Rash's Surname Index
Notes for Ezra MICHENER
Michener, Ezra (1794-1887)
Ezra Michener, botanist, was born in London Grove Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, November 24, 1794.
His parents were Mordecai and Alice Dunn Michener. His early education consisted of nothing beyond the rudiments of reading, writing and arithmetic with a smattering of bookkeeping, but he had an innate fondness for plants, though at that time there had been no botanical book for beginners either written or printed in America. After working on the farm until he was twenty-one, he went to Philadelphia to study medicine, graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1818. In 1816 he attended the lectures of Dr. Wm. P. C. Barton (q. v.) on botany, but there was -still no book for beginners. Shortly after graduation he began to practise near his birthplace, living in a log house, and several years later bought a small farm in New Garden Township, where he lived until his ninety-third year. The grounds about his house were planted with many rare trees, of which he was a great lover, and his coffin was made, by his wish, of boards from the trunk of a tree (Paulownia Im-perialis) which he had planted.
He wrote "Conchologia Cestrica" in collaboration with Dr. William D. Hortman and the preface seems to indicate that it was prepared at the suggestion of the Cabinet of Natural Science of Chester County. He also collected an extensive herbarium of Hystero-phyta (Fungi), and his collection of the mammalia, birds and reptiles of Chester County form a part of the collection at Swarthmore College.
Barton's "Flora Philadelphia;" was the first real botanical book Michener had for study, until Darlington published his "Florula Cestrica" in 1826, in which work Michener assisted. Darlington acknowledged his indebtedness to Michener in the collection and preparation of the Shallophyta for his "Flora Cestrica," referring to him as a naturalist of acumen, diligence and indomitable perseverance. He was greatly interested in cryptogams and did much good work in their collection and study. Fifteen books and twenty-three medical reprints stand to his credit, besides numerous articles. One of his books was "A Retrospect of Quakerism." He was an ardent member of New Garden Meeting (Hicksite Friends), and sat at the head of the meeting for many years. On the title page of "Conchologia Cestrica" is the quotation (written) "An undevout philosopher is mad," which was exactly Michener's idea. I knew him as a devout man, rich in knowledge and finding nothing trivial in nature but God in all. '
His reputation as an accoucheur was great in his locality. He assisted at my birth and in some families had attended five generations. I called on him the day before his death, July 23, and found this old man of ninety-three ready to show interest in my recent graduation in medicine and desired I should examine him to see how completely all cartilage had ossified, calling my attention particularly to his floating ribs. He asked me to come again and then said, "No, thee need not, for I shall not be here." He also spoke a little about death and his wish to be through with life.
In 1819 he married Sarah Spencer and had seven children. After her death, he married, in 1844, Mary S. Walton.
Among his correspondents were many of the most eminent scientists of his time, including Darlington, Rothrock, Curtis, Lining, Ravenel and Tuckerman.
Agassiz said of him "that he did not belong exclusively to Chester County, Pennsylvania, or America, but to the whole scientific world."
| HOME | EMAIL | SURNAMES |
Return to The Pennocks of Primitive Hall website.
The information in this database may contain errors. If you find any questionable data, or if you have something to add my findings, please feel free to e-mail me by clicking on the "E-MAIL" link above. Thank you!
Page built by Gedpage Version 2.21 ©2009 on 07 July 2020