William Turner was born in Morpeth, the son of a tanner. He was schooled at The Chantry (now the Tourist Information Centre and Craft Centre for Morpeth), before going on to study Physic and Philosophy at Pembroke College, Cambridge.  He graduated to become a clergyman, a doctor and a botanist, leading an eventful life during the reign of the Tudor monarchs.

Turner developed his love for the natural world in and around Morpeth, going on in later life to write books on birds and fishes, and his most important work for the advancement of English botany, his Herball.

Turner's Herball was published in three parts between 1551 and the year of his death in 1568.  It was the first herbal to be written in English, when all before were written in Latin.  This herbal is part medicinal text book, describing the virtues of the plants that were then used by doctors and apothecaries, and part flora, with detailed botanical descriptions of the plants too.

Turner had realised that, although university trained, many of his fellow doctors could not read Latin.  The apothecaries who made up the potions in their shops didn't go to university, and so also couldn't read Latin.  So he went on to write his Herball in English to ensure that his fellow practitioners could be accurate in the prescriptions of plants they used as medicines.

Turner was the first Englishman to start systematically describing, recording and naming plants so that people could identify them from the descriptions and illustrations.  This was the beginning of the scientific study of plants in this country.

During 2008 there will be many events and activities in and around Morpeth to celebrate the life and achievements of William Turner.  The links on this page take you to more detailed information about what is happening and where.