Eaton, Mary Martha Vile (later Mrs Heal) (1868 - 1941)

Born in WA 12 August 1868, died in WA in 1941,

Born, the first of seven children, to settlers Alfred Thomas Vile Eaton (1844-1921) and Mary Ann nee Farmer (1838-1921). They lived at Youndegin, WA, where they kept an inn.

Martha collected MEL specimens at the Swan River, 1888; sources of the Swan River and upper Swan River 1888-1889; York, 1888; and Youndegin 1888-1889.

In 1889, Martha married a farmer, James Heal, and they had four children.

Martha collected MEL specimens (as 'Mrs Heal') at the sources of the Swan River, 1889, 1890-1891, 1893; York, 1889, 1892; Cumminin (i.e. Kumminin), 1890-1892, 1894-1895; and Southern Cross, 1894.

She collected types of:

Gompholobium eatoniae F.Muell. (1889),
Anthotroche healiana F.Muell. (1891), named for her,
Logania choretroides F.Muell. (1889),
Frankenia conferta Diels (1904),
Psammomoya ephedroides Diels & Loes (1904), and
Aizoon glabra Leuhm. ex Ewart (1908).

Martha's mother, MARY ANN EATON, and sister, ALICE EATON, also collected MEL specimens.

There are also Martha Eaton specimens at BRI and PERTH.

She died in WA in 1941 aged 73.

One letter from Martha to Mueller survives.

Source: extracted from: Maroske, Sara and Vaughan, Alison (2014) 'Ferdinand Mueller's female plant collectors: a biographical register', Muelleria Vol.32 [consult for source references]