- Also known as
-
William Bollaert
-
primary name: Bollaert, William
- Details
- individual; scientist/engineer; collector; British; Male
- Life dates
- 1807-1876
- Biography
- Writer, chemist, geographer, ethnologist, antiquarian and traveller. Trained in chemistry and became laboratory assistant at the Royal Institution at age thirteen, working for several eminent scientists including Michael Faraday, making several original discoveries about benzoic acid and publishing in the 'Journal of the Royal Institution'; forced to pursue a more lucrative career after father became blind. Sailed to Peru age eighteen and worked in Tarapacá’s mining industry; surveyed the mining district for the Peruvian government; first Englishman to cross the Atacama Desert. In 1830, returned to England but was unsuccessful in applying for an assistantship at King’s College London, so abandoned academia. In 1833 assisted Maria II Portugal in her reclaim of the throne, receiving the Portuguese War Medal and becoming Knight of the Order of the Tower and Sword. 1842-1844 travelled through the Republic of Texas preparing a report for the British Admiralty and also writing his own journals. Returned to London until again travelling to South America in 1854, visiting Panama, Ecuador, Peru and Chile; collections were likely accumulated in this period due to lack of financial prosperity during earlier visits. Extensive publications throughout his life. ‘William Bollaert’s Texas,’ a collection of his Texas journals published posthumously, remains an important source of information on the Republic of Texas. Died 15 November, 1876 in London.
See Christy Correspondence (file B) Memo of Peruvian Antiquities - Mr Bollaert(AOA 1855,1211.. (with pencilled prices).
See also Christy Correspondence Wm Bollaert, Feby 1863 - List of Ancient Indian Pottery from the North coast of Ecuador. (AOA 1863,0416.1-20)
- Bibliography
- Bollaert, William 1860. Antiquarian, ethnological, and other researches in New Granada, Equador, Peru and Chile: with observations on the pre-Incarial, Incarial and other monuments of Peruvian nations. London: Trübner & Co.
Bollaert, William et al.1861. The expedition of Pedro de Ursua & Lope de Aguirre in search of El Dorado and Omagua in 1560-1 / Translated from Fray Pedro Simon's "Sixth historical notice of the conquest of tierra firm. London : Printed for the Hakluyt Society
