Andrew Sinclair (botanist)

Andrew Sinclair (13 April 1794 – 26 March 1861) was a British surgeon who was notable for his botanical collections. He served as New Zealand's second Colonial Secretary.

Early life

Sinclair was born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland on 13 April 1794 into a middle-class family. He was the son of John Sinclair, a weaver, and of Agnes Renfrew. He studied medicine at Glasgow University College from 1814 to 1816 and then trained as a surgeon for a year at Hôpital de la Charité in Paris. He completed his tertiary education at the University of Edinburgh, from where he graduated as Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) in 1818.

Royal Navy

Sinclair entered the navy as an assistant surgeon in 1822 and became a surgeon in 1829. Between 1823 and 1833, he served on the HMS Owen Glendower, stationed mainly at the Cape of Good Hope and in the Mediterranean Sea. Much of his spare time was taken up with collecting botanical and zoological samples, many of which he sent to the British Museum.