as if it were a new gospel, but almost always useful and suggestive; moreover, as a companion he was full of fun and resource. The extreme political and moral ideas which he felt it his duty to preach somewhat indiscriminately in the later years of his life ultimately brought about a partial severance between him and my father [O. Pickard-Cambridge], but his early death was undoubtedly a loss to science as well as to those who had delighted in his companionship.
His papers, chiefly on foreign Arachnida, showed great ability, and it was he who undertook so much of the treatment of the Araneidea for the Biologia Centrali-Americana as my father could not complete by himself.
Later in his career he used his considerable skill as an illustrator to illustrate many books and papers on natural history and other subjects.
Death
Hillyard says of F. O. Pickard-Cambridge's death "Fredrick Pickard-Cambridge is the only well-known spider specialist to have committed suicide with his own gun". He goes on to quote The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
from 1905 (no date given) which reported that no cause other than mental strain could be assigned for the act, and that a verdict of 'Suicide while temporarily insane' was returned at the inquest.
His death is noted in The Times obituaries column, and dated to 9 February 1905. Hillyard confirms the date 1905 and Bristowe, writing in Locket & Millidge 1951, gives his dates as 1860–1905. (In Bristowe's own book The World of Spiders he writes erroneously that F. O. Pickard-Cambridge's papers were published "between 1889 and 1905 (three years after his untimely death)".)
In the Proceedings of the Royal Society of London F. O. Pickard-Cambridge was called 'a very able naturalist too early lost to science'. Hillyard speculated that "almost certainly he would have followed Reginald Innes Pocock
Reginald Innes Pocock
Reginald Innes Pocock F.R.S. was a British zoologist.Pocock was born in Clifton, Bristol, the fourth son of Rev. Nicholas Pocock and Edith Prichard. He began showing interest in natural history at St. Edward's School, Oxford. He received tutoring in zoology from Sir Edward Poulton, and was allowed...
in the position of arachnologist at the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
."