A letter from Dr. Ducarel, F.R.S. and F.S.A. to William Watson, M.D. F.R.S. upon the early cultivation of botany in England; and some particulars about John Tradescant, a great promoter of that science, as well as natural history, in the last century, and gardener to King Charles I.

  • Ducarel, Andrew Coltee, 1713-1785.
Date:
M.DCC.LXXIII. [1773]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A letter from Dr. Ducarel, F.R.S. and F.S.A. to William Watson, M.D. F.R.S. upon the early cultivation of botany in England; and some particulars about John Tradescant, a great promoter of that science, as well as natural history, in the last century, and gardener to King Charles I. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Southwark by Peter Treveris y and this. Sir, I believe* is the oldeft Englifh herbal now extant in print. To come to later times. The ingenious Mr. Gough (in his British Topography, p. 61.) informs us, “ That, before the year 1597, John Gerrard,. 4< citizen and furgeon of London, feems to be the <c firft who cultivated a large phyfic garden, which u he had near his houfe in Holborn, where he u raifed 1100 different plants and trees.” (He might have add, that Gerrard had another phyfic garden in Qld-ftreet, containing a great variety of plants; & printed catalogue of which is to be found in the: libraries of the curious). But Gerrard had a famous- cotemporary, who greatly advanced that valuable fcience, and of whom but little hath hitherto been faid by the modern biographers. John Tradefcant is the perfon meant. And I hope, Sir, that an attempt to revive the memory of this once eminent botanift and virtuofo will not be- difpleafing. John Tradefcant was, according to Anthony Wood, a Fleming, or a Dutchman. We are informed by Parkinfon, that he had travelled into moil parts of Europe, and into Barbary; and, from fome em¬ blems remaining upon his monument in Lambeth: church-yard, k plainly appears that he had vifited; Greece, Egypt, and other Eaftern countries. In his travels, he is fuppofed to have collected: not only plants and feeds, but moft of thofe curio- fities of every fort, which,, after his death, were fold; by his fon to the famous Elias Afhmole, and depo* Cited in his Mufeum at*Qxford. ^ ' ' Whem t f V* I * » * **