> [!cite] BHL link: this entry starts at [page 390](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/33259894) of TL-2 Suppl. VII > Author links: [IPNI](https://www.ipni.org/a/2885-1) LSID 2885-1, [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1337783) QID Q1337783 > Support pages: [[Abbreviations|abbreviations]], [[Layout key|layout key]], [[Cite TL-2|cite TL-2]] > [!example] See also [[Fraser, John|first entry]] for this author ### Author \* Fraser, John (1750-1811), Scottish hosier and draper turned plant explorer and nurseryman, born in Tomnacross \[not Tomnacloich\] (Inverness-shire), baptized 14 Oct 1750, moved to London 1770 or 1776, traveled to collect plants in Newfoundland 1780 and the s. U.S.A. 1784-1785, made several more trips to the U.S.A. 1790-1795, established a nursery in Chelsea (London) 1795, visited Russia 1796 and was appointed collector for Tsar Paul I (1754-1801), returned to America 1799 and also visited Cuba 1801 and the Bahamas 1802, began a seventh and final trip to America in 1806 during which he revisited Cuba 1809, his nursery business was continued by his sons John (1780-1861) and James Thomas (1782-x), the senior Fraser is credited with introducing more than 200 species of flowering plants to England, died 26 Apr 1811 in Chelsea. **Abbreviated name**: *Fraser* \[standard form in IPNI: *Fraser*\] #### Note - (1) Sometimes confused with his son, John Fraser (1780-1861), who also was involved with the Chelsea nursery and traveled (1800-1801 and 1807-1810) in North America with the senior Fraser. - (2) Also easily confused with several other botanists and horticulturalists with the same name, viz. John Fraser (1820-1909), John Fraser (1821-1900) and John Fraser (1854-1935, who published papers on English plants, esp. mints and willows); see Desmond, ed. 2: 263 (1994) for details. #### Herbarium and types [[Collection LINN|LINN]] (orig.), duplicates [[Collection BM|BM]], [[Collection G|G]], [[Collection G|G]]-DC, [[Collection FI|FI]], [[Collection LE|LE]], [[Collection OXF|OXF]], [[Collection P|P]]-LA, [[Collection PH|PH]] (ex Herb. Lambert through Edward Tuckerman). Ward (2007) argues that specimens in the folio vol. commonly known as the "\[Thomas\] Walter Herbarium" at the [[Collection BM|BM]] were, in fact, gathered by Fraser. This herb. was presented to [[Collection LINN|LINN]] in 1849 by the senior Fraser's heirs, and later sold as "surplus" to the [[Collection BM|BM]] (for 15 shillings!). – Some original plates executed by James Sowerby (1757-1822, see TL-2/5: 759-762) and associated with Fraser's collections (e.g. *Thalia* (?) *dealbata*) survive and are in the [[Collection BM|BM]]. #### Bibliography and biography AG 3: 237; APN p. 209; Backer p. 222; Barnhart 2: 4; BB p. 116; BM 6: 343; Bossert p. 132; Clokie p. 167; Desmond p. 237-238, ed. 2: 263; DNB 7: 653-654, 20: 213-214, 851-852; Dryander 3: 594; Ewan Pap. p. 73; Frank 3(Anh.): 32; Henrey 2: 382-385, 3: 43; Hortus 3: 1193; IH 2: 207; Jackson p. 123, 145; Kew 2: 333; Lasègue p. 199-201; ME 1: 184, 3: 729; NI 2: 62; Plesch p. 231, 419; PR ed. 1: 3345-3346, ed. 2: 3034-3035; TL-1: 517 (index); TL-2/1: 873, indices 2/2, 2/3, 2/5, 2/7; Tucker 1: 774; Zander ed. 10: 660, ed. 11: 752, ed. 17: 948. #### Biofile - Anon., Proc. Linn. Soc. London 119: 14-15. 1907. \[on portrs. of Fraser\] (n.v.) \[abstract of id.: Linnean Soc. London, General Meeting, 2 Mai 1907: \[p. 2\] \[reprint\]\]; J. Hort. 58: 156-158. 1877. (portr. on p. 157) - Barnhart, J.H., 1909. Torreya 9: 246. \[Fraser & Thomas Walter\] - Barnhart, J.H., 1917. New York Bot. Gard. J. 18: 240. - Brendel, F., 1879. Amer. Naturalist 13: 758-759. - Bridson, G.D.R. et al., 1980. Nat. hist. manuscript resources British Isles: 402. (index) - Britten, J., 1899. J. Bot. 37: 481-487. \[reprint Fraser's cat. published between 1790 and 1794\] - Britten, J., 1905. J. Bot. 43: 329-331. \[reprint of Fraser's cat. published 1796\] - Britten, J., 1921. J. Bot. 59: 69-74. - Candolle, A.L., 1880. Phytographie: 412. - Coats, A., 1969. The plant hunters: 281-285, 340, 388, *pl*. *21*. - Core, E.L., 1970. *In*, P.C. Holt (ed.), The distributional hist. biota S. Appalachians, Part 2: Flora: 14-16. (portr.) - Darlington, Wm., 1849. Memorials of John Bartram and Humphrey Marshall: 549. - Ewan, J. (ed.), 1969. Short hist. bot. U.S.: 5, 36, 37. - Ewan, J., 1979. Quart. Bull. Amer. Rhododendron Soc. 33: 206-213. - Faden, R.B., 1989. Taxon 38: 43-53. (handwr.) - Fernald, M.L. & B.G. Schubert, 1948. Rhodora 50: 190-208, 217-229. (handwr.) - Gibson, J.A. & E.C. Nelson, 2001. Cumulative index Archives Nat. Hist.: 58. - Gilmour, R.W., 2002. Castanea, Occ. Papers No. 1: 65-66. - Graustein, J.E., 1967. Thomas Nuttall: 466. - Gray, J.L. (ed.), 1893. Letters of Asa Gray 1: 134-135. \[on Thomas Walter's herb. (sic)\] - Greene, E.L., 1890. Pittonia 2: 114-119. \[reprint of *Cat. pl. Upper Louisiana*... 