OLD ESSEX GARDENERS AND THEIS GARDENS. 73
stimulated natural history exploration.7 Moreover, the personal
influence of Sloane in the history of English botany in this respect
is only rivalled by that of Sir Joseph Banks.
Throughout the eighteenth century Essex was noted for its
gardens. Three outstanding names are JOHN FOTHERGILL
(1712-80), RICHARD WARNER (1713-75), and LORD PETRE
(1713-43). To consider these requires a study of English Botany
of those days. It was mainly the period of introduction from
North America, though then, as now, covetous glances were cast
towards China.
For our purpose it will be simplest first to consider LORD
PETRE. He was the eighth Lord Petre, his father, the seventh
Lord being the inspirer of Pope's Rape of the Lock, this
gay young gallant having given great offence at a card party by
cutting off a lock of hair of a fashionable beauty, Miss Arabella
Fermor. The Hall and gardens were about a mile south of the
present one at Thornton, which was built by the ninth Lord
Petre in 1764. Of the old Hall only the footings of the walls
remain, surrounded by plough and meadowland. We know little
of the early life of Petre, but he must soon have attained some
intimate knowledge of the subject in which he afterwards
attained distinction. He was elected F.R.S., in his twentieth
year, but peers have a right to claim election at any period. Sir
Hans Sloane was at that time President of the Royal Society and,
judging from letters in the Sloane manuscripts, they were on terms
of friendship. The first and most interesting of the four complete
letters reads:—
August 31st 1730.
Sr.
I must first return thanks for yr very kind and obliging entertaine-
ment I met with at yr house when I had last ye pleasure of waiting on
you, as well as for ye message you were so good as to send me by Mr.
Tempest.8 I have then to inform you yt I have at last obtain'd a
7 Evelyn writes (16 April 1691): "I went to see Dr. Sloane's curiosities, being an universal
"collection of the natural productions of Jamaica, consisting of plants, fruits, corals, minerals,
"stones, earth, shells, animals, insects, &c., collected with greate judgment; severall folios of
"dried plants, and one which had about So severall sorts of ferns, and another of grasses; the
"Jamaica pepper, in branch, leaves, flower, fruit, &c. This collection, with his Journal and other
"philosophical and natural discourses and observations, is indeede very copious and extraordinary,
"sufficient to furnish a history of their island, to which I encourag'd him."
Rev. John Tempest, Chaplain to Lord Petre.