74
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
The manuscript annotation to Warner's record of Clinopodium
vulgare, facing page 38, is as follows:—" C: v: found by E. F.
Jnr Aug. 10 1794 in a field near the Oil-mills, bottom of Marshst.
I saw it in flower 17 Aug. 1794." This locality is exactly that
given for the plant of this species preserved in the British Museum
Herbarium (which I have examined), known to have come from
Edward Forster's collection.
The foregoing clues, added to the manuscript note opposite
the record of Ranunculus parviflorus (p. 250), which runs "Plenti-
fully near Waltham Abbey found by. E. Forster 1825," lead
to the conclusion that the writer and annotator resided in Wood
Street, Walthamstow, and was a friend of and fellow-worker
with the "E. Forster" mentioned.
It becomes necessary, therefore, to enquire who this "E.
Forster" was. Fortunately, his identity is not far to seek.
Edward Forster (1765-1849) was a London banker, a partner
in the firm of Forster, Lubbocks, Forster and Clarke, of n,
Mansion-house-street, and resident for many years at Waltham-
stow. He was the youngest of three brothers, sons of Edward
Forster the elder, a successful City merchant, for 23 years Gover-
nor of the Russia Company, and Governor of the Royal Exchange
Assurance: all three brothers were of botanical tastes and
celebrity.
The eldest of the three, Thomas Furly Forster (1761-1825),
was born in Bond Court, in St. Stephen's parish, Walbrook, in
the City of London, on 5th Sept., 1761, his father being the
resident partner of the firm of Thomas and Edward Forster,
merchants, of that address. As already stated, he brought
out his "Additions to Warner's 'Plantae Woodfordienses
in 1784, and published a "Flora Tonbrigiensis" in 1816; he
it was who discovered the rare Epping Forest moss, named
after him Zygodon Forsteri. He was elected F.L.S. in 1800.
Married in 1788, in 1796 he went to reside at Clapton and did
not return to Walthamstow until 1823, on the death of his mother,
where he died on 28th Oct. 1825.
The second brother, Benjamin Meggot Forster (1764-1829),
was also born in Bond Court, Walbrook, on January 16, 1764,
and in the same year his parents settled at Walthamstow, it is
believed in a house known as the Clock House, in Wood Street,
which is still standing. The Clock House is a large square