MarsdenW

Career

Collections

Literature

Biographical data

Marsden, William

(Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 1: Cyclopaedia of collectors)

Born: 1754, Verval, Wicklow, Ireland. Died: 1836, Edgegrove, Hertfordshire, England.

career:

Orientalist and numismatician, left Dublin in December 1770, arriving at Fort Marlborough, Bencoolen (S. Sumatra), on May 30, 1771, in the service of the British East Indian Company, first as a clerk, afterwards (Oct. 1776) as secretary.¹ in July 1779 he returned to England and subsequently was appointed second (1795-1807) and later First Secretary of the Admiralty.

He is commemorated in the genus Marsdenia R.Br. and in Ixora marsdenii Ridl.

collections:

Plants from Sumatra in Herb. Banks = Brit. Mus. [BM]; dupl. at Kew [K].

literature:

(1) W. Marsden: ‘The history of Sumatra’ (London 1783; 2nd ed. 1784; 3rd ed. 1811).

biographical data:

‘A brief memoir of the life and writings of the late William Marsden, D.C.L., F.R.S., etc. written by himself. With notes from his correspondence. Together with Maon and Moriat, a Tragedy (written in the years 1776 and 1777, during the author’s residence in Sumatra, and never before published)’ (London 1838, 2 vols in one); Dict. Nat. Biogr. 36, 1893, p. 206; Buckland, Dict. Ind. Biogr., 1906; Encyclop. N.I. 2, 1918; in Biogr. Index Britten & Boulger, 2nd ed. by Rendle, 1931; Backer, Verkl. Woordenb., 1936; Bijdr. Taal-, Land- en Volkenk. 98, 1939, p. 517-528 (in connexion with linguistics).

	Career Collections Literature Biographical data
	Marsden, William
	(Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 1: Cyclopaedia of collectors)
	Born: 1754, Verval, Wicklow, Ireland. Died: 1836, Edgegrove, Hertfordshire, England.
	career: Orientalist and numismatician, left Dublin in December 1770, arriving at Fort Marlborough, Bencoolen (S. Sumatra), on May 30, 1771, in the service of the British East Indian Company, first as a clerk, afterwards (Oct. 1776) as secretary.¹ in July 1779 he returned to England and subsequently was appointed second (1795-1807) and later First Secretary of the Admiralty. He is commemorated in the genus Marsdenia R.Br. and in Ixora marsdenii Ridl.
	collections: Plants from Sumatra in Herb. Banks = Brit. Mus. [BM]; dupl. at Kew [K].
	literature: (1) W. Marsden: ‘The history of Sumatra’ (London 1783; 2nd ed. 1784; 3rd ed. 1811).
	biographical data: ‘A brief memoir of the life and writings of the late William Marsden, D.C.L., F.R.S., etc. written by himself. With notes from his correspondence. Together with Maon and Moriat, a Tragedy (written in the years 1776 and 1777, during the author’s residence in Sumatra, and never before published)’ (London 1838, 2 vols in one); Dict. Nat. Biogr. 36, 1893, p. 206; Buckland, Dict. Ind. Biogr., 1906; Encyclop. N.I. 2, 1918; in Biogr. Index Britten & Boulger, 2nd ed. by Rendle, 1931; Backer, Verkl. Woordenb., 1936; Bijdr. Taal-, Land- en Volkenk. 98, 1939, p. 517-528 (in connexion with linguistics).