British, 1781 - 1863
William John Burchell was born in Fulham, London. Field journals from his South American expedition are held by Kew Gardens, and his insect collection is in the Oxford University Museum.
Burchell brought to England some 63,000 specimens of plants, seeds, insects, fish, and animal skins and skeletons, which he had collected on his travels. Burchell spent the remaining three decades of his life cataloguing his enormous collections. He has been described as a sensitive perfectionist, and his meticulousness meant that, working alone, this was a slow process.
He travelled to:- St Helen 1805, Cape Town 1810-15, and Rio de Janeiro in July 1825. A number of St Helena and South African plants, animals, and birds are named after him. On 23 March 1863 he committed suicide.
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