To the Linnean Society of London1    11 September 1896

Melbourne

11 Sept 1896.

We the undersigned beg to propose

Ernest J. Bickford Esqr Vice President of the Natural History Society, Perth, West-Australia for the Fellowship of the Linnean Society of London, to which honor he is fairly entitled by his zeal for the elucidation of the West-Australian Flora.

Ferd von Mueller from personal knowledge

J. G. Luehmann F.L.S

Chas French F.L.S.2

 
1
M autograph manuscript and signature; other supporters’ individual signatures.
2

Annotated front: Read 5 November 1896 | Ballot 3 December 1896

back: Ernest Bickford | elected 3rd Decr 1896.

The file includes the obligation form signed by Bickford, undertaking to pay the fees while he remained a member.

Bickford was removed from the list of Fellows by the Council during the 1918-19 session (Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London, session 1918-19, p 17). Bickford was serving in France at the time as a member of the Australian Infantry Forces!

A newspaper clipping, without stated source but now identified as being from the Inquirer and commercial news (Perth, WA), 8 January 1897, p. 12, is attached, announcing Bickford’s intention, ‘at the instance of the late Baron von Mueller’, to form a society, open to all, to promote the preservation of the western Australian flora. The society was called the Mueller Botanical Society; it later evolved into the Royal Society of Western Australia.

The same edition of the newspaper reported, on p. 9:

Some time ago we mentioned that the late Baron von Mueller, just prior to his death, had recommended to the Horticultural Society, London, Mr. Ernest J. Bickford, of this city, as a fellow. Mr. Bickford has just received the papers notifying his election. The late Baron was well acquainted with the work done in Victoria by Mr. Bickford, particularly in his study and lectures on orchids.

The earlier article referred to has not been found. It is possible that the newspaper confused the Horticultural Society with the Linnean Society, since FLS was the only post-nominal Bickford used in his listing as President of the Mueller Botanical Society (Journal of Proceedings of the Mueller Botanical Society, vol. 1[1], 1899, title page). The 19th-century nomination forms of Fellows of the Royal Horticultural Society have not been preserved, so Bickford’s reported nomination and election cannot be verified.

Please cite as “FVM-96-09-11,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on 6 May 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/96-09-11