Francis Balfour-Browne

William Alexander Francis Balfour-Browne FRSE FZS FLS PRMS (1874–1967), known as Frank,[1] was an English entomologist who specialised in Coleoptera, especially Dytiscidae (diving beetles).

Life and work

Balfour-Browne was born at 16 Ebury Street in London the son of John Hutton Balfour-Browne KC (d.1921) and Caroline Lush.[2]

He was educated at St Paul's School. Already as a child he was keenly interested in water beetles, and the group became the subject of his research throughout his life.[1] He studied botany at Magdalen College, Oxford, and was then called to the bar in 1898. He returned to Oxford to study zoology the following year.[3] From 1906 he taught biology at the Belfast College of the Royal University of Ireland (now known as Queen's University Belfast). In 1913 he became a lecturer in the University of Cambridge.

During the First World War he was a lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps.[4]

He was Professor of Entomology at Imperial College from 1925 to 1930. He was a friend of Robert Lloyd Praeger.

Balfour-Browne was the author of a Text-book of Practical Entomology, British Water Beetles published by the Ray Society, Concerning the Habits of Insects and many scientific papers, mainly on entomology.

Balfour-Browne was a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society.

He was an enthusiastic bicyclist; his cycle was maintained by the founder of Morris Motors Limited, William Morris, who later became Lord Nuffield.[1]

He died in Edinburgh on 28 September 1967.[5]

Family

He married in Glasgow on 4 October 1902 Elizabeth Lochhead Carslaw, daughter of Rev. Dr. Carslaw.[6]

His son John Balfour-Browne was also an entomologist, who became a Principal Scientific Officer at the Natural History Museum, London.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Gay, Hannah (2007). The History of Imperial College London, 1907-2007: Higher Education and Research in Science, Technology and Medicine. Imperial College Press. p. 175.
  2. ↑ http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf
  3. ↑ "BALFOUR-BROWNE, Professor William Alexander Francis (1874-1967)". Archives Hub. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  4. ↑ http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf
  5. ↑ http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf
  6. ↑ http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf
  7. ↑ "Browne; John William Alexander Francis Balfour-". Natural History Museum. Retrieved 16 January 2014.

Sources

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