John Paul Wellington Furse CB, OBE, VMH was an English Naval Officer and, along with his wife, Polly, a botanical artist, plant collector and plant hunter for the Royal Horticultural Society.
His name at birth was John Paul Wellington Furse. He went by the name Paul. He was a son of portrait painter Charles Wellington Furse and Dame Katharine (Symonds) Furse. His father died in the same week Paul was born.
He was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1918 when he was just aged 13. He started his naval education at the Royal Naval College, Osborne Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, in Devon, followed by the Royal Naval Engineering College in Keyham, Leicestershire in 1922. He rose through the ranks and served in World War II as a senior engineering officer.
Furse wed fellow artist Cicely "Polly" Rathbone on 7 April 1929 in London, England. They had a son, John Richard Furse, born in 1935.
From 1940-1943 he was an Assistant Naval Attaché for Europe and the Americas. He then served with 5th and 6th Submarine Flotillas of the Royal Navy between 1943- 1946. He was awarded Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in June 1946 and later served at the Royal Naval Air Station in Angus, Scotland.
In 1955 he was made a Rear-Admiral, and received the Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) award in 1958. His last post was as Director General of the Aircraft Department for the Admiralty (1958-1959). He retired from the naval service at age 55 in 1959.
After his naval career, he and his wife Polly continued their interests in painting (a Furse family pastime), focusing on plants, and collecting plant specimens. In the 1960s they participated in several botanical expeditions to Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan and Nepal, traveling overland by vehicle. Furse had a passion for painting and collecting specimens and had specialized knowledge of fritillaria, irises, daffodils, tulips, crocuses, colchicums, lilies and other bulbous plants. It is claimed that Furse illustrated nearly every known species of lily. He discovered unique species of iris and fritillaria and collected more than 4,200 plant specimens, including a new species Iris afghanica. The flower Campanula 'Paul Furse' was named for him.
Paul Furse was awarded 4 Royal Horticultural Society Gold medals for his paintings of plants between 1964 and 1968 and was awarded the Victoria Medal of Honour by the Royal Horticultural Society in 1965. The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew holds Paul Furse's field notes, botanical paintings, various specimens and over 700 of his illustrations. The Lindley Art Collection Horticultural Library holds over 800 of his water coloured illustrations.
The Furses made their home at Hegg Hill, Smarden. He died at Smarden, Ashford, Kent at age 73 in 1978. He was survived by his wife Polly and son John R. Furse.
(Sources: Wikipedia)
His name at birth was John Paul Wellington Furse. He went by the name Paul. He was a son of portrait painter Charles Wellington Furse and Dame Katharine (Symonds) Furse. His father died in the same week Paul was born.
He was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1918 when he was just aged 13. He started his naval education at the Royal Naval College, Osborne Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, in Devon, followed by the Royal Naval Engineering College in Keyham, Leicestershire in 1922. He rose through the ranks and served in World War II as a senior engineering officer.
Furse wed fellow artist Cicely "Polly" Rathbone on 7 April 1929 in London, England. They had a son, John Richard Furse, born in 1935.
From 1940-1943 he was an Assistant Naval Attaché for Europe and the Americas. He then served with 5th and 6th Submarine Flotillas of the Royal Navy between 1943- 1946. He was awarded Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in June 1946 and later served at the Royal Naval Air Station in Angus, Scotland.
In 1955 he was made a Rear-Admiral, and received the Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) award in 1958. His last post was as Director General of the Aircraft Department for the Admiralty (1958-1959). He retired from the naval service at age 55 in 1959.
After his naval career, he and his wife Polly continued their interests in painting (a Furse family pastime), focusing on plants, and collecting plant specimens. In the 1960s they participated in several botanical expeditions to Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan and Nepal, traveling overland by vehicle. Furse had a passion for painting and collecting specimens and had specialized knowledge of fritillaria, irises, daffodils, tulips, crocuses, colchicums, lilies and other bulbous plants. It is claimed that Furse illustrated nearly every known species of lily. He discovered unique species of iris and fritillaria and collected more than 4,200 plant specimens, including a new species Iris afghanica. The flower Campanula 'Paul Furse' was named for him.
Paul Furse was awarded 4 Royal Horticultural Society Gold medals for his paintings of plants between 1964 and 1968 and was awarded the Victoria Medal of Honour by the Royal Horticultural Society in 1965. The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew holds Paul Furse's field notes, botanical paintings, various specimens and over 700 of his illustrations. The Lindley Art Collection Horticultural Library holds over 800 of his water coloured illustrations.
The Furses made their home at Hegg Hill, Smarden. He died at Smarden, Ashford, Kent at age 73 in 1978. He was survived by his wife Polly and son John R. Furse.
(Sources: Wikipedia)
John Paul Wellington Furse CB, OBE, VMH was an English Naval Officer and, along with his wife, Polly, a botanical artist, plant collector and plant hunter for the Royal Horticultural Society.
