Caroline Pellew

Caroline Pellew (born 1882) was a British geneticist who made significant contributions to knowledge of the laws of inheritance in various organisms including peas.

Caroline Pellew
Born1882
NationalityBritish
Scientific career
InfluencesT. H. Morgan
InfluencedDorothea De Winton

Education

Pellew was awarded the first minor studentship at the John Innes Centre in 1910. She was a Horticultural Associate of University College Reading and completed a two-year diploma course in horticulture. While at Reading she worked with the botany professor, Frederick Keeble, to investigate the genetics in the chemistry of flower colour.

Research and Writing

Pellew conducted much of her significant work on the "rogue" phenomenon in peas with William Bateson and became known as "Professor Bateson's right-hand man",[1][2] or alternatively his "lieutenant, secretary, mentor and foil".[3] She headed the researchers at Merton after Bateson's death, including fellow female geneticists; Dorothea de Winton, Dorothy Caley, Alice Gairdner, Irma Anderson-Kotto and Aslaug Sverdrup.[4]

By 1929, Pellew had proved her passion for genetics and was given the title of ‘geneticist’ and meticulously worked with peas for over 20 years.[5][6]

In 1941, Pellew was forced to take "voluntary retirement" due to John Innes experiencing a reduction in income because of the war.[2]

Pellew wrote many papers on Pisum (peas) and Primula (Primrose) and in 1931 published a book called Genetical and Cytological Studies on the Relations Between Asiatic and European Varieties of Pisum Sativum.[7] In 1946, she wrote to J. B. S. Haldane to belatedly congratulate him on his marriage, explaining that her letter was late because she was "sacrificing letter writing to peas."[8]

References
  1. Forsdyke, Donald R. (2016-04-27). Evolutionary Bioinformatics. Springer. ISBN 9783319287553.
  2. "War and peas- John Innes Centre- jic.ac.uk".
  3. HARMAN, Oren Solomon (2009-06-30). The Man Who Invented the Chromosome: the life of Cyril Darlington. Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674038332.
  4. HARMAN, Oren Solomon (2009-06-30). The Man Who Invented the Chromosome: the life of Cyril Darlington. Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674038332.
  5. "Women scientist & early pea research".
  6. Richmond, Marsha L. (2015-01-01). "Women as Mendelians and Geneticists". Science & Education. 24 (1–2): 125–150. Bibcode:2015Sc&Ed..24..125R. doi:10.1007/s11191-013-9666-6. ISSN 0926-7220. S2CID 144712362.
  7. Pellew, Caroline (1931). Genetical and Cytological Studies on the Relations Between Asiatic and European Varieties of Pisum Sativum: I, II.
  8. "Pellew, Caroline". wellcomelibrary.org. Retrieved 2017-06-12.
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