iFACTS | Pehr Osbeck

Date of Birth	9 May 1723.
Place of Birth	Oset, Hålanda, Västergötland, Sweden.
Date of Death	23 December 1805.
Place of Death	Hasslöv, Sweden.
Monuments Medals Etc.	Grave-stone, Hasslöv’s churchyard, simple stone with carved inscription ‘P.O. 1761.’ (The stone is believed to has been carved by himself during this year). In connection to this carved stone a memorial stone was erected by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 1927, as a memory of Pehr Osbeck with the text. “Linnés lärjunge Prosten i Hasslöv Teol. Dr. Pehr Osbeck 1723- 1805” and “ K. Vetenskapsakademien reste vården 1927”.
Variations of Name's Spelling	Unknown.
Preserved signature	In correspondence.
Portrait	Portrait of Osbeck, probably painted by the artist Magnus Lindgren; hanging in Hasslövs church, Halland, Sweden. [Source; Lars Hansen/The IK Foundation & Company, United Kingdom].
Childhood, Adolescence & Education	Father, crofter Hans Andersson. Mother, Rangela (Ragnhild) Andersdotter. Gothenburg Cathedral school 1733. (Osbeck came from a poor home and his father died when the boy was eight, still he managed to get financial help with his studies). Gothenburg gymnasium 1740. Student, Uppsala University signed in 20 September 1745. Osbeck studied primarily for a priesthood, but also natural history under Linnaeus. Ordained priest, 12 October 1750.
Professional Life	Tutor for district judge Ekskiöld’s children in Örmanäs 1747-1749. He also had the possibility to make botanical excursions and collecting plants parallel with this employment. Ship’s priest, Swedish East India Company’s ship Prins Carl to Canton in China from 27 November 1750 to 26 June 1752. Household chaplain, botanicus and tutor; employed by count Carl Gustaf Tessin, Åkerö 1753-1758. Fellow of Royal Society of Sciences, Uppsala 1757. Fellow of The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm 1758. Fellow of Academia caes. natura curiosum 1772. Fellow of Physiographic Society in Lund 1773. Parson in the parishes of Hasslöv and Våxtorp, from 3 May 1758. Vicar in the same parishes, from 11 August 1760. Rural dean in part of Laholm’s diocese, from the year 1773. Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts and Sciences in Gothenburg 1775. Fellow of the Royal Patriotic Society 1775. He was promoted theological doctor at Uppsala University, 6 June 1779.
Journeys & Voyages	Ship’s priest, Swedish East India Company’s ship Prins Carl to Canton in China from 27 November 1750 to 26 June 1752. The ship also anchored at Cadiz, Java and Ascension during the voyage. (The journey was financed with his employment as ship’s priest).
Travel Diaries & Other Publications in Connection with the Journeys & Voyages	The accounts of his travels were published in four languages between the years 1757-1771. Dagbok öfwer en ostindisk Resa åren 1750, 1751, 1752, Stockholm 1757. Anledningar Til nyttig Upmärksamhet Under chinesiska Resor...Inträdes-tal den 25 Februarii, 1758. Af Pehr Osbeck. (Written speach concerning his travels to China).
Civil Status & Family	Married, Susanna Dahlberg 29 August 1758 in Hasslöv. Eight children. One son, Carl Gustaf Osbeck (1766- 1841) made two voyages with the Eastindiaman “Gustaf Adolph” as a ship’s doctor and collected plants in the Cape, East India and China.
Preserved Collections & Manuscripts	Pehr Osbeck’s well-preserved chest (private ownership today, see Volume One pp. 254-255), Osbeck’s own notes on the purchase of this chest is described in his travel journal. Herbarium plants, c. 600 specimens, Linnean Society, London. Other collections of herbarium plants related to Osbeck, foremost; The Swedish Museum of Natural History and Bergius Herbarium both in Stockholm, Botanical Museum at Lund University, Cathedral school Jönköping. Preserved fish, National History department, British Museum, London. Catalogue of herbarium plants and plants cultivated by Osbeck from his garden in Hasslöv; Agardh Collection, Botanical Museum, Lund University. Letter of authority concerning Pehr Osbeck’s employment as ship’s priest on the Swedish East India Company’s ship, 1750. The main part of Pehr Osbeck’s letter collection in seven volumes and the “Osbergska samlingen” in which manuscripts Osbeck relate to the circumstances in the parish of Hasslöv. The regional state archive in Lund. Original manuscript for his work on “Djur och Natur i Halland”, and a smaller amount of letters, Gothenburg University Library. Original manuscript of Osbeck’s auto-biography and a smaller amount of letters, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm. “Beskrifning öfwer örlogsfoglen..., list of herbarium, water colour drawings of moths and their larvae, and spiders...”, manuscripts by Osbeck, The Linnean Society of London. Letters, The Linnean Society of London, Linnean Correspondence (42 letters from Linnaeus to Osbeck, 1750- 1773 and 29 letters from Osbeck to Linnaeus, 1751-1772).
Extra Notes	Carl Linnaeus named the flower Osbeckia chinensis after Osbeck, a species of family Melastomataceae found by the traveller during his journey in the outskirts of Canton. Today the genus comprises about 100 species. Osbeck got an offer of a second voyage with the Swedish East India Company as ship’s priest, but declined the offer due to health reasons. Osbeck was a very industrious person and during his almost 50 years in Hasslöv - besides his priesthood duties - he had time for observations concerning; botany, zoology and social circumstances on the countryside of the county Halland. Related to these observations, he published the book Utkast til Beskrifning öfver Laholms Prosteri 1796. Pehr Osbeck also wrote detailed auto-biographical notes; “Lefwernes Beskrifning författad af honom sjelf år 1782
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iINDEX Total Results For Pehr Osbeck

Botany
(1011)

Earth Sciences
(255)

Zoology
(1251)

Agriculture
(907)

Anthropology
(1404)

Collections
(410)

Geography
(743)

Persons
(239)

ADDED KNOWLEDGE
(6)

iProject
(5)

Bridge Builder Expedition
(0)

ADDED KNOWLEDGE

Zoology

ASCENSION ISLAND

Illustrated in Carl Johan Gethe’s Journal 1749

TRAVELS & FLYING FISH

In Carl Johan Gethe’s Journal 1747

Collections

TRAVELS & LEPROSY

Presented in Carl Johan Gethe’s Journal 1747

PEHR OSBECK'S CHEST

In private ownership today. Osbeck's own notes on

Geography

VIEW OF CANTON

Observations by Pehr Osbeck in 1751

THE HARBOUR OF CADIX

Where East India Company ships laid at anchor

iPROJECTS

TEXTILIA LINNAEANA

Work done and published

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