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waldroni (1 Viewer)

Taphrospilus

Taphrospilus

Well-known member
I think this entry in the key...

Frances Waldron (fl. 1935) British zoologist at BMNH, collector in West Africa 1934-1935 (subsp. Anthoscopus flavifrons).
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... is wrong.

According OD here:

I have much pleasure in naming this bird after Miss Fanny Waldron, who accompanied Mr. Lowe to the Gold Coast and who has been instrumental in obtaining many valuable specimens-particularly of fish-for the Zoological Departments of the British Museum.
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I have no more information on her apart from the fact that Miss Waldron’s Red Colobus Piliocolobus badius waldroni Hayman, 1936 carries her name as well. The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals do not even mention her first name.
 
James Jobling said:
Fanny is a pet form of Frances (more popular in the 19th century).
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Is there any evidence that Fanny was not her actual name rather than a "pet" name? Even if was a pet name, there are other possibilities than Frances. Quite a few English Waldrons seem to have been called Fanny according to Census records.
 
Sorry guys, nothing (major) found on Miss Frances/Fanny Waldron, simply for completeness sake ...

Lowe, W. P. 1937. Report on the Lowe-Waldron Expedition to the Ashanti Forest and Northern Territories of The Gold Coast. The Ibis 14 (1): Part I, pp.345-368 (in post #4), Part II, pp.635-662 (here).

In the Book Yellow fever, by G. K. Strode, et al,‎ 1951, we find the following short piece:
One of these is the story of Miss Fanny WALDRON. This lady as a hobby had been accustomed to lead expeditions to the tropics to collect specimens for the British (Natural History) Museum. In 1934, when well past the age of 60, she conducted an expedition to the Gold Coast and there in the forest region south-west of Kumasi she shot a monkey which was the first in Africa to be found with immune bodies to yellow fever. Incidentally, it was also a red colobus new to science and its skin and skull now repose at South Kensington as the type of a new species, Colobus badius waldroni.
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If true, who knows? That´s the only thing I´ve found, somewhat closing in on her age/years ... if so, born in about 1870 !?

Björn

PS. Also see the book Animal Crackers, by Hannah Tinti (2012/15), here. "On the steamship to Africa, Miss Waldron posed as Willoughby Lowe's personal secretary. This did not fool anyone. ...". If fiction or not, serious or gossips alt. tall stories or pure nonsense, is beyond my understanding. Use your own judgement ... ;)
 
Martin, maybe ... or maybe not. There's an abundance of namesakes "out there", in about those years!

Did you find any connection to; West Africa, British Museum, or Ghana, etc., etc., on that particular one? Or to Willoughby Lowe?

Otherwise; it´s just a guessing game.
 
Calalp said:
Otherwise; it´s just a guessing game.
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I agree but I would state the same is valid for Frances. Or did anyone find Frances in context with Gold Coast and/or Willoughby Prescott Lowe?


Anyway according here there is as well a fish probably with her name:

Labeobarbus bynni waldroni (Norman 1935)
probably in honor of Fanny Waldron, a collector for the British Museum (Natural History), who collected type [although Norman named Waldron in his paper, he did not explicitly state that this species was named for her, therefore amendment of spelling to “waldronae” (which reflects correct gender) is not recommended]
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If James claim it´s Miss Frances Waldron (even if nick-named "Fanny") I believe he´s got far better info than guesses. ;)

However; I´ve got nothing more, than what´s been said in this thread this far.

Good luck finding her in full!

Björn
 
If so I am curious about this reliable source. Till now I failed to find her in any expedition report/result as Frances. But I must admit I haven't read The trail that is always new (1932) and/or The end of the trail (1947) from Lowe. Possible that he mentioned here at least his his last book. The first was published before the expedition with Miss Waldron.
 
A very well researched Familysearch page by Graham Dalgleish has found that Fannie Waldron was born on 5 June 1876 (at Poughley Park, East Garston Woodlands, Berkshire, England). At birth she was not registered as Frances but as Fanny. She used Fannie on all documents throughout her life.

Parents: Walter Brind Waldron & Marian Waldron (nee Wood)

Walter Brind was a farming mogul with huge farms in East Africa and Patagonia (the Patagonian Sheep Farming Company Ltd). Many of the vast farms and Estancias bought were registered in his family's names and many in Fannies. One Estancia El Condor still operates as a B&B today.

Following her father's death in 1913, she inherited both a share of the £144,000 estate and a share of the companies making her a very wealthy woman. Using this wealth and family connections she financed and led several BM(NH) expeditions.

She was living at 26 Moore Street, Kensington in 1939 (just around the corner from the BM(NH). She traveled to East Africa, Patagonia, Hawaii, Nigeria, the West Indies (and several other spots) in the 20s and 30s as a manager of her father's business interests. She died 29 Oct 1959 in Worthing, Sussex still very wealthy with a £99,000 estate.
 
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PScofield said:
A very well researched Familysearch page by Graham Dalgleish has found that Fannie Waldron was born on 5 June 1876 (at Poughley Park, East Garston Woodlands, Berkshire, England). At birth she was not registered as Frances but as Fanny. She used Fannie on all documents throughout her life.

Parents: Walter Brind Waldron & Marian Waldron (nee Wood)

Walter Brind was a farming mogul with huge farms in East Africa and Patagonia (the Patagonian Sheep Farming Company Ltd). Many of the vast farms and Estancias bought were registered in his family's names and many in Fannies. One Estancia El Condor still operates as a B&B today.

Following her father's death in 1913, she inherited both a share of the £144,000 estate and a share of the companies making her a very wealthy woman. Using this wealth and family connections she financed and led several BM(NH) expeditions.

She was living at 26 Moore Street, Kensington in 1939 (just around the corner from the BM(NH). She traveled to East Africa, Patagonia, Hawaii, Nigeria, the West Indies (and several other spots) in the 20s and 30s as a manager of her father's business interests. She died 29 Oct 1959 in Worthing, Sussex still very wealthy with a £99,000 estate.
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The link to Familysearch goes to Fanny Waldron but does not provide the information you have given. Is there a different page? The one I see has a few errors - like Lowe naming the monkey which he didn't.
 
PScofield said:
Fantastic, beautifully researched, account Malcolm - I hope we can find a photo someday of Fannie in the field!!

Cheers Paul
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Thanks Paul. Yes, there must be photographs somewhere surely??? Part of the difficulty in identifying her is that although Lowe mentioned her by name in his early accounts of the Gold Coast expeditions, she is simply referred to as 'my companion' in The End of The Trail. The only clue that she was there was in each photograph 'Photograph by F Waldron'. Why? I am writing this bit up as a separate article. Best wishes, Malcolm
 

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