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From the wikipedia article
Thomas H. Ayres (July 1838 – 31 July 1913) was a British-born South African ornithologist. Ayres is commemorated in the names of the Ayres' hawk-eagle (Hieraaetus ayresii), Ayres' cisticola (Cisticola ayresii), and the white-winged flufftail (Sarothura ayresi).
Early life and career
Ayres was born in Hereford, England, to John Ayres, the mayor of Hereford, and Helene Duschesne in July 1828. He and his family emigrated to Natal as part of the great influx of British settlers to South Africa in 1850. Two years later, Ayres joined a group of colonists departing for the gold fields of Australia, but was unsuccessful and returned to Natal a few years later to farm in what is now the Pinetown district, just inland of Durban.
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Natal period
Ayres became one of the colonists in Natal who augmented their incomes by collecting and preparing items of natural history, which were sold to ardent and often well-funded naturalists in western Europe. Most new bird species shot by Ayres were named by Dr. K. J. G. Hartlaub of Bremen in Germany.
Ayres's main patron was John Henry Gurney Sr., of Norwich, England, who consulted Hartlaub on taxonomy. Gurney disposed of some of his material to R. Bowdler Sharpe of the British Museum (Natural History), in South Kensington, London, and others.
Transvaal period
In 1865 Thomas and his brother Jack moved to the Transvaal, where they farmed, panned for gold, brewed and collected birds for sale. He and his brother also hunted and traded with the Boer settlers. He settled down at Potchefstroom, where he ultimately died. Here he did much to encourage the young Austin Roberts, who was to become a well-known zoologist.
eGGSA library Gravestones in South Africa Noordwes : North West North West, POTCHEFSTROOM, Urban area North West Province, POTCHEFSTROOM, Main cemetery A AYRES Thomas - 31 Jul 1913, aged 85 years, Naturalist
Sources
↑Baptism:
"Hertfordshire Baptisms," database with images,
FindMyPast Image - (FindMyPast Transcription : accessed 30 September 2023),
Thomas Ayres baptism on 28 May 1829 (born 1 May 1829), son of John & Martha, in Hertford, All Saints, England.
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Ayres-2644 and Ayres-750 appear to represent the same person because: Same parents & family members. Same death date & location. Ayres-750 copied information from Wikipedia without verifying with sources.