Background
Nelson, Ernest Charles was born on September 15, 1951 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Son of Robert Graham and Heather Maxwell Nelson.
Nelson, Ernest Charles was born on September 15, 1951 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Son of Robert Graham and Heather Maxwell Nelson.
Nelson was educated at Portora Royal School (Enniskillen), and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in botany at the Aberystwyth University. He then moved to Australia where he obtained a Doctor of Philosophy from the Australian National University (Canberra) in 1975, for his studies into the taxonomy and ecology of Adenanthos.
He is the author or editor of over 24 books and more than 150 research papers (usually signed East Charles Nelson). He was honorary editor of Archives of Natural History (the journal of the Society for the History of Natural History) between 1999 and 2012, and is honorary editor of Heathers (yearbook of The Heather Society). He then returned to Ireland, taking up the position of horticultural taxonomist at the Irish National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin (Dublin).
His interest in the history of Irish gardens and their plants continues, and he is co-president, with David Gilliland, of the Northern Ireland Heritage Gardens Committee which he was instrumental in establishing in 1980.
He writes frequently on Irish garden history for The Irish garden magazine. Since 1996 he has lived in Outwell, near Wisbech, in England and worked as a freelance botanist, author and editor, frequently leading botanical holidays especially to Crete.
His more recent publications include a biography of Doctor John Scouler, a Scottish naturalist who was Professor of Mineralogy to the Royal Dublin Society, published in June 2014 by the Glasgow Natural History Society. In April 2014 the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland issued Nelson"s biography of the botanical artist and plantsman, Lady Charlotte Wheeler-Cuffe.
Entitled Shadow among splendours: the adventures of Lady Charlotte Wheeler-Cuffe among the flowers of Burma 1897-1921.
The book is illustrated with examples of her paintings and lengthy extract from her correspondence to her mother. Between May 2012, in collaboration with David J. Elliott, Executive Director of the Catesby Commemorative Trust, Nelson edited the Trust"s book The curious Mister Catesby - a naturalist explores new worlds which is due to be published for the Trust by the University of Georgia Press in April 2015. On 5 February 2015 he was made a Trustee of the Catesby Commemorative Trust.
(The delicate and subtle watercolor drawings of Wendy Wals...)
President Heritage Gardens Committee Northern Ireland, since 1993. Chairman Irish Garden Plant Society, 1981-1985, 93-95. Chairman An Taisce Heritage Gardens Committee, 1985-1995.
Fellow Linnean Society London. Member Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation (associate), Botanical Society British Isles (editor 1990-1996), Society for History of Natural History (book review editor 1988-1992, Irish representative 1975-1995), Herb Society Southern Africa (honorary), Irish Garden Plant Society (honorary).
Married Susan Elizabeth Aspin Robinson, July 21, 1995.