MurtonHJ

Career

Collecting localities

Collections

Literature

Biographical data

Murton, Henry James

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

Born: 1853, Cornwall, England. Died: 1881 or 1882, Bangkok, Siam [= Thailand].

career:

Gardener, trained at Kew, 1872-73; from 1875-80 Superintendent of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. After his dismissal he went to Bangkok in 1881 and received an appointment in the Royal Gardens there.

Author of a Catalogue of the Singapore Botanic Gardens;¹ his MS. on the Flora of Singapore got lost.

The genus Murtonia Craib and some other species of plants were named in his honour.

Collecting localities:

Malay Peninsula. 1876. Expedition to Kedah (Quedah), Penang, and the neighbouring States (foot of Kedah Peak) (early in the year).-1877. G. Pulai (SW. Johore) with Burbidge (Aug.). Trip in Perak:² Starting from Singapore (Oct. 9); Penang (14); Matang (15); Taiping; setting out (Oct. 19) for the ascent of Taiping Hills with Low; descent (22) back to Taiping; Bt Gantang (25); Gapis (26); Bt Pondok (27-28); leaving Gapis for Kwalla Kangsa (= Kuala Kangsar) (staying 30-31); G. Sayong (Nov. 1); Kwalla Kangsa; Gapis (4-6); via Bt Gantang and G. Chey (8), to the peak of G. Bubo (= Bubu) (10); Gapis (14); Kwalla Kangsa (15); Blanja (16-18); Kinta (19-20); Pankalan Bahru (21); G. Maisa, Qualla Dipang (22); left bank Kampar River, limestone hills (23); Nasi Sabut (24); leaving Qualla Dipang down the river to Palei (26); Bujong Malacca (26-27); Qualla Dipang-Kinta (28); around Kinta (29-30); Epoo (= ? Ipoh) (Dec. 1), Jellapong; Sunghie (= Sungei) Meru, S. Akhar and S. Bawya, Kwalla Kangsa (Staying 2-4); Sayong, G. Panjang (5); leaving for Taiping (6); Hijou Range (8-9), Taiping, Malang; Penang (11); Singapore (16).-1879. In May a Short trip up the Muar River (Kedah).-In the years 1875-81 many times collecting in Singapore Island.

collections:

Herb. Kew [K]: 318 nos (pres. 1878-82), incl. 140 Siam plants. According to Kerr (See below-cited biogr.) apparently no duplicates. He destroyed what he had retained at Singapore.³ A few plants, chiefly ferns, in Herb. Sing. [SING].⁴

Living plants presented to Hort. Bog. in 1879.

literature:

(1) cf. Rep. Bot. Gard. Sing. for 1875, App. IV, and ‘Catalogue of the plants under cultivation in the Botanical Gardens, Singapore, Straits Settlements’ (Govt Printing Office, Singapore, 1879).
(2) cf. Str. Settlem. Govt Gazette Febr. 22, 1878.
(3) cf. Burkill in Gard. Bull. Str. Settlem. 4, 1927, p. 128.
(4) cf. Ridley in Journ. Str. Br. Roy. As. Soc. no 33, 1900, p. 35.

biographical data:

Biogr. Index Britten & Boulger in Journ. Bot. 36, 1898, p. 444, and in 2nd ed. by Rendle, 1931; Journ. Kew Guild 1899, p. 32 (portr.); Backer, Verkl. Woordenb., 1936; Kerr in Journ. Thail. Res. Soc. Nat. Hist. Suppl. 12, 1939, p. 18-19.

There is discrepancy as to his year of death, according to the first two references it is 1881, according to Kerr 1882; as Kerr especially dealt with the Siam period of Murton’s life, he may be right; his statement that M. died at the age of twenty-six does not agree, however, with the year of birth.

	Career Collecting localities Collections Literature Biographical data
	Murton, Henry James
	(Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 1: Cyclopaedia of collectors)
	Born: 1853, Cornwall, England. Died: 1881 or 1882, Bangkok, Siam [= Thailand].
	career: Gardener, trained at Kew, 1872-73; from 1875-80 Superintendent of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. After his dismissal he went to Bangkok in 1881 and received an appointment in the Royal Gardens there. Author of a Catalogue of the Singapore Botanic Gardens;¹ his MS. on the Flora of Singapore got lost. The genus Murtonia Craib and some other species of plants were named in his honour.
	Collecting localities: Malay Peninsula. 1876. Expedition to Kedah (Quedah), Penang, and the neighbouring States (foot of Kedah Peak) (early in the year).-1877. G. Pulai (SW. Johore) with Burbidge (Aug.). Trip in Perak:² Starting from Singapore (Oct. 9); Penang (14); Matang (15); Taiping; setting out (Oct. 19) for the ascent of Taiping Hills with Low; descent (22) back to Taiping; Bt Gantang (25); Gapis (26); Bt Pondok (27-28); leaving Gapis for Kwalla Kangsa (= Kuala Kangsar) (staying 30-31); G. Sayong (Nov. 1); Kwalla Kangsa; Gapis (4-6); via Bt Gantang and G. Chey (8), to the peak of G. Bubo (= Bubu) (10); Gapis (14); Kwalla Kangsa (15); Blanja (16-18); Kinta (19-20); Pankalan Bahru (21); G. Maisa, Qualla Dipang (22); left bank Kampar River, limestone hills (23); Nasi Sabut (24); leaving Qualla Dipang down the river to Palei (26); Bujong Malacca (26-27); Qualla Dipang-Kinta (28); around Kinta (29-30); Epoo (= ? Ipoh) (Dec. 1), Jellapong; Sunghie (= Sungei) Meru, S. Akhar and S. Bawya, Kwalla Kangsa (Staying 2-4); Sayong, G. Panjang (5); leaving for Taiping (6); Hijou Range (8-9), Taiping, Malang; Penang (11); Singapore (16).-1879. In May a Short trip up the Muar River (Kedah).-In the years 1875-81 many times collecting in Singapore Island.
	collections: Herb. Kew [K]: 318 nos (pres. 1878-82), incl. 140 Siam plants. According to Kerr (See below-cited biogr.) apparently no duplicates. He destroyed what he had retained at Singapore.³ A few plants, chiefly ferns, in Herb. Sing. [SING].⁴ Living plants presented to Hort. Bog. in 1879.
	literature: (1) cf. Rep. Bot. Gard. Sing. for 1875, App. IV, and ‘Catalogue of the plants under cultivation in the Botanical Gardens, Singapore, Straits Settlements’ (Govt Printing Office, Singapore, 1879). (2) cf. Str. Settlem. Govt Gazette Febr. 22, 1878. (3) cf. Burkill in Gard. Bull. Str. Settlem. 4, 1927, p. 128. (4) cf. Ridley in Journ. Str. Br. Roy. As. Soc. no 33, 1900, p. 35.
	biographical data: Biogr. Index Britten & Boulger in Journ. Bot. 36, 1898, p. 444, and in 2nd ed. by Rendle, 1931; Journ. Kew Guild 1899, p. 32 (portr.); Backer, Verkl. Woordenb., 1936; Kerr in Journ. Thail. Res. Soc. Nat. Hist. Suppl. 12, 1939, p. 18-19. There is discrepancy as to his year of death, according to the first two references it is 1881, according to Kerr 1882; as Kerr especially dealt with the Siam period of Murton’s life, he may be right; his statement that M. died at the age of twenty-six does not agree, however, with the year of birth.