The Digital Ark :: Charles Dubois

The Digital Ark: Early Modern Collections of Curiosities in England and Scotland, 1580-1700

Charles Dubois (bap. 1658 - 1740)

Botanist and treasurer for the East India Company. He was associated with other collectors, such as Petiver and Sloane. In a list of collectors, Emanuel Mendes da Costa comments, "The collection of the famous Charles Dubois, esq. remains in the family, viz. in the hands of Peter Uraldo, esq. of Mitcham, in Surrey, (N. B. MSS, about 1760, when I saw it.)" (205). Later in the same document, he alters his account slightly:

Mr. Charles Dubois died between 1735 and 1740, very aged. His heirs were Mr. Waldo, who married his niece, and her sister. Was a great and celebrated botanist, and had an excellent botanic garden to his house on the upper green, where the fair it kept, at Mitcham, in Surry [sic]. He had collections of shells, fossils, &c. of which I saw some at Mr. Waldo's, junior, about 1760 (207).

The ODNB states that "Dubois bequeathed his books, his herbarium, and all his other curiosities to his brother-in-law Ebenezer Dubois." It may be that portions of the collection went to both Ebenezer Dubois and to Peter Waldo. His dried plants (seventy-four folio volumes containing some thirteen-thousand specimens) form part of the herbarium at the Oxford Botanic Garden (ODNB). Dictionary of National Biography entry: http://www.oxforddnb.com.cyber.usask.ca/view/article/8113?docPos=1 Other biography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Dubois_(treasurer) Botanist
Collector
Donator of object(s)
Relationships: Charles Dubois was a donor to William Courten (28 Mar 1642-26 Mar 1702)
Charles Dubois was a employed by East India Company (1600-)
Charles Dubois was a associate or acquaintance (general) of James Petiver (c. 1665-Apr 1718)
Charles Dubois was a associate or acquaintance (general) of Hans Sloane (1660-1753)
Charles Dubois was a member of Temple Coffee House club (-)
Charles Dubois was a father-in-law of Peter Waldo (-)

Edward Bulkley (-10 Aug 1714) was a correspondent of Charles Dubois
James Cuninghame (17th c.-1709) was a associate or acquaintance (general) of Charles Dubois
James Cuninghame (17th c.-1709) was a source of object(s) for Charles Dubois
Ebenezer Dubois (-) was a brother-in-law of Charles Dubois
Peter Waldo (-) was a recipient of object(s) from Charles Dubois
Linked print sources: as Mentioned or referenced by - Notices and Anecdotes of Literati, Collectors, &c. from a MS. by the late Mendes De Costa, and Collected Between 1747 and 1788.
References in Documents:

Petiver, Musei Petiveriani (1695-1703) A. 9. Scarabæus pediculosus nob. List. append. Tab. 6. fig. 11. Melanocyanæus Mof. 160. fig. id. A. 1013. Pilularius Melanocyanæus Mer. 201. The black and blue Beetle. Mus. R.S. 169. The lousie Beetle. These in Aug. Sept. &c. are often seen flying about in the Evening: The Males have a Copper lustre, and the Females a green; as Mr. Charles Du-Bois, a very curious Observer, and my highly esteemed Friend informs me.

Petiver, Musei Petiveriani (1695-1703) * A. 79. Musc. crustaceus leprosus scutellaris cinereus. Mr. Pool's Ash=coloured Leprous=moss. Found by him on some Rocks near Nottinghamshire, which I have seen since gathered by Mr. Charles Du-bois about Tunbridge.

Petiver, Musei Petiveriani (1695-1703) A. 129. Echinites spatagodes Siliceus, punctis circulis foraminatus. E. præter radios & annulis duplicatis insignitus List. H. A. 224. Fig. 28. Plot. H. Oxon. I had this from my worthy Friend Mr. Charles Du Bois, who found it about Mitcham in Surrey.

Petiver, Musei Petiveriani (1695-1703) ☞ 267. Lychnis viscosa aizoides fl. minimo è Rhodes an L. marina, pusilla, Alsines folio crasso, minori, glutinoso, polyanthos Hort. Catholic? This Mr. Charles Du Bois raised (from Seed I gave him) at his Garden at Mitcham, where it Flowered with him from August till October, 1697.

Petiver, Musei Petiveriani (1695-1703) 624. Buglossam polyanthos Chiense fol. longiore. This my hearty and kind Friend Mr. Samuel Daniel Surgeon, brought me from the Island of Scio, I have also seen it with Mr. Du Bois at Mitcham, and in our Physick Garden at Chelsey.

Petiver, Musei Petiveriani (1695-1703) 676. Rapunculus Doriæ folio piloso ex Insula Joannis. For this and the following I am obliged to my worthy Friend Mr. Charles Du-Bois.

Petiver, Musei Petiveriani (1695-1703) 694. Verbenaca Mariana Rosæ Chinensis folio, seminibus deorsum tendentibus. The only specimen I ever saw of this Plant, Mr. Charles Du-Bois was pleased to give me, collected by Mr. Will. Vernon in Maryland.

Petiver, Musei Petiveriani (1695-1703) 796. Randalia Madraspat. Graminis folio globulifer. This elegant Plant was first collected by Mr. Randal a Gardner at Fort St. George and sent to my worthy Friend Mr. Charles Du-Bois.

Petiver, Musei Petiveriani (1695-1703) 855. Adiantum pumilum, segmentis angustioribus rigidis, ex Insula S. Helenæ. This I had from my worthy Friend Mr. Charles Dubois.

Petiver, Gazophylacii Naturæ (1702-1706) TAB: XIV

[Fig: figures of objects in Table 14] To Mr. CHARLES DU BOIS Treasurer of the EAST-INDIA Company, This Table is humbly dedicated by JAMES PETIVER, F. R. S.

Petiver, Gazophylacii Naturæ (1702-1706) The Curious Mr Charles Du Bois gave me some years since a lesser of this

Petiver, Gazophylacii Naturæ (1702-1706) TAB. LXIV

[Fig: figures of objects in Table 64] To Mr CHARLES DU BOIS, Treasurer of the EAST INDIA Company, This Table is humbly Dedicated by JAMES PETIVER, F. R. S.