Career

Collecting localities

Collections

Literature

Biographical data

 

Cheesman, Lucy Evelyn

 

(Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 1: Cyclopaedia of collectors)

(Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 5: Cyclopaedia of collectors, Supplement I)

(Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 8: Cyclopaedia of collectors, Supplement II)

 

Born: 1881, Westwell, Kent, England. Died: 1969, Highwood, near Chelmsford, Essex, England.

 

career:

Entomologist who attended a two years’ course at the Imp. College of Science, London. In 1924 she collected in Tahiti, in 1930/31 in the New Hebrides, and from 1933 onwards she made three New Guinea expeditions (see below) under the auspices of the British Museum. About 1954 she was collecting in the New Hebrides.

The moss Spiridens cheesmanniae was named after her.

 

Collecting localities:5

SE. New Guinea, Papua, 1933-34.1 Port Moresby (Apr. 14, 1933); making base camp at Kokoda (Apr. 21) in NE. Division, Owen Stanley Range, 1200 ft; making a trip to Buna, some mountain trips (Ishurava, Orori) reaching 6000 ft alt.; leaving for Buna and sailing (Oct. 27) for Samarai, visiting some small islands (e.g. Ebomi Isl., E. Division) in Nov.; returning to Port Moresby; Yule Isl. (30) ; from the coast to base camp at Range View in the Mafulu Distr., visiting Mt Tafa (c. 8000 ft) twice (in total 24 days), collecting at Mafulu, Mondo, near Ononge, etc.; back to Range View, Deva Deva, Kabuna, Boroka; Yule Isl.; Port Moresby (end of Apr. 1934).-Dutch N. New Guinea, 1936.2 Arrival at Hollandia (Febr.); making trip inland to Njau through the swamp country behind Mt Bougainville as far as Mt Nomo, S of the Yjapo Mts on the boundary, with Mr Stüber (see there) from Febr. 10-24; making camps on Cyclop(s) Mts, e.g. on Mt Lina (Apr.); camps at c. 2000 ft and at 2500-3000 ft, both in the vicinity of Sabron (remaining 3 months); Iffar, from where exploring the neighbourhood of Lake Sentani; about the middle of Sept. leaving Dutch territory by proa for a coastal voyage to Aitape in Mand. Terr. of New Guinea; Sydney (end of Nov.). Dutch New Guinea, 1938-39.3 Waige(o)u: Saonek (March 21, 1938); encamped on Mt Nok, collecting on the summit; Go, Lam-lam; Japen: Seroei (arriving Aug. 10); moving to camp on Mt Amomi (18) on 1000 ft on Aiam Range; to camp on Mt Eiori (Sept. 19); crossed to Mt Oude (2000 ft) (Nov. 8, camping until 11); return to camp Mt Eiori; by steamer (Dec. 1) to Hollandia; from Jan. 16-Febr. 15, 1939, making a collection for the South Australian Museum, Adelaide, in the Torricelli Mts (NE. New Guinea, Mand. Terr.); returning to Aitape, and walking to Vanimo (arriving March 19), exploring the Bewani mountains on the border between the Mandated Territory and Dutch N. New Guinea about 12 miles inland until June 31; returning to England via Makassar, Sumatra and Ceylon.

 

collections:4

Herb. Brit. Mus. [BM]; Herb. Kew [K]: from Owen Stanley Range (coll. 1933-34), and coil. of grasses with notes on those suitable for stock; also dupl. in Herb. Arn. Arbor. [A].

The botanical specimens, collection 1933/34, were attacked by rats. In Dutch New Guinea she specially collected cryptogams.

 

literature:

(1) L.E. Cheesman: ‘The two roads of Papua’ (London, Jarrolds); ‘An expedition to the mountains of Papua’ (Nat. Hist. Mag. (Br. Mus.) 5 (no 33), 1935, p. 19-37).

(2) L.E. Cheesman: ‘The Cyclops Mountains of Dutch New Guinea’ (Geogr. Journ. Lond. 91, 1938, p. 21-30, w. map and ill.).

‘The Land of the Red Bird’ (London 1938).

(3) L.E. Cheesman: ‘Two unexplored islands of Dutch New Guinea: Waigeu and Japen’ (Geogr. Journ. Lond. 95, 1940, p. 208-217, w. ill.).

(4) H.N. Dixon & W.R. Sherrin: ‘On a small collection of mosses from New Guinea, with a revision of the genus Spiridens’ (Ann. Bryol. 10, 1937, p. 16-19).

Ferns by A.H.G. Alston in Journ. Bot. 78, 1940, p. 225-229.

Figs by V.S. Summerhayes in Journ. Arn. Arbor. 22, 1941, p. 81-109.

(5) L.E. Cheesman: ‘Camping adventures in New Guinea’ (w. ill.) (non vidi).

L.E. Cheesman: ‘Old mountains of New Guinea’ (Nature 1951, p. 597); ‘Things worth while’ (1957) (n.v.).

 

biographical data:

Who’s who; E. Cheesman, Things worth while, 1957, with portr. (n.v.); New Scientist 6, 1959, p. 80-81; Entom. Monthly Mag. 105, 1969, p. 217-219.