author
Jonas de Gélieu
1740–1827
Remembered as an early champion of modern beekeeping, this Swiss pastor wrote practical, observant books that grew out of a lifetime spent studying bees. His life also touched the wider literary world through connections with Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Isabelle de Charrière.
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About the author
Born in Les Bayards on August 21, 1740, Jonas de Gélieu was a Swiss pastor, naturalist, and beekeeper. He studied in Basel and Geneva, was ordained in 1760, served in several parishes in Neuchâtel, and later became pastor at Lignières and then at Colombier and Auvernier.
De Gélieu is best known today for his work with bees. He is often described as an early pioneer of modern apiculture, and his practical writing on hive management helped spread careful, experience-based methods to later readers. His best-known book in English is The Bee Preserver; or, Practical Directions for the Management and Preservation of Hives.
Beyond beekeeping, he was part of the intellectual life of his time and is noted for his contact with Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the writer Isabelle de Charrière. He died in Colombier on October 17, 1827, leaving behind a reputation that joins pastoral work, close observation of nature, and useful scientific curiosity.