Thomas Edward (naturalist)

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Thomas Edward (1814 - 1886) was a Scottish naturalist, born at Gosport. He was trained as a shoemaker and eventually settled in Banff, where he devoted his leisure to the study of animal nature, and collected numerous specimens of animals, which he stuffed and exhibited, but with pecuniary loss; the Queen's attention being called to his case, settled on him an annual pension of £50, while the citizens of Aberdeen presented him in March 1877 with a gift of 130 sovereigns.

The story of his life and work was recorded in Life of A Scotch Naturalist Thomas Edward, written by Samuel Smiles and published in 1876. His portrait is held in the National Portrait Gallery.