Florence Annie Mockeridge

Florence Annie Mockeridge (15 September 1889 – 18 December 1958) was a British botanist and university professor.

Mockeridge was a lecturer at King's College, London, 1917-1922, and lecturer (and later professor) at University College Swansea (now Swansea University) 1922-1954. She was also a Linnean Society Fellow. Her research output included significant work on growth promoting substances.

Research and early career Mockeridge studied at Woolwich Polytechnic and King’s College, London where she graduated with first-class honours in both the Pass and Honours degrees (1909 and 1910 respectively). She was awarded the Carter Gold Medal of King’s College. In 1917 Mockeridge earned a doctor of science degree (D.Sc. London) for her research on nitrogen fixation by Azotobacter and on the auximones of natural manures. This research, conducted with Prof W. B. Bottomley, involved Mockeridge organising numerous trials using peat as a medium.

Research she undertook during this period demonstrated the presence in natural manures of nucleic acid degradation products, including the purine bases, and examined their growth-promoting activities.

University College of Swansea In 1922 Mockeridge took up a post as independent lecturer in Botany in charge of the Department of Biology at the newly established University College of Swansea (now Swansea University).

At Swansea, over a period of thirty-two years, she built up the reputation of the honours degree in Botany and supervised work carried out by a succession of research students. This was achieved in circumstances that were far from ideal – with a small staff, inadequate facilities and temporary accommodation.

Beyond the university, Mockeridge was a sought after lecturer throughout South Wales. She was also, for many years, editor of the Proceedings of the Swansea Field Naturalists' Society. After retiring, she became Chair of the Science Committee of the National Museum of Wales and a member of the Glantawe Hospital Management Committee.

She died on 18 December 1958 at the age of sixty-nine.

To this day, students at Swansea University compete for the Florence A Mockeridge Prize in Botany.