W. A. (William Allport) Leighton

William Allport Leighton (17 May 1805 – 28 February 1889) was an English Church of England clergyman, botanist, and antiquary from Shrewsbury. He is best remembered for his work on lichens, especially The Lichen-Flora of Great Britain, Ireland, and the Channel Islands, and for publishing A Flora of Shropshire in 1841.

Sources available during this search also describe him as a schoolfellow of Charles Darwin in Shrewsbury, with Darwin helping spark his early interest in plants. He later studied at St John's College, Cambridge, took holy orders, and served in clerical posts before becoming widely known for his botanical work.

Leighton's name still appears in botanical literature through the standard author abbreviation Leight. Records of his life and work also show a wider range of interests beyond botany, including antiquarian and local historical writing in Shropshire.