James Edmund Harting
Encyclopedia
James Edmund Fotheringham Harting was an English
ornithologist and naturalist
.
and the University of London
and spent much of his youth traveling extensively on the Continent, including time spent at the Museums in Paris
and Leiden. Passing all the exams for a solicitor except for criminal law, he worked diligently at his profession from 1868 to 1878 but eventually turned to natural history
and writing.
He wrote his first article for The Field
on March 13, 1869 and remained on the staff for fifty years, becoming editor of the Naturalist Department in 1871 and later editor of the Shooting Department in addition to his other regular duties. By 1920 he had contributed 2,326 articles as well as 124 obituary notices to The Field, in addition to innumerable “Answers to Correspondents” which he wrote on Natural History, Falconry
, Angling
, the Country House, Shooting
, Antiquarian
, and Legal issues. His personal library was replete with books of reference and legal authorities. It was said there was nothing—either printed or manuscript—which he could not lay his hand on when needed.
were well known. He would have accompanied the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) to India as official naturalist if he had not felt it impossible just then to leave his wife and family. Harting edited The Zoologist
from 1877 to 1896 and was probably the best living authority on British birds at that time. He was the Assistant Secretary and Librarian to the Linnean Society of Burlington House, London and received numerous awards and recognitions during his lifetime, as well as being a member of numerous natural history societies. He was an Elected Fellow of the Linnæan Society; a Life member of the Zoological Society; Member of the British Ornithologists' Union
and a Corresponding Member of the American Ornithologists Union. In 1880 he was awarded a Silver Medal by the Acclimatisation Society
of France “for publications”.
was of sufficient distance as to make it difficult for busy Londoner to afford the time to travel the distance necessary to observe the spring hawking of rooks and magpies. He had been a member of the well conducted but rather exclusive Old Hawking Club and felt that his New Hawking Club would attract new devotees and sponsors.
He was able to purchase several fine peregrine falcon
s and gyrfalcon
s from John Barr who had been in the service of Captain Sandys Dugmore as a professional falconer while attempting to establish a hawking club at Alexandra Park from 1874-1877. He secured Barr’s services as a professional falconer and also obtained permission from Lord Rosebery to use Epsom Downs for their hawking grounds. He built his mews near the Grandstand of the racecourse and had a fine season in the fall of 1878—but the winter proved difficult and all the birds succumbed to the croaks, ending this venture.
Harting had over a half-century experience with numerous hawks and his acquaintance with falconers was unique. He was a close friend of Reverend Gage Earl Freeman who wrote for the field as “Peregrine” and Major C. Hawkins Fisher and was always a welcome guest at either residence. The compilation of the Bibliotheca Accipitraria involved a Herculean effort over many years and this alone would secure a place at the forefront of falconers even if it had not been supplemented by the vast quantity of useful information supplied beginners and experts through the columns of The Field. He was one of the few men who, like E.B. Michell, was seen in London with a hawk on his fist.
, Surrey
, where he had lived most of his life and is buried in the Town Cemetery just off Brooklands Road. The inscription on his headstone reads:
He had married Elizabeth Lynch, daughter of J. M. Lynch of Whiteleas, Co. Kildare, Ireland, in 1868. There was a son, Hugh, and a daughter, Etheldreda, to the marriage.
The Field obituary sums up the personality of Harting as follows:
Harting’s magnificent personal library was dispersed at his death at a sale by Hodgson & Co. on April 26, 1928 and the remainder was given to Downside Abbey in 1934 by his surviving daughter-Etheldreda. Harting's son Hugh also attended Downside in 1880 followed by his great-great grandsons James Harting Courtenay in 1977 and William Harting Courtenay in 1985.
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...
ornithologist and naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
.
Biography
James Edmund Harting was the eldest son of James Vincent Harting and Alexine Milne Fotheringham. He was educated at Downside AbbeyDownside Abbey
The Basilica of St Gregory the Great at Downside, commonly known as Downside Abbey, is a Roman Catholic Benedictine monastery and the Senior House of the English Benedictine Congregation. One of its main apostolates is a school for children aged nine to eighteen...
and the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
and spent much of his youth traveling extensively on the Continent, including time spent at the Museums in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Leiden. Passing all the exams for a solicitor except for criminal law, he worked diligently at his profession from 1868 to 1878 but eventually turned to natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
and writing.
He wrote his first article for The Field
The Field (magazine)
The Field is the world's oldest country and field sports magazine, having been published continuously since 1853.The famous sportsman Robert Smith Surtees, the creator of Jorrocks, was the driving force behind the initial publication...
on March 13, 1869 and remained on the staff for fifty years, becoming editor of the Naturalist Department in 1871 and later editor of the Shooting Department in addition to his other regular duties. By 1920 he had contributed 2,326 articles as well as 124 obituary notices to The Field, in addition to innumerable “Answers to Correspondents” which he wrote on Natural History, Falconry
Falconry
Falconry is "the taking of wild quarry in its natural state and habitat by means of a trained raptor". There are two traditional terms used to describe a person involved in falconry: a falconer flies a falcon; an austringer flies a hawk or an eagle...
, Angling
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
, the Country House, Shooting
Shooting
Shooting is the act or process of firing rifles, shotguns or other projectile weapons such as bows or crossbows. Even the firing of artillery, rockets and missiles can be called shooting. A person who specializes in shooting is a marksman...
, Antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
, and Legal issues. His personal library was replete with books of reference and legal authorities. It was said there was nothing—either printed or manuscript—which he could not lay his hand on when needed.
Natural history
Harting’s abilities as a naturalistNaturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
were well known. He would have accompanied the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) to India as official naturalist if he had not felt it impossible just then to leave his wife and family. Harting edited The Zoologist
The Zoologist
The Zoologist was a monthly natural history journal founded in 1843 by the publisher Edward Newman, published in London. Newman acted as editor until his death in 1876, when he was succeeded by James Edmund Harting and William Lucas Distant .Originating from an enlargement of The Entomologist...
from 1877 to 1896 and was probably the best living authority on British birds at that time. He was the Assistant Secretary and Librarian to the Linnean Society of Burlington House, London and received numerous awards and recognitions during his lifetime, as well as being a member of numerous natural history societies. He was an Elected Fellow of the Linnæan Society; a Life member of the Zoological Society; Member of the British Ornithologists' Union
British Ornithologists' Union
The British Ornithologists' Union aims to encourage the study of birds in Britain, Europe and elsewhere, in order to understand their biology and to aid their conservation....
and a Corresponding Member of the American Ornithologists Union. In 1880 he was awarded a Silver Medal by the Acclimatisation Society
Acclimatisation society
Acclimatisation societies were societies created in order to enrich the fauna of a region with animals and plants from around the world. The first such society was La Societé Zoologique d'Acclimatation founded in Paris in 1854 by Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire. Such societies spread quickly around...
of France “for publications”.
Falconry
It was late in the 1870s that Harting, already an accomplished falconer, found his opportunity for starting a New Hawking Club with the objective of giving Londoners the opportunity to closely observe the practice of falconry. Salisbury PlainSalisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in central southern England covering . It is part of the Southern England Chalk Formation and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, with a little in Hampshire. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known...
was of sufficient distance as to make it difficult for busy Londoner to afford the time to travel the distance necessary to observe the spring hawking of rooks and magpies. He had been a member of the well conducted but rather exclusive Old Hawking Club and felt that his New Hawking Club would attract new devotees and sponsors.
He was able to purchase several fine peregrine falcon
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
s and gyrfalcon
Gyrfalcon
The Gyrfalcon — Falco rusticolus — is the largest of the falcon species. The Gyrfalcon breeds on Arctic coasts and the islands of North America, Europe, and Asia. It is mainly resident there also, but some Gyrfalcons disperse more widely after the breeding season, or in winter.Individual vagrancy...
s from John Barr who had been in the service of Captain Sandys Dugmore as a professional falconer while attempting to establish a hawking club at Alexandra Park from 1874-1877. He secured Barr’s services as a professional falconer and also obtained permission from Lord Rosebery to use Epsom Downs for their hawking grounds. He built his mews near the Grandstand of the racecourse and had a fine season in the fall of 1878—but the winter proved difficult and all the birds succumbed to the croaks, ending this venture.
Harting had over a half-century experience with numerous hawks and his acquaintance with falconers was unique. He was a close friend of Reverend Gage Earl Freeman who wrote for the field as “Peregrine” and Major C. Hawkins Fisher and was always a welcome guest at either residence. The compilation of the Bibliotheca Accipitraria involved a Herculean effort over many years and this alone would secure a place at the forefront of falconers even if it had not been supplemented by the vast quantity of useful information supplied beginners and experts through the columns of The Field. He was one of the few men who, like E.B. Michell, was seen in London with a hawk on his fist.
Death and legacy
James Edmund Harting died aged 86 on January 16, 1928 in WeybridgeWeybridge
Weybridge is a town in the Elmbridge district of Surrey in South East England. It is bounded to the north by the River Thames at the mouth of the River Wey, from which it gets its name...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, where he had lived most of his life and is buried in the Town Cemetery just off Brooklands Road. The inscription on his headstone reads:
Pray for the Soul of Elizabeth Maria wife of James Edmund Harting of Weybridge, in the Co.[unty] of Surrey, who departed this life 25th Jan 1907. Also of James Edmund Harting Died 16th, January 1928 Aged 85 Years [sic]. Also Etheldreda Mary Harting Died 23rd, Jan 1942 Aged 71.
He had married Elizabeth Lynch, daughter of J. M. Lynch of Whiteleas, Co. Kildare, Ireland, in 1868. There was a son, Hugh, and a daughter, Etheldreda, to the marriage.
The Field obituary sums up the personality of Harting as follows:
J.E. Harting was modest and unassuming but he knew the value of knowledge, and never hesitated to use the authority of his long experience. By never presuming to know too much, he impressed the merit of his writing upon many a man of greater fame. He made very little money, for he worked for what he loved, because he loved it first as a sportsman and a gentleman, and he expected fair treatment, which he invariably extended to others.
Harting’s magnificent personal library was dispersed at his death at a sale by Hodgson & Co. on April 26, 1928 and the remainder was given to Downside Abbey in 1934 by his surviving daughter-Etheldreda. Harting's son Hugh also attended Downside in 1880 followed by his great-great grandsons James Harting Courtenay in 1977 and William Harting Courtenay in 1985.