Sir William Jardine (1800 – 1874) was a key figure in the history of science of the Victorian era. Jardine owned a museum, the finest private museum dealing with natural history. He also owned a library in Britain and made natural history widely available. He used forty small, affordable volumes on mammals, birds, insects and fish and his Library. Yet, even today, no comprehensive biography of him exists. Jardine was a naturalist and an author and publisher. He was born in Edinburgh to Sir Alexander Jardine- he was the eldest son. The artist got his education at Edinburgh High School, and later joined the University of Edinburgh as a medical student in 1817. During this time, his interests expanded very rapidly to include natural history and geology. He married Lizars Jane Home in 1820, and just a year later, he inherited his title and also the family home near Lockerbie, a 5,000 acre estate.
Jardine pursued his interest in the natural world using an independent means and he managed to become a highly regarded botanist, entomologist and geologist. He also managed to develop particular areas of expertise in the ornithology and ichthyology fields. He was able to link with a very wide range of fellow enthusiasts around the globe, many of whom contributed specimens to his growing collection. By the time of his death, his collection comprised of thousands of specimens. He managed to earn a lot of respect among his peers and s currently his art is used to mentor many upcoming artists.
