Edward Barnes (1892–1941)

Edward Barnes (1892 – 31 May 1941) was a professor of chemistry at the Madras Christian College and also an amateur botanist. He described several new species of Sonerila, Impatiens and Arisaema from the hills of Tamil Nadu.

Barnes studied chemistry at London and was the founding head of the department of chemistry at the Madras Christian College around 1930. Barnes married Alice Mary daughter of Harry Varley on 8 April 1930.[1] They set up home on the college campus in Barnes Villa, built in 1932. In their spare time, the couple collected botanical specimens, some of which were submitted to the Kew Botanical Gardens and some species like Impatiens laticornis were described by other botanists like C.E.C. Fischer.[2] Barnes and his wife Alice introduced several plants into the campus of the Madras Christian College and established a nursery there with the help of F. H. Gravely.[3][4][5] Alice was a principal at the Bentinck School for girls between 1933 and 1942. She received a Kaiser-i-Hind medal for her services. Begonia aliciae was named by Fischer after Alice while he described Impatiens neo-barnesii after Edward.[6][7][8][9] Alice had been involved with the Student Christian Movement when studying at University College London but after moving to India she became a Quaker through her husband[10] and introduced Marjorie Sykes to various Indian contacts through their circles.[11] Alice edited the publication of a series of letters written by Gandhi to Esther Faering in 1956 titled "My Dear Child".[12][13][14][15]

Barnes died of pneumonia and was buried in the Holy Trinity Church at Yercaud.[16] After the death of her husband "Ted", Alice lived in Kotagiri along with Marjorie Sykes and Mary Barr.[11]

References
  1. India Marriages, 1792-1948, database, FamilySearch  : 5 February 2020, Edward Barnes in entry for Edward Barnes, 1930.
  2. Tharani, R.; Murugesan, M.; Ravichandran, V.; Karthik, B.; Anusuba, V. (2021). "Rediscovery of Impatiens laticornis C.E.C. Fisch. (Balsaminaceae), a stenoendemic and critically endangered species from Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, southern India". Nelumbo. 63 (2): 32–36.
  3. Barnes, Edward (1934). "Some Tambaram Plants". MCC Magazine: 17–20.
  4. Barnes, Mary Alice (1935). "Tambaram Trees". MCC Magazine: 52–54.
  5. Fischer, C. E. C. (1941). "Prof. E. Barnes". Nature. 148 (3747): 221–222. doi:10.1038/148221a0. ISSN 0028-0836. S2CID 44372822.
  6. Fischer, C.E.C. (1941). "Obituary: Edward Barnes". Kew Bulletin: 240–241.
  7. Barnes, Edward (1938). "Some observations on right- and left-handed asymmetry in south Indian aroids" (PDF). Journal of the Indian Botanical Society: 183–190.
  8. Barnes, E. (1936). "Two notes on south Indian Strigas". Journal of the Indian Botanical Society. 15: 125–130.
  9. Barnes, Alice D. (1937). "Breeding of the little Indian nightjar (Caprimulgus asiaticus asiaticus) in the Chingleput district". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 39: 865–867.
  10. MacDonald, Sharon M. H. (2018). ""The Other West": Gandhian Quaker, Marjorie Sykes (1905–1995)" (PDF). Deportate, Esuli, Profughe (37).
  11. Gnanasekaran, G.; Ebenezer, G.A.I.; Dayanandan, P. (2021). "Edward Barnes' contributions to botany". Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany. 45 (1–4).
  12. Barnes, Alice M., ed. (1956). "My Dear Child" Letters from M.K. Gandhi to Esther Faering. Ahmedabad: Navajivan Publishing House.
  13. Barnes, E. (1937). "The New Environment: Detailed Description of the Tambaram Site". MCC Magazine. 6 (3): 167–169.
  14. Barnes, E. (1937). "Some Excursions around Tambaram". MCC Magazine. 7 (1): 5–8.
  15. Barnes, E. (1940). "The Bababudan Hills". MCC Magazine. 10 (2): 78–79.
  16. India Deaths and Burials, 1719-1948, database, FamilySearch  : 5 February 2020, Edward Barnes, 1941.
  17. International Plant Names Index.  E.Barnes.
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