Christine Foord (1922–2015, née McDermott) was a British entomologist and nature photographer.
Christine Foord | |
|---|---|
| Born | Christine Anita McDernott 3 February 1922 |
| Died | 5 January 2015 (aged 92) |
| Occupation(s) | Entomologist Photographer |
| Years active | 1950-1990 |
Biography
editChristine Anita Foord, known before her marriage in 1967 as Christine Anita McDermott, was born on 3 February 1922.[1] Foord's parents were journalist Gerald McDermott (1879–1965), and Lucy Ogilvie McDermott (née McDermott, 1882–1945).[2] Gerald and Lucy were cousins and had married in 1906.[2] Foord had an older brother named Andrew Walter McDermott (1913–1959).[3]
As Miss C.A. McDermott, Foord was elected a Member of the South London Entomological Society in 1950, with her particular field of study being listed as butterflies ["rh" or Rhopalocera].[4]
In 1953 Foord recorded the first known occurrence on the British list of the migrant butterfly Nymphalis xanthomelas, at Shipbourne in Kent:[5] she later gave her specimen to the Natural History Museum, London.[6]
In the 1950s-1960s, Foord lived at a McDermott family house that had once belonged to her great uncle Frederick (c.1856-1924) and great aunt Constance McDermott (c.1855-1930), "The Dene" at Borough Green in Kent.[4][7][8] In this period Foord was documented as contributing specimens and occurrence data to the South London Entomological Society, plus organising excursions.[9] Foord presented specimens of caddisfly species Chimarra marginata, Limnephilus sparsus and Limnephilus centralis that she had collected in Scotland to the Natural History Museum in 1960.[10][11][12]
Christine McDermott married Ronald Foord (1923–2000) in 1967.[13] As a couple, the Foords created an archive of around 1000 black and white negatives and 35,000 colour transparencies they had taken of plants and insects, including U.K. wildflowers:[14] they sometimes contributed their images to articles in the magazine Country Life.[15][16]
In the early 1970s the Foords were members of the council of the charity the Kent Trust for Nature Conservation, which later became the Kent Wildlife Trust.[17]
Christine Foord died at Brighton on 5 January 2015.[18]
References
edit- ^ "1939 England and Wales Register for Christine McDermott". ancestry.co.uk.
- ^ a b "London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1938 for Gerald McDermott". ancestry.co.uk.
- ^ "England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 for Andrew W McDermott". ancestry.co.uk.
- ^ a b "List of Members (Revised to 15th June 1957)". Proceedings and Transactions of the South London Entomological and Natural History Society: xvii. 1956 – via Archive.org.
- ^ Eeles, Peter (August 2010). "A Brief History of British and Irish Butterflies". www.dispar.org.
- ^ "Collection specimens - Specimens - BMNH(E)500272 - Data Portal". data.nhm.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
- ^ "Why not Charity Greetings Cards this Christmas? [Miss C. McDermott is mentioned selling charity cards for the Kent Naturalists' Trust, from the Dene, Borough Green]". Tonbridge Free Press. 23 October 1964. p. 6.
- ^ "West Kent District News: The Late Mrs McDermott". Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser. 22 August 1930. p. 10.
- ^ "Field Meetings, 1957: Wrotham, Kent, 23rd June 1957". Proceedings and Transactions of the South London Entomological and Natural History Society: 69. 1957 – via archive.org.
- ^ "Collection specimens - Specimens - NHMUK014567640 - Data Portal". data.nhm.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
- ^ "Collection specimens - Specimens - NHMUK014567233 - Data Portal". data.nhm.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
- ^ "Collection specimens - Specimens - NHMUK014565363 - Data Portal". data.nhm.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
- ^ "Christine A McDermott in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 [Marriage of Christine A McDermott and Ronald G Foord, October quarter 1967, Volume Number: 5a, Page number: 838]". ancestry.co.uk.
- ^ Wall, John, ed. (1977). Directory of British Photographic Collections: A Royal Photographic Society publication. Camera / Graphic Press. p. 82.
- ^ McCintock, David (15 August 1968). "Flowers of North-West Scotland". Country Life. pp. 373–376 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Grigson, Geoffrey (12 July 1984). "Dejeuner sur l'Herbe: Picnic Flowers of France". Country Life. pp. 108–109.
- ^ "Nature Preserved". Kent Evening Post. 12 October 1971. p. 2 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ England Probate Calendar for 2015: Foord, Christine Anita: date of death: 5 January 2015. Accessed through probatesearch.service.gov.uk