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Linnean Society,London,Certificates of Fellows, Foreign members and associates, 1891-7. 96.09.11

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to the Linnean Society of London, 1896-09-11. R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells (eds), Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, <https://vmcp.rbg.vic.gov.au/id//letters/1890-6/1896/96-09-11-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

1
M autograph manuscript and signature; other supporters' individual signatures.
Melbourne
11 Sept 1896.
We the undersigned beg to propose
Ernest J. Bickford Esqr Vice President of the Natural History Society, Perth, West-Australia for the Fellowship of the Linnean Society of London, to which honor he is fairly entitled by his zeal for the elucidation of the West-Australian Flora.
Ferd von Mueller from personal knowledge
J. G. Luehmann F.L.S
Chas French F.L.S.
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Charles French Snr.
Annotated front: Read 5 November 1896 | Ballot 3 December 1896
back: Ernest Bickford | elected 3rd Decr 1896. The file includes the obligation form signed by Bickford, undertaking to pay the fees while he remained a member.
Bickford was removed from the list of Fellows by the Council during the 1918-19 session (Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London, session 1918-19, p 17). Bickford was serving in France at the time as a member of the Australian Infantry Forces!
A newspaper clipping, without stated source but now identified as being from the Inquirer and commercial news (Perth, WA), 8 January 1897, p. 12, is attached, announcing Bickford's intention, 'at the instance of the late Baron von Mueller', to form a society, open to all, to promote the preservation of the western Australian flora. The society was called the Mueller Botanical Society; it later evolved into the Royal Society of Western Australia.
The same edition of the newspaper reported, on p. 9:
Some time ago we mentioned that the late Baron von Mueller, just prior to his death, had recommended to the Horticultural Society, London, Mr. Ernest J. Bickford, of this city, as a fellow. Mr. Bickford has just received the papers notifying his election. The late Baron was well acquainted with the work done in Victoria by Mr. Bickford, particularly in his study and lectures on orchids.
The earlier article referred to has not been found in that title; however, a notice of a lecture by Bickford in a newspaper also owned by the proprietors of the Inquirer and commercial news included the comment 'It may not be without interest to mention that one of the last acts of the late Baron Von Meuller (sic) was to recommend Mr. Bickford for a fellowship of the Linnean Society' (Daily news (Perth, WA) 22 October 1896, p. 5. It is possible that the Inquirer and commercial news confused the Horticultural Society with the Linnean Society, since FLS was the only post-nominal Bickford used in his listing as President of the Mueller Botanical Society (Journal of Proceedings of the Mueller Botanical Society, vol. 1[1], 1899, title page). The 19th-century nomination forms of Fellows of the Royal Horticultural Society have not been preserved, so Bickford's reported nomination and election cannot be verified.