The "Poor Hugh" Strickland Connections to Matthew, Darwin, Wallace and the Hookers of Kew: Ingredients for a silly conspiracy theory

Background: On a Small Sample Typical Darwinite Credulous Stupidity

Following Scottish press coverage of the bombshell historical discovery that Patrick Matthew's orignal and prior-published conception of macro-evolution by natural selection, had - as opposed to the prior 'knowledge claim' by the world's leading Darwinists - in fact had been discovered (by me) to be 100 per cent proven to have been read by naturalists pre-1858, because they cited Matthew (1831) in pre-1858 publications, and that these newly discovered Matthew citing naturalists were at the epicentre of influence of Darwin and Wallace, science historian John van Wyhe resigned from the journal that published my (Sutton 2016) peer reviewed science paper on these new discoveries, following its publication, and sent a statement to the journalist Michael Alexander of the Scottish press that what has been newly discovered is both silly and a conspiracy theory (read the facts on van Wyhe's press statement here).

In reality, as opposed to desperate and completely unevidenced new paradigm resisting Darwinite propagandising, my orignal work in this field deals in facts only and I make it absolutely clear that there is no evidence of any orchestrated conspiracy against Matthew. That said, it is a fact that Darwin, Lyell and Joseph Hooker did conspire to present Darwin's paper before Wallace's Ternate paper at the Linnean Society in 1858, and Hooker and Lyell mislead the Linnean society to believe Wallace had given permission for his paper to be read. Moreover, we know that following Matthew's (1860) first letter to the Gardener's Chronicle, laying claim to his prior-published origination, that Joseph Hooker forwarded, dated and confirmed his approval of Darwin's reply that no naturalist had read Matthew's orignal ideas pre-1860. Yet Matthew's letter revealed that the famous naturalist John Loudon had read and reviewed his book in 1832. In his review Loudon (1832) noted that Matthew appeared to have something orignal to say on the origin of species.

Here is proof Charles Darwin engaged in heinous fraudulent glory-theft of the original discovery of another. pic.twitter.com/hA3aFDYr2Y

— Dr Mike Sutton (@Dysology) December 8, 2015

Loudon, a noted botanist and polymath, was without doubt a noted naturalist and Darwin would have known it. Besides the highly respected books he published on trees, Loudon owned and edited The Magazine of natural history and journal of zoology, botany, on the front cover of which he always proclaimed himself a member of various natural history societies. On some editions it carried the following strapline: The Magazine of Natural History, JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY BOTANY MINERALOGY GEOLOGY AND METEOROLOGY : CONDUCTED By JC LOUDON FLS GS &c MEMBER OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON AND OF VARIOUS NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETIES ON THE CONTINENT.  As his journal notes, with letters F.L G and ZS after his name, he was, being a noted and respected naturalist, a member of the Linnean Society, Geological Society and Zoological Societies of London. If Loudon was not a naturalist, then neither was Darwin or any other 19th century naturalist either.

Both Hooker and Darwin were immensely familiar with the published work of Loudon on botany - Hooker positively reviewed one of Loudon's books and Darwin heavily annotated several books by Loudon in his personal library, and he and Hooker mentioned Loudon positively in correspondence. (see Sutton 2016 for the fully cited sources). These facts reveal the great concerted public dishonesty of Darwin and the depths his closest friends were prepared to sink to in order to support him in weaving a tapestry of fallacies to create the myth of his independent conception of Matthew's prior published, read and cited orignal ideas. No conspiracy theory there, just dishonesty and dreadfully biased pseudo-scholarly Darwinite fallacy spreading that no naturalist read Matthew's  pre-1858.

On which note....

All the ingredients needed to construct a silly, fun, conspiracy theory can be found in the history of discovery of natural selection. As an amusing exercise, here is one example. 

They found poor Hugh Strickland dead. 

His gold watch had stopped at 4.20 pm, the precise time 
of impact by the express train.

