Lot 2700
Robert Desmond Meikle was born on 18th May, 1923, in Newtownards, County Down, N.Ireland. His childhood in Ireland and his mother's love of nature fostered an early enthusiasm for botany. Known by his second name, Desmond, his formal education began early at the Royal Belfast Academy and led eventually to Trinity College, Dublin, where he gained 1st class honours in his chosen subject, law, and distinguished himself in the LlB examination. Throughout his University studies his obvious love for and knowledge of plants was encouraged by famous botanists of that era and with them he embarked upon plant recording in County Fermanagh; this led eventually to the recent publication (by others) of the Flora of County Fermanagh based upon the work done nearly 60 years previously.
Desmond's future was not to be in the field of law despite a visit to London for an interview with the Administrative Civil Service. This was followed by a fortuitous visit to Kew Botanical Gardens, where he had many contacts gained from his interest in plants, and where he was offered a place in the Herbarium, which he accepted, and which changed his life-plan for ever. In time he was appointed to the Africa department and in 1949 went to Nigeria for a Medicinal Plants Survey. Returning in 1950 he was promoted to take charge of the European and Middle Eastern department of the Herbarium which gave him a good grounding for his next appointment. The government of the time was committed to the production of a Flora of Cyprus and Desmond accepted the monumental task of compiling a detailed account of the unique flora of this island. This occupied him for the next thirty years when the outstanding 2-volume Flora was published. His work and travels in that country made a lasting impression and he came to love both Cyprus and the Cypriots despite having worked there in a very difficult period of the 1960's political upheavals.
Meanwhile he was appointed editor of the Kew series of Handbooks and author of two of the volumes. He was a council member of the Linnaean Society and also of the Botanical Society of the British Isles whilst holding a variety of offices in global scientific organisations which led to travels all over the world.
In 1982 he was a recipient of the Kew Medal which is inscribed "For Merit" given to those deserving of special honour and in June 1983 was awarded O.B.E. in the Queen's Birthday Honours. He retired from Kew after 37 years of distinguished service to botany and a career which made him renowned throughout the world. His lifelong attachment and respect for books is reflected in the diverse array of his life-long collection.
We are grateful to Jeanne Webb for this biography.
Barton, Richard. Lectures in Natural Philosophy, designed to be a foundation, for reasoning pertinently, upon the Petrifications, Gems, Crystals, and Sanative Quality of Logh Neagh in Ireland, first edition, engraved frontispiece, map and 5 plates, 3 of them folding, contemporary calf, extremities worn, 4to, Dublin: For the Author, 1751
