George Newbold Lawrence | |
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| Born | October 20, 1806 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | January 17, 1895 (aged 88) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, ornithologist |
George Newbold Lawrence (October 20, 1806 – January 17, 1895) was an American businessman and amateur ornithologist.[1][2]
Lawrence was born in the city of New York on October 20, 1806.[1]
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.[1]
Lawrence conducted Pacific bird surveys for Spencer Fullerton Baird and John Cassin, and the three men co-authored Birds of North America in 1860.[1]
He sold his collection of 8,000 bird skins to the American Museum of Natural History in 1887.[3]
Fellow ornithologists honored him by naming one bird genus and 20 species after him,[1] including both the scientific and common name of the Lawrence's goldfinch, first described by Cassin in 1852.[4]
Lawrence died on January 17, 1895, in New York City. His funeral was held at his residence, 45 East 21st Street in Manhattan.[5] 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.[6]
