Gerald Edwin Hamilton Barrett-Hamilton
Encyclopedia
Major Gerald Edwin Hamilton Barrett-Hamilton (1871 – 1914) was a notable British natural historian, co-author with M. A. C. Hinton of A History of British Mammals , which remained "the most thorough, accurate and scientific publication" on British mammal
s until the 1950s.
He was born in India of Irish
parents, who returned and settled at Kilmanock in County Wexford
when the boy was three years old. He was educated at Harrow
and Trinity College, Cambridge
, spending summer holidays botanizing at home under the encouragement of A. G. More. He took a commission in the 5th Irish Rifles, in which he served in the Anglo-Boer War between 1901-1902. He later worked in the Natural History Museum
, London
, and worked on various Government investigations. He married Maud Charlotte Eland, of Ravenshill, Transvaal. They had six children.
In his work as a natural historian, he described a great number of new species of small mammal on the islands around the British Isles, notably the house mice and field mice of St. Kilda
which he called Mus muralis and Mus hirtensis, believing that these had evolved in situ having colonised the islands naturally via land or ice-bridges. Although this has been demonstrated to be wrong, and many of his described species are now regarded as island forms rather than species in their own right, his contribution to natural history was enormous. He was a valued contributor to the Irish Naturalist
journal. His papers and correspondence are held at the University of Manitoba
.
He died on 17 January 1914 of pneumonia on South Georgia Island in the South Antarctic
whilst leading a British Government investigation into the whale and seal fisheries there.
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s until the 1950s.
He was born in India of Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
parents, who returned and settled at Kilmanock in County Wexford
County Wexford
County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
when the boy was three years old. He was educated at Harrow
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, spending summer holidays botanizing at home under the encouragement of A. G. More. He took a commission in the 5th Irish Rifles, in which he served in the Anglo-Boer War between 1901-1902. He later worked in the Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and worked on various Government investigations. He married Maud Charlotte Eland, of Ravenshill, Transvaal. They had six children.
In his work as a natural historian, he described a great number of new species of small mammal on the islands around the British Isles, notably the house mice and field mice of St. Kilda
St Kilda, Scotland
St Kilda is an isolated archipelago west-northwest of North Uist in the North Atlantic Ocean. It contains the westernmost islands of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The largest island is Hirta, whose sea cliffs are the highest in the United Kingdom and three other islands , were also used for...
which he called Mus muralis and Mus hirtensis, believing that these had evolved in situ having colonised the islands naturally via land or ice-bridges. Although this has been demonstrated to be wrong, and many of his described species are now regarded as island forms rather than species in their own right, his contribution to natural history was enormous. He was a valued contributor to the Irish Naturalist
Irish Naturalist
The Irish Naturalist was a scientific journal that was first published in Dublin, Ireland, in April 1892.-History:The journal owed its establishment to the efforts of several leading Dublin naturalists, notably George H. Carpenter and R. M. Barrington. The first editors were Carpenter and Robert...
journal. His papers and correspondence are held at the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
.
He died on 17 January 1914 of pneumonia on South Georgia Island in the South Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
whilst leading a British Government investigation into the whale and seal fisheries there.
Works
- 'On a collection of mice (Mus hirtensis and M. muralis) from St Kilda', Annals of Scottish Natural History, 57 (1906), 1-4.
- A History of British Mammals, part completed to vol 21, 1910-1921