Makers of British Botany; a collection of biographies by living botanists — Text and Context

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Authors: Oliver, F. W. (Francis Wall), 1864-1951 [Editor] Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2014 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Botany -- Great Britain -- History; Botanists -- Great Britain -- Biography Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

Edition facts

Words 121,551

Reading time 529 min

Text sections 18

This digital edition of Makers of British Botany; a collection of biographies by living botanists — Text and Context is described by source-level measurements including 121,551 words, 8 hr 49 min estimated reading time, and 18 detected text sections.

The text analysis averages about 24.2 words per sentence, while the detected sections provide another way to judge how the source is divided.

Project Gutenberg metadata also associates the work with “Botany -- Great Britain -- History,” connecting these edition facts with the source record’s subject description.

Source: Project Gutenberg record #46415

An editorial note on how the opening, middle, and later excerpts of this 1913 collection of botanist biographies guide a first reading, focusing on the editor's preface, Lindley's chapter, and the closing matter.

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, during this period, who made any material contribution to the science of classification, and that was Joachim Jung of Hamburg (1587-1657). Jung is best known by his _Isagoge Phytoscopica_ (1678, ed. Vaget), the most philosophic and scientific treatise on plants that had appeared since the time of Aristotle, which is the foundation upon which the whole superstructure of plant-morphology and descriptive botany has since been erected. But it was in his _De Plantis Doxoscopiae Physicae Minores_ (1662, ed. Fogel) that he expressed his views on systematic Botany. He did not propound a system of his own, but he sought to arrive at the principles upon which a classification should be based, with the logical result that he rejected the time-honoured Theophrastian division of plants into Trees and Herbs. Though Jung failed to produce any immediate impression upon the Botany of his time, he powerfully influenced the great developments which took place in the eighteenth century. It so happened that Ray, as he mentions in his _Index Plantarum Agri Cantabrigiensis_ (1660), had obtained through Samuel Hartlib a MS. of the whole or part of Jung's _Isagoge_, which seems to have impressed him so much that he included many of Jung's morphological definitions in the glossary appended to the _Index_; and he subsequently embodied the _Isagoge_ in the first volume of his _Historia Plantarum_ (1686). It was from Ray's _Historia_ that Linnaeus learned the morphological principles and terminology of Jung which were the basis of his own work in descriptive Botany, and rendered possible the elaboration of his system of classification. But, in spite of Jung, the venerable division of plants into Trees and Herbs continued to hold its own for a time. As will be seen, it was still adhered to by Morison and by Ray, even after it had been shown to be quite untenable by Rivinus (_Introductio Generalis in Rem Herbariam_) in 1690, and did not finally disappear until the time of Linnaeus.

It was just when systematic Botany had fallen back to its lowest level that Morison appeared upon the scene. He had been born at Aberdeen in 1620, and had there graduated Master of Arts with distinction by the time he was eighteen years old. His further studies in the natural sciences were interrupted by the Civil War, in which he took part on the Royalist side, being severely wounded in the battle of the Brig of Dee (1644). He fled to France, and there resumed his preparation for a scientific career with such success that he obtained, in 1648, the degree of Doctor of Medicine at the University of Angers. From that time onwards he devoted himself entirely to the study of Botany, which he pursued in Paris under the guidance of Vespasian Robin, Botanist to the King of France. In 1650 Morison was appointed by the Duke of Orleans, on Robin's recommendation, to take charge of the royal garden at Blois, a post which he held for ten years. The Duke of Orleans, shortly before his death early in 1660, had occasion to present Morison to his nephew King Charles II who was about to return to his kingdom. Soon after the Restoration, the King summoned Morison to London; and in spite of tempting offers made to induce him to remain in France, Morison obeyed the summons and was rewarded with the title of King's Physician and Professor of Botany with a stipend of two hundred pounds a year. During his tenure of these offices Morison found time to complete his first botanical work, the _Praeludia Botanica_, which was published in 1669; the same year in which he was appointed Professor of Botany in the University of Oxford.

