Talk:William Swainson

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[edit] Accuracy dispute

This http://www.dnzb.govt.nz/dnzb/default.asp?Find_Quick.asp?PersonEssay=1S29 says he was born in Lancaster, not London. Anyway, if true need to link Lancaster Royal Grammar School. Dunc|☺ 11:30, 6 May 2005 (UTC)

That is a different William Swainson. Perhaps the person who added the photo can check that it is the WS the article is about, I suspect not. Smallweed 10:29, 9 May 2005 (UTC)

Yes this was a different William Swainson, who also emigrated to NZ in 1841 (the same year as the other William Swainson), but was of a legal background. Note difference in birthdates. W Swainson the lawyer also wrote books on NZ Judge Nutmeg 04:28, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

I have created a separate page William Swainson (lawyer) which now separates the two. Someone, if they have the energy, could create a disambiguation page, but this seems not to be necessary here, since 99% of all the links to the name William Swainson were to this one (the naturalist), so it seems better to let them go through. To move this page to William Swainson (naturalist) and then fix all the links seems a lot of work, and not fixing all the links just means people have to click another link. I added a short paragraph on confusions between the two Williams (confused for identical names and identical arrival in NZ in 1841) and also Isaac Swainson who is sometimes confused with him over botanical matters.Judge Nutmeg 19:14, 18 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Heaven's mirror

Is there a source available for the reference to Swainson's "heaven's mirror" (i.e. shaving the middle portion of his head)? He was eccentric, so it wouldn't be much of a surprise, but I have not come across this particular story in any of the literature. Thanks. 74.8.91.154 03:33, 24 January 2007 (UTC)cs

I've removed the heaven's mirror stuff as it was added by a serial vandal Smallweed 15:01, 25 January 2007 (UTC)