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JOHN RALFS.
(With Portrait.)
Only those who have come into close contact with the man or
have carefully studied his works, can realize the greatness of the
intellect of the veteran botanist who died at Penzance in July last.
Had not his health and eyesight failed, there is little doubt that
John KalCs would have ranked as one of the greatest botanists of
the century. His clearness of perception, his conciseness and exactitude
of expression, added to his indomitable energy, his enthusiasm,
and his wonderful memory, made him the very ideal of a naturalist.
He was born on Sept. 13th, 1807, at IMillbrook, near Southampton.
He came of an old Hampshire family, being the second
son of Samuel Ealfs, of Mudeford, neai* Christchurch, His father
died in 1808, and the young family was brought up by the mother,
who dis[X)sed of the property at Mudeford, and removed to Southampton.
Young Ralfs's first school appears to have been that of
Dr. Buller in this town, he afterwards went to Mr. Jennings's at
IJishop's Waltham, and subsequently to the Kev. J. Jenvey's at
Romsey. To the last-named gentleman he became much attached,
and to him he dedicated his first botanical book. As a lad ilalfs
was studious and painstaking, and showed an early inclination to
scientific pursuits, which first developed in the direction of chemistry.
At about the age of eighteen he was articled to his uncle, a surgeon
at Brentfoi-d, with whom he remained two years and a half, after
which he studied at Winchester Hospital for two years. In 1882
lie passed the examination qualifying him as a surgeon, and in this
examination we find he distinguished himself by his knowledge of
botany. He went into partnership with a surgeon in Shoreditch,
and Mr. Marquand tells us that he practised at Towcester. During
the few years that he was able to follow his profession he was very
successful. While on a visit to Torquay he became acquainted with
Miss Laura Cecilia Newman, daughter of Mr. Henry Newman, of
London, and in 1835 was married to that lady. They had one son,
John Henry, who was born in 183G. The marriage did not prove
a happy one, for within t\yo years Mrs. Ealfs (with her infant son)
went to live with her parents, who were then residing in France
she afterwards travelled in Italy, but returned to France, wliere she
died in ISIS.
In 1837 Mr. Ralfs's health became so bad—his lungs being
found to be seriously affected—that he was obliged to relinquish liis
practice and to reside in one of the health-resorts of the southwestern
coast. After visiting Torcpiay, he settled down, in Nov.
1837, at Penzance, which continued to be his home during the rest
of his life. In 1838 he contributed the botanical portion of a guide
to llfracombe by Banficld. in 183ij he published his first book,
'The British Phfenogamous Plants and Ferns; arranged on the
Liniunoan System, and analysed after the method of Lamarck'; this
consisted of a dichotomous k(,'y to the genera and species, witli an
analysis of the natural orders. It did not pretend to compete with
Journal of Botany.—Vol. 28. [October, 1800.] u