English gardener-botanist (?-1789).
David Nelson (died 20 July 1789) was gardener-botanist on the third voyage of James Cook, and botanist on HMS Bounty under William Bligh at the time of the famous mutiny. Nothing is known of his ancestry or early life. In 1776, while working as a gardener at Kew Gardens, he accepted a position as a servant to William Bayly, the official astronomer on HMS Resolution. He was promoted to able seaman; however, his real task as arranged between Joseph Banks and Cook was to collect as many botanical specimens as possible for the Royal Gardens, since Cook had failed to attract an established botanist
Abbreviations: Nelson
Occupations: tardigradologist, scientific collector, zoologist, horticulturist, explorer, botanist, marine biologist, botanical collector
Citizenships: United States, Kingdom of Great Britain
Dates: 1740-00-00T00:00:00Z – 1789-07-20T00:00:00Z
Direct attributions: 3 plants, 0 fungi
Authorship mentions: 7 plants, 0 fungi