Chalmers, James B.   (1841 - 1901)

Born in 1841, in Ardrishaig, Scotland; died on April 8 1901, Island of Goaribari, S. coast PNG.

The family moved to Inveraray when James was seven. There he went to the local school, and then to grammar school for about a year when he was 13.

Then he was employed in a lawyer's office at Inveraray, and before he was 20 decided to become a missionary.

From 1866 he was a missionary of Raratonga (Cook Islands); in 1877 he set out for New Guinea by way of New Zealand and Australia.

He made numerous New Guinea travels, on the last of which he was murdered by cannibals.

Author of several books and smaller publications relating to his travels.

Appendicula chalmersiana F.v.M., Aglaia chalmersii C.DC., etc. were named after him.

Source: Extracted from:
van Steenis (ed) 'Flora Malesiana - Cyclopaedia of Collectors', Djakarta, (1950) p.102
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Chalmers_%28missionary%29
Portrait Photo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Chalmers_%28missionary%29

Collecting localities for 'Chalmers, J.' from AVH (2024)

Data from 872 specimens