William West

William West, FLS (22 February 1848 – 14 May 1914) was an English pharmacist, botanist, microscopist and writer, particularly noted for his studies of freshwater algae. His sons, both botanists, were William West Jr with whom he did fieldwork, and George Stephen West with whom West co-wrote botanical publications for more than 20 years.

West was born in Leeds in the West Riding of Yorkshire. He was the son of a cloth-dresser and a dressmaker, and his training as a pharmacist was probably via an apprenticeship in a chemist shop, which would have involved the study of plants. For most of his life, West ran his own pharmacy in Bradford. He was self-trained in botany, and for some years he ran a microscopy partnership with Jean Claudius Tempère, selling slides.

In 1881 West published his first academic paper, "Bryological Notes". For much of his writing career, he collaborated with his son George Stephen, writing papers for journals, and publishing books. Research for that work involved travelling all over the British Isles. Bradford Technical College hired him as a biology lecturer, and he held that position until his retirement. He was a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, a president of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union, and a member of the British Association.

West married and had three children. He was buried in Scholemoor Cemetery, Bradford, with many students and friends following his funeral cortège.

Background West's father was George West (Leeds 1815 – Bradford 1889), a cloth dresser. His mother was dressmaker Mary Ann Rodgers (Leeds 1815 – Leeds March 1877). They married on 25 January 1846 at Leeds Parish Church (St Peter). The family was living at 8 Delph Terrace, Leeds, between 1851 and 1861. William West was born on 22 February 1848 near Woodhouse Moor in Leeds. He was the second of four siblings; at the age of 13 he was an errand boy. In 1872 he moved to Bradford. In 1881 the Census finds the family living at 14 Sherborne Road, Little Horton, Bradford. West describes himself as a master chemist and druggist, employing two men, including West's widowed father George as a chemist's assistant.

In 1874, West married his Woodhouse Moor neighbour Hannah Wainwright (Leeds 1851 – Leeds 9 March 1904), and they had two sons: William (1875–1901) and George Stephen (1876–1919); and a daughter May, an artist (born 1881). Both sons were botanists, but William died in India, aged 26 years.

West suffered from asthma, and ultimately died of heart failure on 14 May 1914 in Bradford. said of him: although another source states that he ran the shop until 1899. still describing himself as a lecturer in biology at the Municipal Technical College in 1911.

Botanical study and publishing At first, from 1878 to 1887, West published papers on roses, lichens and mosses. He also contributed to Lees' Flora of Yorkshire. W. Denison Roebuck commented:

Reviews The Sheffield Daily Telegraph reported: "Part 25 of the Transactions of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union has just been issued ... It contains the third instalment of the list of the known freshwater algae of the county, compiled by Messrs W. West and G.S. West. The fame of these two gentlemen as botanists needs no advertisement from us" (1901). The Salisbury and Winchester Journal reported that the Salisbury Microscopical Society was eagerly waiting for the third (1908) volume of the Monograph on the British Desmidiaceae, saying "the volume on British Desmidiaceae mentioned as being due for this year was not to hand yet" (1908). The Westminster Gazette commented: "Mr West was widely known in scientific circles for his work on the British Desmidiaceae undertaken in conjunction with his son Professor G.S. West, of Birmingham, and published by the Ray Society as one of their series of monographs. He was also an authority on the fresh-water algae, at which he worked extensively in Scotland. In these subjects he was a recognised expert; but he was no less an accomplished student of the great kingdom of biology in general" (1914).