Catharine Johnston Explained

Catharine Johnston (Charles; 1794–1871) was an English botanical illustrator who had a species of marine animal named in her honour.

Life and work

Catharine Charles was born in 1794^[1] and was the daughter of William Claudius Charles, a surgeon who had worked in the West Indies.^[2] On 23 November 1819, she married George Johnston,^[3] a naturalist, and moved to Berwick-on-Tweed, where the couple resided permanently.^[4]

Johnston took an active interest in the study of natural history.^[4] She assisted her husband in his natural history investigations and illustrated his publications with scientific drawings. She signed her works C. Johnston.^[5] On 21 December 1831, she was made an "Extraordinary member" of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club.^[6] Her drawings assisted other notable scientists to further their research.^[7]

In 1853 Philip Henry Gosse named the marine species Tomopteris (Johnstonella) catharina in her honor stating:

Notes and References

1. DAVIS. PETER. 2010-07-28. George Johnston (1797–1855) of Berwick upon Tweed and the pioneers of marine biology in north-east England. Archives of Natural History. EN. 22. 3. 349–369. 10.3366/anh.1995.22.3.349.
2. Northumberland. The New Monthly Magazine. 1 January 1820. 12. 122. 3 April 2015. Campbell. Thomas. Hall. Samuel Carter. Lytton. Edward Bulwer. Hook. Theodore Edward. Hood. Thomas. Ainsworth. William Harrison.
3. Marriages. Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine. Dec 1819. 6. 359. 3 April 2015.
4. Platts. Elizabeth. In Celebration of the Ray Society Established 1844, and its founder George Johnston (1797 - 1855). The Ray Society Publication. 1994. 163. 4. 3 April 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150407190636/http://www.raysociety.org.uk/userfiles/File/Johnston%20essay.pdf. 7 April 2015. dead.
5. Web site: Johnston C.. Database of Scientific Illustrators. University of Stuttgart. 3 April 2015.
6. Extraordinary Members. History of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club. 1834. 1. 2. 3 April 2015.
7. Book: Gosse. Philip Henry. A naturalist's rambles on the Devonshire coast. 1853. John Van Voorst. London. 356–357. 3 April 2015. biodiversitylibrary.org.