His name at birth was John Paul Wellington Furse. He went by the name Paul. He was a son of portrait painter Charles Wellington Furse and Dame Katharine (Symonds) Furse. His father died in the same week Paul was born.
He was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1918 when he was just aged 13. He started his naval education at the Royal Naval College, Osborne Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, in Devon, followed by the Royal Naval Engineering College in Keyham, Leicestershire in 1922. He rose through the ranks and served in World War II as a senior engineering officer.
Furse wed fellow artist Cicely "Polly" Rathbone on 7 April 1929 in London, England. They had a son, John Richard Furse, born in 1935.
From 1940-1943 he was an Assistant Naval Attaché for Europe and the Americas. He then served with 5th and 6th Submarine Flotillas of the Royal Navy between 1943- 1946. He was awarded Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in June 1946 and later served at the Royal Naval Air Station in Angus, Scotland.
In 1955 he was made a Rear-Admiral, and received the Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) award in 1958. His last post was as Director General of the Aircraft Department for the Admiralty (1958-1959). He retired from the naval service at age 55 in 1959.
After his naval career, he and his wife Polly continued their interests in painting (a Furse family pastime), focusing on plants, and collecting plant specimens. In the 1960s they participated in several botanical expeditions to Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan and Nepal, traveling overland by vehicle. Furse had a passion for painting and collecting specimens and had specialized knowledge of fritillaria, irises, daffodils, tulips, crocuses, colchicums, lilies and other bulbous plants. It is claimed that Furse illustrated nearly every known species of lily. He discovered unique species of iris and fritillaria and collected more than 4,200 plant specimens, including a new species Iris afghanica. The flower Campanula 'Paul Furse' was named for him.
Paul Furse was awarded 4 Royal Horticultural Society Gold medals for his paintings of plants between 1964 and 1968 and was awarded the Victoria Medal of Honour by the Royal Horticultural Society in 1965. The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew holds Paul Furse's field notes, botanical paintings, various specimens and over 700 of his illustrations. The Lindley Art Collection Horticultural Library holds over 800 of his water coloured illustrations.
The Furses made their home at Hegg Hill, Smarden. He died at Smarden, Ashford, Kent at age 73 in 1978. He was survived by his wife Polly and son John R. Furse.
(Sources: Wikipedia)
His name at birth was John Paul Wellington Furse. He went by the name Paul. He was a son of portrait painter Charles Wellington Furse and Dame Katharine (Symonds) Furse. His father died in the same week Paul was born.
He was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1918 when he was just aged 13. He started his naval education at the Royal Naval College, Osborne Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, in Devon, followed by the Royal Naval Engineering College in Keyham, Leicestershire in 1922. He rose through the ranks and served in World War II as a senior engineering officer.
Furse wed fellow artist Cicely "Polly" Rathbone on 7 April 1929 in London, England. They had a son, John Richard Furse, born in 1935.
From 1940-1943 he was an Assistant Naval Attaché for Europe and the Americas. He then served with 5th and 6th Submarine Flotillas of the Royal Navy between 1943- 1946. He was awarded Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in June 1946 and later served at the Royal Naval Air Station in Angus, Scotland.
In 1955 he was made a Rear-Admiral, and received the Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) award in 1958. His last post was as Director General of the Aircraft Department for the Admiralty (1958-1959). He retired from the naval service at age 55 in 1959.
After his naval career, he and his wife Polly continued their interests in painting (a Furse family pastime), focusing on plants, and collecting plant specimens. In the 1960s they participated in several botanical expeditions to Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan and Nepal, traveling overland by vehicle. Furse had a passion for painting and collecting specimens and had specialized knowledge of fritillaria, irises, daffodils, tulips, crocuses, colchicums, lilies and other bulbous plants. It is claimed that Furse illustrated nearly every known species of lily. He discovered unique species of iris and fritillaria and collected more than 4,200 plant specimens, including a new species Iris afghanica. The flower Campanula 'Paul Furse' was named for him.
Paul Furse was awarded 4 Royal Horticultural Society Gold medals for his paintings of plants between 1964 and 1968 and was awarded the Victoria Medal of Honour by the Royal Horticultural Society in 1965. The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew holds Paul Furse's field notes, botanical paintings, various specimens and over 700 of his illustrations. The Lindley Art Collection Horticultural Library holds over 800 of his water coloured illustrations.
The Furses made their home at Hegg Hill, Smarden. He died at Smarden, Ashford, Kent at age 73 in 1978. He was survived by his wife Polly and son John R. Furse.
(Sources: Wikipedia)
Inscription
Rear Admiral / PAUL FURSE / C.B. O.B.E / 1904 - 1978 / and / POLLY FURSE / born CICELY RATHBONE / 1899 - 1991 / of Hegg Hill
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