William Ick

William Ick (1800 – 23 September 1844) was an English botanist and geologist.^[1] In 1837 he won a prize offered by the United Committee of the Birmingham Botanical and Warwickshire Floral Societies for the best herbarium, known as a hortus siccus, of native plants collected within 10 miles (16 km) of Birmingham within a one-year period from 1 August 1836.^[2]

William Ick
Portrait of William Ick (Birmingham Museums, accession number 1964F109)
Born	1800 (1800) Newport, Shropshire, United Kingdom
Died	23 September 1844(1844-09-23) (aged 43–44)
Occupation(s)	Botanist, geologist

The frontispiece, catalogue and one herbarium sheet from Ick's herbarium, held in Birmingham Museums

Sample of Ick's handwriting on a herbarium sheet in Birmingham Museums

Early life

Ick was born at Newport in Shropshire in 1800. In 1803 his family moved to Birmingham. His father was a dealer in skins and hides.^[3]

Education

He was awarded a Ph.D. in Geology from a German university.^[2]

Career

Ick was a tutor at a school near Warwick before becoming the first curator of the Birmingham Philosophical Institution.^[2]

Contribution to botany

In 1835 the United Committee of the Birmingham Botanical and Warwickshire Floral Societies offered a prize for the best herbarium of native plants collected within a 10 miles radius of central Birmingham between 1 August 1836 and 1 August 1837.^[2] Ick won this prize with a herbarium of around 320 pressed plants and published his findings.^[4] In 1948 Ick's herbarium was presented to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery after being lost for over a century^[2]