William Turner

William was born in Morpeth, Northumberland, the precise date in unknown but is estimated as between 1508 – 1510.

Turner studied at Cambridge from 1526 – 1533 where he received a B.A. and then an M.A. While there he published several works including Libellus de re herbaria (1938) where he listed 144 plants using both their English and Greek names. He spent much of his free time studying plants in their native habitats and described them with more accuracy than had been used before. Most medicines at the time relied on plants and herbal remedies but knowledge of this was passed on between herbalists by word of mouth and few could read Latin so the academic books available at the time about plants were not accessible to most of the population. Many of the academic physicians thought little of these herbalists and Turner having spent time studying medicine at Cambridge realised he could bring the two together.

While at Cambridge, Turner came under the influence of radical Protestant Hugh Latimer and became ordained as a deacon in 1536. He became an outspoken preacher and was arrested in 1540. On his release he moved to Italy, where he continued his medical studies. During this time travelling he met many other European botanists from Italy, Switzerland, Germany and the Low countries and he began work on the New Herbal. It was released in three volumes  in 1551, 1562 and 1568 and they were the first works based on first hand research that gave a clear, systematic survey of English plants. It included information on their “uses and vertues” which many thought should not have been divulged to the general public such were attitudes at the time. As it was also written in English it meant that a wider public could read about, understand and identify English plants easier.

Turner returned to Britain in 1947 following Henry VIIIs death and moved to Somerset where he worked as a physician and chaplain as well as becoming the Dean of Wells Cathedral and establishing a herbal garden there. Once Mary I of England ascended to the throne Turner went into exile in Germany and returned to England once Elizabeth I started her reign.

In addition to his religious and botany interests, Turner was also interested in natural history, particularly birds. In addition to his herbal books he also published Avium praecipuarum, quarum apud Plinium et Aristotelem mentio est, brevis et succincta historia, a book which discussed birds named by Aristotle and Pliny as well as birds from his own knowledge. He listed them in detail including life histories and accurate descriptions and was the first printed book devoted entirely to birds. Some people describe him as the Father of Ornithology as well as Botany.

Other works by William Turner include:

• The Rescuynge of the Romishe Fox (1545)
• The Names of Herbes (1548)
• A New Book of Spiritual Physik (1555)
• A New Boke on the Natures and Properties of all Wines (1568)