William John Ansorge


William John Ansorge was a physician who worked in Angola and Uganda and is known for exploring the fauna of the African region. He was posted as a medical officer in Uganda from 1895 to 1898. Several species of animals were named after him by museum taxonomists chiefly in Britain; these include Ansorge's cusimanse ; several birds, including Ansorge's greenbul, Platysteira ansorgei, Xenocopsychus ansorgei, and Nesocharis ansorgei; many fishes ; and three reptiles.
Ansorge's ancestors came from Silesia, but William was born in Chapra, Bengal, to Rev. Paul Gotthold Ansorge in 1850 and studied at the Royal College in Mauritius and then at Pembroke College, Cambridge. He worked briefly at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London. He then became a professor at the Royal College in Mauritius and senior professor from 1880 to 1886. He was also District Medical Officer in Uganda and in Southern Nigeria. He travelled across Africa and wrote in 1899. Ernst Hartert noted that Ansorge was a very valuable collector and contributor to the bird collection of Walter Rothschild at Tring. Hartert noted that Ansorge's knowledge of the species collected was limited and that he lacked a training in zoology. His early collections made from 1892 in Uganda were of poor quality and he received training from Hartert. Hartert notes that he died in Angola at just 64, although giving the appearance of an older man with his white beard.
Ansorge married Mary Matilda, daughter of G.E. Ely of Edinburgh, in 1881. They had two sons and a daughter. He received two medals with clasps for his service in Uganda 1897–1898 and for his role in the Aro Expedition of 1901–1902.