Certainly the best known British amateur bryologist of his time, Hugh Neville Dixon was a world authority on native and exotic mosses while also directing a school for deaf children. Born in Wickham Bishop in Essex he was schooled at Witham and Southgate before matriculating into Christ's College Cambridge. Studying Classics from 1879 he had always taken an interest in natural history and the mosses in particular. After receiving a first class degree in 1883 he moved to Northampton to assist Rev. T. Arnold in the running of a school for deaf children. He was very soon made headmaster of the school, which his brother attended, and alongside his wife he worked there until his retirement in 1914.
As a botanist Dixon travelled much of the country, frequently visiting the Lake District and working from his own laboratory and herbarium. After his retirement Dixon devoted his time almost exclusively to the study of mosses and published extensively from 1884 until 1943. His first paper was entitled, "Northamptonshire Mosses" but over the years his sphere of knowledge spread and overall the majority of his publications focused on the bryoflora of the south west Pacific, including New Guinea, Celebes, Borneo, Sumatra, Thailand and Fiji. His fieldwork also extended beyond the shores of England and Dixon enjoyed trips to Lapland, Portugal and Sicily. Although renowned by professionals the world over, it was his book for the amateur moss enthusiast, The Student's Handbook of British Mosses (1897), for which he is best remembered. Indeed, Dixon was always keen to help professionals and amateurs alike and maintained a vast correspondence in the UK and abroad.
Also a talented artist and writer Dixon published two poetry books and enjoyed metalwork and carpentry in his spare time. He received a bachelor's and a master's degree from the University of London later in life and was a enthusiastic mountaineer, climbing Britain's peaks almost until the end of his life. He was an active member of many societies, becoming first president of the British Bryological Society when, in 1923, it was born out of the Moss Exchange Club.
Sources:
E.B. Bartram, 1944, "Hugh Neville Dixon", The Bryologist, 47(4): 137-144
J. Ramsbottom, 1944, "Obituaries: Mr. H.N. Dixon", Nature, 153:705-706
P.W. Richards, 1944, "Obituary: Hugh Neville Dickson", Proceedings of the Linnaean Society of London, 156: 203-205
W.H. Welch, 1944, "Memories of H.N. Dixon", The Bryologist, 47(4): 145-146.
