Abel Chapman (1851-1929), naturalist and hunter, was born in Bishopwearmouth, County Durham. He was the eldest son of wine merchant Thomas Chapman, the brother of Alfred Crawhall Chapman, and the grandson of Joseph Crawhall, a founder member of the Natural History Society of Northumberland. Educated at Rugby School, he then went on to join the family business, becoming a partner in 1875 and selling the business in 1897.

Chapman travelled extensively after leaving school, combining business with his love of outdoor pursuits. His destinations included Spain, Portugal, Canada, Scandinavia and Africa, and he wrote extensively on his travels and hunting, with publications including Wild Spain (1893) with Walter J. Buck, Wild Norway (1897), On Safari (1908), Savage Sudan (1921), and a chapter on the animals and hunting culture of Spain for The Big Game of Africa and Europe (1914). He was indirectly involved in the creation of the Kruger National Park, having put forward the idea of a game reserve after being disappointed with the hunting in South Africa.

Chapman also pursued his outdoor interests at home, being passionate about the flora and fauna of his native Northumberland. In addition to his books on the wildlife of Europe and Africa, he also wrote Bird Life of the Borders (1889) and First Lessons in the Art of Wildfowling (1896). He was responsible for the foundation of what became the British Association for Conservation and Shooting and purchased the Houxty estate in Northumberland where he experimented in salmon fishing and created a natural sanctuary for birds and other wildlife.

For further information see the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.