William John Burchell

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William John Burchell.

William John Burchell (23 July 1781 Fulham, London - 23 March 1863 Fulham) was an English explorer, naturalist, traveller, artist and author. He was the son of Matthew Burchell, botanist and owner of Fulham Nursery. Served a botanical apprenticeship at Kew and was elected F.L.S. in 1803. In 1805 he went to St. Helena as schoolmaster and later as official botanist. In 1810 he sailed to the Cape on the recommendation of Gen. J.W. Janssens to explore and to add to his botanical collection.

Landing at Table Bay in November 1810, he set about planning an expedition into the interior, leaving Cape Town in June 1811.

Burchell travelled in South Africa between 1810 and 1815, collecting over 50,000 specimens. He described his journey in Travels in the Interior of Southern Africa, a two-volume work appearing in 1822 and 1824, since reprinted in 1967 by C.Struik of Cape Town. He travelled in Brazil between 1825 and 1830, again collecting a large number of specimens, including over 20,000 insects.

A large part of Burchell's collection was presented to the Oxford University Museum after his death by suicide.

The standard author abbreviation Burch. may be used to indicate this person in citing a botanical name.