Talk:Thomas Pennant

To do

Article reads much like what it is, a bit of 1911 text. It needs

1) a better lead

2) yeah, better text, but at least some copy-editing

3) links (text, quotes, refs) to other people who corresponded (we already have Gilbert White, there were certainly others). Thomas Bewick cites Pennant as an authority for species descriptions in his A History of British Birds.

4) citations. Chiswick Chap (talk) 09:46, 11 April 2013 (UTC)

GA Review

This review is transcluded from Talk:Thomas Pennant/GA1. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.

Reviewer: Casliber (talk · contribs) 14:33, 27 July 2013 (UTC)

I'll take a look at this one and drop queries below. Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 14:33, 27 July 2013 (UTC)

• Can one use "gentry" as an adjective like that? I am not familiar with this construction but will concede if folks have seen this elsewhere (just sounds a little odd to me....)

• Lt. James Falconer R.N., - I'd write this out in prose/longhand.

• . Downing Hall, where Thomas was born in the 'yellow room', became the main Pennant residence - the insertion of "yellow room" here comes across as a little tangential and cumbersome. Much better to take out of this sentence and place (hopefully with a little more information) elsewhere.

• Early life is very spartan in detail. If no more can truly be added, does any source mention that we know little of his early life as this would be a good leading sentence (that we know little). E.g. livelihoods of his wives' families etc.

You've linked quarto, so better link folio and octavo while you're at it (good things to link BTW)

Thank you for taking this on. I've mostly done the things you mention above and I've added some more information on Downing Hall but I have not discovered anything much about Pennant's childhood and youth nor about his wives, their family background and his son. My main source has been the "Memoir on Pennant" which (strangely) forms the prelude in an ancient book in a natural history series, this one being about humming birds. My interest in Pennant is because I am related to him and have a number of his works. He obviously did not think that family matters should be mentioned in his literary works. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 19:47, 27 July 2013 (UTC)

but was interested in all he saw and could discover. - I know that makes sense grammatically (?) but it rolls off the tongue funnily....

Rephrased Cwmhiraeth (talk) 09:18, 28 July 2013 (UTC)

a run of "saws" in the following sentences - diversify?

Done Cwmhiraeth (talk) 09:18, 28 July 2013 (UTC)

In terms of legacy - I suspect some species with the epithet pennantii are named for him, and the Crimson Rosella was called Pennant's Parakeet in colonial days in Australia - will try to find out why aaah, see here Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 22:48, 27 July 2013 (UTC)

I could mention that a number of species are named in his honour but I do not fancy including a list with a reference for each one. Maybe I could make that statement and give a couple of examples? Cwmhiraeth (talk) 09:18, 28 July 2013 (UTC)

True - a list would not be helpful. I was hoping there'd be an anecdote about the Crimson Rosella but haven't come across one...oh well....

A sentence on the existence of the Thomas Pennant Society - just sorta mentioned at the end....

I have expanded this Cwmhiraeth (talk) 09:18, 28 July 2013 (UTC)

Will have another read-through today to double check anything I may have missed...RL chores beckon....Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 21:03, 28 July 2013 (UTC)

Wrexham grammar school - should it be in title case?

roots of bugbane, stalks of water-lily, pond-weed and water-violet - can any of these be linked?

1. Well written?:

Prose quality:

Manual of Style compliance:

2. Factually accurate and verifiable?:

References to sources:

Citations to reliable sources, where required:

No original research:

3. Broad in coverage?:

Major aspects:

Focused:

4. Reflects a neutral point of view?:

Fair representation without bias:

5. Reasonably stable?

No edit wars, etc. (Vandalism does not count against GA):

6. Illustrated by images, when possible and appropriate?:

Images are copyright tagged, and non-free images have fair use rationales:

Images are provided where possible and appropriate, with suitable captions:

Overall:

Pass or Fail: - great, well done. there are two queries outstanding but both are really minor and very fixable with minimum fuss. Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 03:47, 29 July 2013 (UTC)

I have dealt with the outstanding matters. Thank you for the review. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 05:37, 29 July 2013 (UTC)

Pennant decided on a journey to Scotland, a relatively unexplored country and not previously visited by a naturalist.

That's a tad cringy/colonial. Catfish Jim and the soapdish 13:21, 4 June 2023 (UTC)

I agree. The paragraph is sourced to page 11 of the following book:

• Pennant, Thomas (1798). The literary life of the late Thomas Pennant, Esq. By himself. Benjamin and J. White.

The corresponding text in the source appears to be:

• I had the hardiness to venture on a journey to the remotest part of North Britain, a country almost as little known to its southern brethren as Kamtschatka.

North Britain is an outdated name for Scotland, and Kamtschatka is presumably Kamchatka. As our sentence does not clearly reflect the source, and as the source is very old, we should change it. I suggest:

• Pennant visited Scotland, a country that was little known to people from southern Britain.

Verbcatcher (talk) 05:37, 6 July 2023 (UTC)