George Newbold Lawrence

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Template:Short description Template:Infobox person George Newbold Lawrence (October 20, 1806 – January 17, 1895) was an American businessman and amateur ornithologist.<ref name="Elliot1896">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Early life

Lawrence was born in the city of New York on October 20, 1806.<ref name="Elliot1896"/>

From his youth, Lawrence was a lover of birds and spent much of his spare time studying their habits. At sixteen years of age, he became a clerk in his father's business, becoming a partner in his father's house by age twenty.<ref name="Elliot1896"/>

Career

Lawrence conducted Pacific bird surveys for Spencer Fullerton Baird and John Cassin, and the three men co-authored Birds of North America in 1860.<ref name="Elliot1896"/>

He sold his collection of 8,000 bird skins to the American Museum of Natural History in 1887.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Fellow ornithologists honored him by naming one bird genus and 20 species after him,<ref name="Elliot1896"/> including both the scientific and common name of the Lawrence's goldfinch, first described by Cassin in 1852.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Personal life

Lawrence died on January 17, 1895, in New York City. His funeral was held at his residence, 45 East 21st Street in Manhattan.<ref name="GNLObit1895">Template:Cite news</ref> His wife died five days later on January 22, 1895. Their combined estates totaled $528,900 which were left to their two sons, Elmen N. Lawrence and John B. Lawrence.<ref name="1895Wills">Template:Cite news</ref>

References

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