The origin of the following facts from Nullius (Sutton 2014) are fully referenced in the book:

• On 23rd July 1845 Hugh Stickland was married at Jardine Hall to Catherine, D. M. Jardine, second daughter of  the famous naturalist Sir William Jardine Bart. 
• William Jardine bought a copy of Matthew's (1831) On Naval Timber for Selby, who cited it many times in 1842. Most significantly, Selby was the chief editor of the journal that published Alfred Wallace's famous 1855 Sarawak paper on organic evolution. 
• In 1849 Strickland very forcefully slapped-down Darwin's concerted self-interested attempts to have the rules of academic priority changed so that more famous naturalists would have priority for the earlier discoveries of those who were lesser known if the later replicators published more evidences and details.
• In 1852 Stickland was made a member of the Royal Society. 
• In 1853 he attended a meeting of The British Association for Advancement of Science at Hull. Following discussions at the geological section, on his way home he stopped off at Retford to examine a railway cutting through the rock. There he was struck and killed by a train.
• William Jardine (Strickland's father in law) was a correspondent of Darwin, receiving a first edition review copy of his Origin of Species in 1859.
• Darwin's notebook of books read, pre-1858, is jam-packed with references to Jardine's books.
• William Jardine was co-editor with William Hooker (father of Darwin's best friend Joseph Hooker) of the Magazine of Zoology and Botany.
• William Hooker (pre-1858) was Alfred Wallace's mentor, sponsor and correspondent.
• William Hooker was best friends with the botanist John Lindley, who was an associate and secret co-author with Loudon. The botanical naturalist Loudon reviewed Matthew's book in 1832 and wrote, on p. 703. then that it had something original to say on "the origin of species" no less! John Lindley's book 'An outline of the first principles of Horticulture' was reviewed immediately below the prominent review of Matthew's book - on the very same page! Not far below, on Page 706, is a review of William Hooker's and Greville's book on ferns, Then on page 712,  a  book review of William Hooker's Botanical Miscellany is ti be found. 
• Loudon's botanical work on trees was extremely well respected and well known to Darwin (who heavily annotated several of Loudon's works in his private library and listed several in his notebook of books read) and to Darwin's best friend Joseph Hooker, who wrote a stunning review of one of Loudon's books pre-1858 (see Sutton 2016).  Yet Joseph Hooker (1860) agreed the contents of Darwin's reply to Matthew's (1860) letter to the Gardener's Chronicle, in which Darwin claimed no naturalist had read Matthew's orignal ideas before 1860.
• Lindley, subsequently wrote several papers on Naval Timber, and - like Loudon - is known to have believed in the transmutation of species. In 2016 it was discovered that Lindley stole Matthew's glory in 1853. Because, despite possessing a letter from Matthew to prove that Matthew and his son John were first. Lindley claimed that he was first to propagate the hugely famous and much loved giant Californian redwoods in Britain and that Lobb was first to export them to Britain. This deception facilitated Darwin's (1860) subsequent tale that Matthew was an obscure author.
• The year after Jameson (1853) cited Matthew's book and mentioned his natural selection related observation that tree species could grow better outside their natural environment William Hooker blocked his promotion within the East India Company.
• The British Association for Advancement of science was founded in 1831 - the very same year Matthew's bombshell book was published. It was founded, in great part, for the purpose of addressing work on the topic of the origin of species.  
• Selby and William Jardine were founding members of The British Association for Advancement of Science.
• Selby was a friend of both Darwin's father and Darwin's great friend Jenyns. Both had been his house guests and Jenyns wrote a book about Selby.
• Later it was at the 1868 British Association for Advancement of Science meeting where Matthew was platform blocked from speaking about his orignal discoveries. By then Darwin's friends, Lyell, Hooker and Huxley had ensured Darwinians controlled the British Association. Lyell, Hooker, Chambers and Wallace were all allowed to speak on Matthew's prior-published idea. Matthew was not. And no mention was made of Matthew's origination. 
• David Douglas (of the Douglas Fir tree fame) worked as an apprentice gardener at Scone palace, from where he became William Hooker's protégé. Significantly, Matthew was born at Rome Farm in the grounds of Scone Palace. Later moving to inherit Gourdie Hill House and orchards nearby -  and the two had ample opportunities to meet . From 1823 onwards, Douglas went on many plant collecting expeditions and corresponded regularly with his mentor William Hooker. Many of those letters are in the Director's Archive at Kew Gardens. Douglas met an ignoble end in 1834 in Hawaii, where he was either gored by a bull after falling into a 'wild bullock-trap  pit' or else - claim some - most likely murdered!