1813\] - Hogg, R., 1852. Cottage Gardener 8: 250-252. (n.v.) - Hooker, W.J., 1836. Compan. Bot. Mag. 2: 300-305. (portr.) - Karavaev, M.N. & S.A. Balandin, 1988. Priroda Ezhem. Pop. Estest. Zhurn. Akad. Nauk no. 7: 125-128. (n.v.) - Mears, J.A., 1981. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 133: 150. - Pringle, J.S., 1995. Canad. Field-Naturalist 109: 379. (index) - Rembert, D.H, Jr., 1980. Bot. Soc. Amer. Misc. Ser. Publ. 158: 92-93. (abstr.) - Reveal, J.L., 1968. Rhodora 70: 25-54. \[names in *Cat. pl. Upper Louisiana*... 1813\] - Simpson, M.B., Jr. et al., 1997. Arch. Nat. Hist. 24: 1-18. (portr.) - Steinberg, C., 1977. Webbia 32: 25. (specimens at FI) - Urban, I., 1902. Symb. Antill. 3: 48-49. - Ward, D.B., 2006. Sida 22: 111-1118. \[John Fraser folio, i.e. "Walter Herbarium"\] - Ward, D.B., 2007. Taxon 56: 917-926. \[argues that the "Walter Herbariun" was assembled by John Fraser\] - Wittrock, V.B., 1903. Acta Horti Berg. 3(2): 93; 1905. Id. 3(3): 78. #### Eponymy *Frasera* T. Walter (1788). #### Composite works - (1) Published T. Walter, *Fl. carol.*... (1788) (see TL-2/7, nr. 16.613). - (2) At least two seed catalogues issued by Fraser while he was alive survive; one generally thought to be published in 1790 and the other dated 8 Apr 1796. Both are rare. The copies in the BM were analyzed by J. Britten (see above). (a) The former catalogue, which begins "The following List of Seeds collected by him \[John Fraser\], and brought home under his own care, are now in a very high state of perfection..." was reprinted by Britten (1899: 485-487) in its entirety. It may have been issued in early 1789 as evidenced by a letter dated 2 Feb 1789 from John Coakley Lettsom (1744-1815) to Humphry Marshall (1722-1801) in which Lettsom stated "Fraser, to whom a few of us in London subscribed an annual sum, has not answered our expectations. His *catalogue*, enclosed, are the seeds and plants of his own property" (quoted in Darlington, 1849: 549). (b) The latter catalogue dated 8 Apr 1796 was also reprinted by Britten (1905: 330-331). - (3) *Cat. pl. Upper Louisiana*... 1813 (TL-2/3, nr. 6919) is associated with Messrs. Frasers' nursery (i.e. Fraser's sons John and James Thomas) and although it contains descriptions of new species, no authorship appears anywhere in the work. External evidence indicates that Thomas Nuttall (1786-1859), rather than the senior (or junior) Fraser, authored these species and the work is treated here under the former botanist (TL-2/3, 781-787), see also Art. 46.4, Note 3, Ex. 37 of the Vienna *Code* (McNeill et al., 2006. Regnum Veg. 146: 85-86). ### Publications ##### n.35.409. history **Title** A short *history* of the *Agrostis cornucopiæ*; or, the new American grass: and a botanical description of the plant. To which are added, experiments, tending to point out the proper mode of cultivating this plant; and also, some account of a journey to the Cherokee nation, in search of new plants... London (Printed for the author...) 1789. Fol. **Abbreviated title**: *Hist. Agrostis cornucopiae*. **Notes** *Publ*.: 1789 (p. 7 dated 25 Nov 1789), cover-t.p., p. \[1\], *1 pl*. (unnumb., col. copper engr.), \[3\]-8. *Copies*: BM (missing Dec 1992) (n.v.), HH, K, New York Historical Society (n.v.). *Photocopies* (reduced in size): MO (incomplete), NY (n.v.), US(2). *Microfilm*: London (British Library), 1987, 1 reel (52 fr., 35 mm). *Copy*: (n.v.). *Note*: (1) James Sowerby (1757-1822, see TL-2/5: 759-762) did the artwork, the original and proofs of which were once in the BM (see above). The plate in the New York Historical Society copy (n.v.) evidently is uncolored. (2) The species, *Agrostis cornucopiæ *Sm., first was published in an article in the Gentleman's Magazine... 1789 and entitled "Fraser's Carolina Grass", but it was a superfluous renaming of *Cornucopiæ perennans *Walter (1788) (=*Agrostis perennans* (Walter) Tuck.). (3) *Agrostis cornucopiæ* also is listed in the 1790 catalogue described above.