The University of North Carolina Herbarium has
about a dozen specimens collected by Alfred Cuthbert. About half are from Augusta, Richmond
County, Georgia, and the others from Saint Helena Island, Colleton County,
South Carolina. Cuthbert’s specimens
at NCU were collected between 1887 and 1901.
As NCU’s collection continues to be catalogued, more specimens
deposited by Cuthbert may be found.
Other herbaria that hold Cuthbert’s specimens
include A, FLAS, NY and CHRB.
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According to David Fairbrothers, longtime
curator of CHRB, Alfred Cuthbert was an amateur naturalist with a main
interest in botany. He collected
mostly in northern Georgia and northern Florida. He collected plants from the age of 30 and
into his late 60’s. Professor M.A.
Chrysler of Rutgers University purchased specimens from him a few times, and
Cuthbert donated some specimens to CHRB.
There are several plant taxa named in Alfred
Cuthbert’s honor:
Allium
cuthbertii Small
Chelone cuthbertii Small
Cuthbertia graminea Small
Cuthbertia ornata Small
Cuthbertia rosea (Ventenat) Small
Cyanococcus cuthbertii Small (now Vaccinium corymbosum L.)
Ilex cuthbertii Small
Padus cuthbertii Small (now Prunus alabamensis C. Mohr.)
Panicum cuthbertii Ashe (now Dichanthelium ensifolium var. ensifolium (Baldwin ex Elliott) Gould
Scutellaria ovata ssp. cuthbertii (Alexander) Epling
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The 1860 census lists Alfred Cuthbert as a 2
year old, born in Georgia, living in Wayne Township, Passaic County, New
Jersey with his father, Alfred Cuthbert (34, farmer, born in Georgia), Annie
Cuthbert (31, born in South Carolina in July, 1828), Mary Cuthbert (2 months,
born in Georgia). Also present in the
household are Mulatto servants Jackson Cuthbert (26), Susan Cuthbert (22),
John Cuthbert (4), Mary Cuthbert (1), and Samuel Cuthbert (15).
The 1880 census lists Alfred Cuthbert, now 25
years old, a school teacher, and living in Randolph Township, Morris County,
New Jersey. He and two other were
boarders in the home of Thomas & Mary Williams and their four children.
The 1900 census shows that Alfred Cuthbert, now
a coal dealer, lived with wife, Ella (b. April 1850 in New Jersey), widowed mother, and sister Mary C. (b.
April 1860) in the village of
Summerville in Richmond County, Georgia.
The 1920
census lists Alfred (62, retired) and wife Ella living in Bradenton
City, Manatee County, Florida. Alfred
Commons died in 1932.
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Hoxie, Walter (1886)
Breeding habits of the black vulture.
The Auk 3(3): 245-247. “The period
of incubation [of black vulture eggs] is very nearly thirty days, but I have
not quite dcided this quite to my satisfaction as yet. I have never taken more than two eggs in a
set, but my friend, Mr. Alfred Cuthbert, of this place [Frogmore P.O., St.
Helena Island, South Carolina], took a set of three in 1884.”