Robert Oliver Cunningham
Encyclopedia
Robert Oliver Cunningham (1841–1918) was a Scottish
naturalist.
He was born on 27 March 1841, in Prestonpans, the second son of the Rev. William Bruce Cunningham (1806–78) and Cecilia Margaret Douglas (1813–98), daughter of David Douglas, Lord Reston
(1769–1819), the heir of Adam Smith
. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy (1851–54), and graduated in medicine at the University of Edinburgh
in 1864. In January 1866 he was appointed Professor of Natural History in the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, but resigned in June in consequence of being appointed by the Admiralty upon the recommendation of Joseph Dalton Hooker
, to collect plants as Naturalist on board HMS Nassau under the command of Richard Charles Mayne
, then commissioned for the survey of the Straits of Magellan and the west coast of Patagonia. This voyage started on the 24th of August 1866 and he returned on 30 July 1869. He was then appointed by Queen Victoria as Professor of Natural History in Queen's College, Belfast. Had various degrees and a fellowship conferred upon him. Retired 1902.
In 1885 he married his sister-in-law Mary Jane Davey Luke. They had no children.
On his mother's death he inherited what remained of her half of the library of Adam Smith
. Much of this was sold but part is still in the Queen's University library.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
naturalist.
He was born on 27 March 1841, in Prestonpans, the second son of the Rev. William Bruce Cunningham (1806–78) and Cecilia Margaret Douglas (1813–98), daughter of David Douglas, Lord Reston
David Douglas, Lord Reston
David Douglas, Lord Reston was a Scottish judge and the heir of Adam Smith.He was born on 24 July 1769, in Strathendry, the fifth and youngest son of Col...
(1769–1819), the heir of Adam Smith
Adam Smith
Adam Smith was a Scottish social philosopher and a pioneer of political economy. One of the key figures of the Scottish Enlightenment, Smith is the author of The Theory of Moral Sentiments and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations...
. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy (1851–54), and graduated in medicine at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
in 1864. In January 1866 he was appointed Professor of Natural History in the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, but resigned in June in consequence of being appointed by the Admiralty upon the recommendation of Joseph Dalton Hooker
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker OM, GCSI, CB, MD, FRS was one of the greatest British botanists and explorers of the 19th century. Hooker was a founder of geographical botany, and Charles Darwin's closest friend...
, to collect plants as Naturalist on board HMS Nassau under the command of Richard Charles Mayne
Richard Charles Mayne
Richard Charles Mayne RN CB FGS MP was a Royal Navy Captain, later Admiral and explorer.Richard Mayne was the son of Sir Richard Mayne KCB and the grandson of Judge Edward Mayne. Both his father and grandfather were graduates of Trinity College, Dublin,. Richard Mayne was educated at Eton...
, then commissioned for the survey of the Straits of Magellan and the west coast of Patagonia. This voyage started on the 24th of August 1866 and he returned on 30 July 1869. He was then appointed by Queen Victoria as Professor of Natural History in Queen's College, Belfast. Had various degrees and a fellowship conferred upon him. Retired 1902.
In 1885 he married his sister-in-law Mary Jane Davey Luke. They had no children.
On his mother's death he inherited what remained of her half of the library of Adam Smith
Adam Smith
Adam Smith was a Scottish social philosopher and a pioneer of political economy. One of the key figures of the Scottish Enlightenment, Smith is the author of The Theory of Moral Sentiments and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations...
. Much of this was sold but part is still in the Queen's University library.