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Sowerby family

Sowerby family is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Sowerby family rather than just read about it. In short: The Sowerby family () was a British family of several generations of naturalists, illustrators, botanists, and zoologists active from the late 18th century to the mid twentieth century. James Sowerby (1757–1822) James De Carle Sowerby (1787–1871) James Sowerby (1815–1834) William Sowerby (1827–1906) Joseph Sowerby (1829–ca.1871) Rev.

Sowerby family — main illustration
Sowerby family — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Sowerby family belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Sowerby family to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Sowerby family from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Sowerby family () was a British family of several generations of naturalists, illustrators, botanists, and zoologists active from the late 18th century to the mid twentieth century.

James Sowerby (1757–1822) James De Carle Sowerby (1787–1871) James Sowerby (1815–1834) William Sowerby (1827–1906) Joseph Sowerby (1829–ca.1871) Rev. Arthur Sowerby (1857–?) Arthur de Carle Sowerby (1885–1954) George Brettingham Sowerby I (1788–1854) George Brettingham Sowerby II (1812–1884) Charlotte Caroline Sowerby (1820–1865) George Brettingham Sowerby III (1843–1921) Charles Edward Sowerby (1795–1842) John Edward Sowerby (1825-1870)

The three George Sowerbys produced major works on molluscs and their systematics. Together, they introduced numerous (sometimes the number 5000 is mentioned) taxonomic names. Because all three of the G.B Sowerbys published extensively on the subject of conchology, it is not easy even for professional taxonomists to unravel which of the three "G.B. Sowerbys" is meant in a particular citation when the numbering system G.B. Sowerby I, II, or III is not used. Even when a date is provided, this kind of attribution is not obvious: e.g. "Sowerby, 1870" can refer to either G.B. Sowerby II or G.B. Sowerby III. The scientific and artistic contributions of the family extended well into the 20th century. Arthur de Carle Sowerby (1885–1954), James Sowerby's great-great-grandson, explored the geography and natural history of China. One of James' grandsons, John George Sowerby (1850–1914), was an illustrator and glass-worker whose work was exhibited in the British Royal Academy, and who directed Ellison Glass Works Ltd, which during the 1880s was the world's largest producer of pressed glass. John G. Sowerby's daughter Katherine Githa (1876–1970) became a noted playwright, and Millicent Sowerby (1878–1967) was a painter and illustrator known for her children's book illustrations.

References

Who were the Sowerbys? by Katherine V. W. Palmer, Internet Hawaiian Shell News, January 2002, pp. 17 – 24. Reprint of Hawaiian Shell News, Nov. 1965, pp. 4ff. Available on a CD of back issues of HSN, ISSN 1543-6039. Papers on the Sowerby Family. Journal of the Society for the Bibliography of Natural History. 6 (6):380-559. 1974. Sowerby, Arthur de Carle (1952). The Sowerby saga, being a brief account of the origin and genealogy of the Sowerby family and of its history from earliest times down to the present; based upon recent research into available extant literature. Washington, D.C. OCLC 38667537.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) Collins, John (1973). A note on the history of the Sowerby family archive: together with a short title catalogue of natural history works written or illustrated by members of the family. London: J.S. Seaton. OCLC 22696413.

External links The Sowerby Collection (1739-1985), National Archives of the United Kingdom Sowerby Family Collection, Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas Thesaurus conchyliorum, or, Monographs of genera of shells; Sowerby, G. B. (George Brettingham), 1812-1884 & Sowerby, G. B. (George Brettingham), 1843-1921

Illustrations

Sowerby family illustration
Sowerby family: Family grave of George Brettingham Sowerby I, Charlotte Caroline Sowerby and George Brettingham Sowerby II in Highgate Cemetery
Family grave of George Brettingham Sowerby I, Charlotte Caroline Sowerby and George Brettingham Sowerby II in Highgate Cemetery

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Sowerby family

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Sowerby family claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Sowerby family before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Sowerby family ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Sowerby family

In research
Sowerby family appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Sowerby family in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Sowerby family is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Artist families, British families, British naturalists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Sowerby family outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Sowerby family in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Sowerby family means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Sowerby family out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Sowerby family in simple terms?

The Sowerby family () was a British family of several generations of naturalists, illustrators, botanists, and zoologists active from the late 18th century to the mid twentieth century. James Sowerby (1757–1822) James De Carle Sowerby (1787–1871) James Sowerby (1815–1834) William Sowerby (1827–1906…

Why does Sowerby family matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Sowerby family?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Sowerby family.

Tags

  • Artist families
  • British families
  • British naturalists
  • Burials at Highgate Cemetery
  • Scientific families

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