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Henry Seebohm, Ornithologist, Steelmaker and Traveller. Paul Hobson The first indepth biography that explores his life in full. Price £40 including p+p. Henry Seebohm was arguably the most well-known ornithologist in the late Victorian period, yet he has sunk into obscurity since his death in 1895. Born in Bradford to Quaker parents, both ministers of the faith, he was educated at Bootham School in York where he immersed himself in its strong natural history ethos and science curriculum. After the tragic death of his fiancée, he fled to an Ireland devastated by the Great Famine, before moving to Sheffield where he founded the incredibly successful steelworks of Seebohm and Dieckstahl. As the company grew, so did his fame, and he ran into conflict with other steel owners, particularly Henry Bessemer. Whilst being an expert on crucible steel, his passion lay with the study of ornithology. He was a key player in the early development of natural history in Sheffield before he embarked on a number of exciting overseas trips. Two of these were groundbreaking expeditions to Siberia, encompassing endurance and hardship, where he discovered the breeding grounds of the Grey Plover and Little Stint. As he developed as an ornithologist, he embraced the new evolutionary creed of Charles Darwin, creating a divide between himself and many of the established ornithologists of Britain as he pushed for a full acceptance of Darwin’s theory. In spite of this spilt, he achieved a number of prestigious scientific positions, including Vice-President of the Zoological Society of London, Fellow of the Linnean Society and President of the Geographical section of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. As an author of many scientific articles and books, his best-known work, A History of British Birds, is innovative in its use of ecological ideas and field work and is written in a style akin to modern nature writing. From Sheffield, he moved to London and became a pivotal presence in the British Museum of Natural History. Towards the end of his life, he lost his son, Ted, a young playwright, in tragic circumstances. A contrarian and innovator, Henry Seebohm was a fascinating and complex character. Based on many unpublished journals, photographs and letters, Paul Hobson illuminates his amazing life through the grimy world of Sheffield steel and the complex and thorny scientific society of Victorian ornithology. Published 2025, 500 pages, full colour with many images never published before, hardback, 247x156mm. RRP £40 including p+p, UK only. If you live outside the UK please email me for a price for postage.
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