richakd warner's "plantae Woodfordienses." 75
yellow-brick Georgian mansion, with stable outbuildings, stand-
ing in its own once extensive grounds on the west side of Wood
Street. It contains some fine oak wainscotting. (It is at present
in the occupation of the Salvation Army, as a Rescue Home.)
Benjamin lived with his parents until their decease, when he
took a cottage known as "Scotts," at Hale End and there re-
sided until his own death on 8 March, 1829, thus spending his
whole life from early infancy within the limits of Walthamstow
parish. His body lies in the old parish churchyard.2
Edward Forster was born in Wood Street, Walthamstow,
on Oct. 12, 1765, and spent his boyhood there. In early man-
hood he lived in St. Helen's parish, Bishopsgate, and married
in 1796. After the death of his father in 1812, he returned to
Walthamstow (Hale End) and later in life removed to Woodford.
He was elected F.L.S. in 1800, and one of the Society's Vice-
Presidents in 1828, and served as Treasurer of the Society for
33 years, from 1816 to 1849. An oil-portrait of him by Eddis
hangs in the Meeting Room of the Linnean Society. He was
also an F.R.S., elected 1821. Luzula Forsteri, D.C., is named
after him.
Edward Forster died of cholera at Ivy House, Woodford,
on 23 Feb., 1849, in his 84th year, and was buried in the family
vault at Walthamstow, which, however, bears no inscription
to his memory. His herbarium, shortly after his decease, was
purchased by Robert Brown, and was by him presented to
the British Museum, and is now at South Kensington; his books
seem to have been dispersed.
The three brothers worked together in early life in collecting
the wild plants of the Walthamstow district.
The book has been rebound at some later time and in the
process has suffered by its margins being severely cut down
to an extent which has occasionally mutilated the manuscript
annotations. A redeeming circumstance is that the occasion
of rebinding was taken advantage of to bind in, opposite the
reference to Narcissus pseudo-narcissus on page 104, where
the following MS. note appears: "Saw great abundance in Flower
2 The Forster tomb in Walthamstow Parish Churchyard is a raised stone altar-tomb, en-
Closed with tall iron railings, in the N.W. portion of the churchyard. The inscription upon
its north face is as follows:—Benjamin Meggot Forster, Esqre./born in St. Stephen
Walbrook London 16th January 1764/resident in this parish nearly the whole of his life/died
at Hale End 8th March 1829/also Mary Jane wife of Edward Forster Esqre/of Woodford in
this County/born 11th July 1763 died 14th January 1845./