 Louis
Albert Peringuey
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Louis Albert Peringuey was the
pioneer of systematic and economic entomology in South Africa.
Peringuey was a big man with a big personality; one who always
had work to be done and life could never be long enough to accomplish
every task be set himself.
He was born of Basque parentage at Bordeaux, France, on the
9 October 1855. At the age of fifteen he saw active service
in the Franco-German War (1870) and later traveled in Gambia
and Mauritius. At the age of 23 he arrived in Cape Town to assume
the duties of Professor of French at the South African College
and the Diocesan School. For many years he acted as Examiner
in French for the University of the Cape of Good Hope. In 1892,
Peringuey married Bertha Marcellis. Of their six children four
died in infancy. In the period 1882-1884, Peringuey was arranging
the collection of Coleoptera of the South African museum as
a voluntary helper. In 1884 he was appointed to the staff of
that Museum with the rank of Assistant. During 1885 he was appointed
Inspector General of Vineyards by the Government of the Cape
to lead the fight against the grape phylloxera. After 12 years
service on the staff of the South African Museum, Peringuey
attained the post of Assistant Director (1896), and from 1906
until the day of his death he was Director. He died at Cape
Town on the 20 February 1924.
Reference:
Fuller, C., A. J. T. Janse, and J. C. Faure. 1925. Obituary:
Louis Albert Peringuey (1855-1924). South African Journal of
Natural History, Special Peringuey Memorial Edition 5: 5-8. |
