William Wilks

He served as secretary of the Royal Horticultural Society from 1888 to 1919 and as editor of its journal, he was instrumental in getting the work of Gregor Mendel translated and published in English for the first time in 1901.

This translation of Mendel's 1865 paper was made by Charles Thomas Druery with the involvement of William Bateson.

In 1879 he became the incumbent of the parish of Shirley.Wilks attained some fame as a horticulturalist and was awarded the Victoria Medal of Honour by the Royal Horticultural Society for his work.

This was a minor variant of the wild poppy, Papaver rhoeas, in which the petals were bordered by a strip of white.

From this slight variation, by patient crossing and selection, he bred the varied and ornamental "Shirley poppies".

St John’s Church in Shirley , Croydon, where William Wilks was the incumbent from 1879