# Gerard Edwards Smith

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{{short description|English cleric and botanist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
'''Gerard Edwards Smith''' (1804–1881) was a Church of England cleric and botanist.

==Life==
Born at [Camberwell](/source/Camberwell), [Surrey](/source/Surrey), he was sixth son of Henry Smith. He entered [Merchant Taylors' School](/source/Merchant_Taylors'_School%2C_Northwood) in January 1814, and [St. John's College, Oxford](/source/St._John's_College%2C_Oxford), as Andrew's exhibitioner, in 1822; he graduated B.A. in 1829.<ref name="DNB">{{cite DNB|wstitle=Smith, Gerard Edward|volume=53}}</ref><ref>[s:Alumni Oxonienses: the Members of the University of Oxford, 1715-1886/Smith, Gerard Edwards](/source/s%3AAlumni_Oxonienses%3A_the_Members_of_the_University_of_Oxford%2C_1715-1886%2FSmith%2C_Gerard_Edwards)</ref> He was ordained that year, and became a curate at [Sellinge](/source/Sellinge); and then at [Stoughton, West Sussex](/source/Stoughton%2C_West_Sussex) and [East Marden](/source/East_Marden) in 1833.<ref>{{CCEd |type=person |id=66904 |name=Smith, Gerard Edwards |year1=1829 |year2=1833 |accessed=21 February 2017}}</ref>

Smith was vicar of St. Peter-the-Less, [Chichester](/source/Chichester), from 1835 to 1836; rector of [North Marden](/source/North_Marden), Sussex, from 1836 to 1843; vicar of [Cantley](/source/Cantley%2C_South_Yorkshire), near [Doncaster](/source/Doncaster), Yorkshire, from 1844 to 1846, and perpetual curate of [Ashton Hayes](/source/Ashton_Hayes), Cheshire, from 1849 to 1853. He was vicar of [Osmaston-by-Ashbourne](/source/Osmaston-by-Ashbourne), Derbyshire, from 1854 to 1871. He died at [Ockbrook](/source/Ockbrook), near [Derby](/source/Derby), on 21 December 1881, and his herbarium was preserved at [University College, Nottingham](/source/University_College%2C_Nottingham).<ref name="DNB"/>

==Works==
Before being ordained Smith published his major botanical work, ''A Catalogue of rare or remarkable Phanogamous Plants collected in South Kent'', London, 1829, which is dated from [Sandgate](/source/Sandgate%2C_Kent). The ''Catalogue'', of 76 pages, is arranged by the [Linnæan system](/source/Linn%C3%A6an_system), deals critically with several groups, and had coloured plates drawn by the author.<ref name="DNB"/>

Smith was the first to recognise several British plants, describing ''Statice occidentalis'' under the name ''S. binervosa'' in the ''Supplement to English Botany'' (1831, p.&nbsp;63), and ''Filago apiculata'' in ''The Phytologist'' for 1846 (p.&nbsp;575). He contributed ''Remarks on Ophrys'' to [John Claudius Loudon](/source/John_Claudius_Loudon)'s ''Magazine of Natural History'' in 1828 (i. 398); ''On the Claims of Alyssum calycinum to a place in the British Flora'' to ''The Phytologist'' for 1845 (ii. 232); a preface to W. E. Howe's ''Ferns of Derbyshire'' in 1861, enlarged in the edition of 1877; and ''Notes on the Flora of Derbyshire'' to the ''[Journal of Botany, British and Foreign](/source/Journal_of_Botany%2C_British_and_Foreign)'' for 1881. Other works were:<ref name="DNB"/>

* ''Stonehenge, a poem'', Oxford, 1823, signed "Sir Oracle, Ox. Coll.", humorous. 
* ''Are the Teachings of Modern Science antagonistic to the Doctrine of an Infallible Bible?'' London, 1863.
* ''The Holy Scriptures the original Great Exhibition for all Nations'', an allegory, London, 1865.
* ''What a Pretty Garden! or Cause and Effect in Floriculture'', Ashbourne, 1865.

{{botanist|G.E.Sm.|inline=yes}}

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

;Attribution
{{DNB|wstitle=Smith, Gerard Edward|volume=53}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Gerard Edwards}}
Category:1804 births
Category:1881 deaths
Category:19th-century English Anglican priests
Category:People from Camberwell
Category:Parson-naturalists
Category:People from Derbyshire Dales (district)
Category:19th-century English botanists

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Gerard Edwards Smith](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerard_Edwards_Smith) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerard_Edwards_Smith?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.