Mary Pirie

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Mary Pirie
Born20 January 1822
Cotton Lodge, Aiberdeen
Dee'd8 February 1885
Portsoy
ThriftBotanist; Teacher

Mary Pirie (20 January 1822 – 8 February 1885) wis a Scots botanist an teacher.[1]

Biography[eedit | eedit soorce]

Pirie wis born in Cotton Lodge, Aiberdeen on 20 Januar 1822 tae Clementina Anderson an William Pirie, a carpet manufacturer.[1] She wis ane of ten bairns. In 1840, the faimly flittit tae Portsoy where Pirie dee'd on 8 Februar 1885.

Thrift[eedit | eedit soorce]

Pirie wis a botanist an communicator o science. Wi her scrievit warks, she ettelt tae kittle up a luve o science an natur in aa fowk an tae shaw that makkin observes o flouerin plants wisnae for the upper clesses juist. As weel as scrievin popular science buiks on botany, she haed her ain column furthset ilka week in The Banffshire Reporter.[2]

Front board o Pirie's 1860 buik Flowers, Grasses and Shrubs; a popular book on botany

Pirie's first buik Flowers, Grasses and Shrubs; a popular book on botany wis furthset an wis cried "a beautiful book for a present" bi ane reviewer. The buik descrivit plants an hou tae ken them. Aa the illustations war pentit bi Pirie an war gien wi mony o her ain poesy. Her neist buik, furthset in 1864, Familiar teachings on natural history wis in her ain wirds wis for tae "encourage and aid youth in the study of animated nature".

Syne, she bade in Portsoy, an wis the dominie o her ain schule, on Auld Cullen Street. Acause her schule duin sae weel, anither wis stertit on Durn Road, but she didna kep weel eneuch tae teach there hersel. She dee'd in Portsoy on 8 February 1885 an wis yirdit in St Nicholas Cemetery in Aiberdeen.[3] She wis pairt o the Dorcas Society an St John's Church o Portsoy.[2]

Furthset Warks[eedit | eedit soorce]

Flowers, Grasses, and Shrubs: a popular book on botany (1860) James Blackwood, Lunnon. 388pp[4]

Familiar Teachings on Natural History: A Book for the Use of Schools and Families (1864) Lewis Smith, Aiberdeen. 198pp[5]


References[eedit | eedit soorce]

  1. a b Ewan, E.; Innes, S.; Reynolds, S.; Pipes, R. The new biographical dictionary of Scottish women (in Inglis). Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. p. 292. ISBN 9781474436281.
  2. a b "Mary Pirie, Authoress". "Aberdeen journal" notes and queries. [Aberdeen, Scotland] : "Aberdeen Daily Journal" Office. 1: 15. 1908.
  3. "Death of Miss Mary Pirie". Banffshire Reporter. 14 Februar 1885.
  4. Pirie, Mary. (1860). Flowers, grasses, and shrubs: a popular book on botany. Lunnon: James Blackwood.
  5. Pirie, Mary (1864). Familiar Teachings on Natural History: A Book for the Use of Schools and Families (in Inglis). Aiberdeen: Lewis Smith.