1. the person who first began the study of genetics in the 1800’s and was called the father of genetics because of this was

The answer is George Mendel. He is known as a father of genetics because of his work on pea plant.  He discovered that genes are present in a form of pair and there are two alleles to a single gene which manifest the traits.  

His work with pea plant clearly explains the fact that there are two alleles of a single gene, for example:

Pea shape- round or wrinkled

Pod color- green or yellow

He is know as father of genetics by introducing The law of inheritance

"do a testcross with a homozygous recessive plant."