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The editor's preface immediately signals the book's scope: a collection of biographies by living botanists, with a last-minute addition of a chapter on Sir Joseph Hooker after his death in 1911. The preface names the contributors and acknowledges Dr E. de Fraine for the index, establishing a scholarly but personal tone. The table of contents lists 18 chapters spanning from Robert Morison and John Ray (1620–1705) to Hooker (1817–1911), revealing a chronological sweep that prioritises Victorian-era figures. The inclusion of a chapter on Edinburgh botany professors from 1670 to 1887 suggests an institutional thread.

The Preface as a Roadmap

The preface, though brief, orients the reader to the book's origin and scope. Editor F. W. Oliver states that the book's origin and scope are 'fully indicated in the Introduction' (not excerpted here), but the preface itself notes a key change: the addition of a chapter on Sir Joseph Hooker by Prof. F. O. Bower. This signals that the collection was assembled while some subjects were still alive or recently deceased. The preface also thanks Dr E. de Fraine for the index, a practical detail that hints at the book's reference value. For a first reader, the preface establishes that the biographies are written by specialists—'living botanists'—and that the work aims to document recent history. The mention of Hooker as 'the outstanding personality' and 'principal link with the past' suggests a commemorative purpose.

Lindley's Chapter: A Sample of Biographical Method

The excerpt from the chapter on John Lindley (1799–1865) by Frederick Keeble offers a concrete example of the biographical approach. The author quotes Lindley directly: 'there are, doubtless, many men of cultivated or idle minds who think waiting upon Providence much better than any attempt to improve their condition by the exertion of their reasoning faculties.' This quotation illustrates Lindley's incisive style and his impatience with empiricism. Keeble then discusses Lindley's major works—The Theory and Practice of Horticulture and The Vegetable Kingdom—and notes that the former was translated into many European languages but initially sold poorly in Britain until its title was changed to include 'Practice.' The author observes that gardeners still sought physiological principles unaided by scientists, a remark that ties Lindley's era to the reader's present. This section shows how each biography combines personal character, scientific contributions, and contemporary reception.

The Structure of the Collection

The table of contents reveals a deliberate structure: chapters proceed chronologically from the 17th century to the early 20th, with each written by a different specialist. The list includes figures like Robert Brown (by J. B. Farmer), Sir William Hooker (by F. O. Bower), and John Stevens Henslow (by George Henslow). The final chapter on Sir Joseph Hooker and the appended sketch of Edinburgh botany professors suggest an effort to cover institutional history. The reader can trace thematic links—for instance, the Hooker father-and-son pair (chapters by Bower) or the emphasis on systematics in Lindley and Robert Brown. The inclusion of less-known figures like William Griffith (by W. H. Lang) and Arthur Henfrey (by F. W. Oliver himself) indicates that the book aims to recover overlooked contributors.

The Closing Matter and Its Implications

The final excerpt consists of Project Gutenberg's standard license and donation information, which is not part of the original book. However, the original book's closing—the index and the final chapter on Hooker—would have provided a capstone. The index, prepared by Dr E. de Fraine, is praised in the preface for its 'care and good judgment,' suggesting it is a valuable tool for navigating the 18 chapters. For a first reader, the index can serve as a entry point: looking up a known botanist or concept reveals how the book connects figures. The final chapter on Hooker, added after his death, likely summarises the Victorian period's botanical achievements. The reader might note that the book ends not with a conclusion but with a biography, reinforcing its focus on individual lives rather than overarching narrative.

Reading this collection as a whole benefits from treating each chapter as a self-contained essay while watching for cross-references—for instance, how Lindley's work is mentioned in other chapters. The index is a practical starting point for non-linear reading. The book's value lies in its contemporaneous perspectives: these are assessments by early 20th-century specialists of their immediate predecessors, offering insights into both the subjects and the authors' own scientific values.

The rain kept pace with my reading of Makers of British Botany, and I lingered over Lindley’s stubborn pragmatism, his insistence on utility over ornament. That quiet reverence for structure—how a plant’s hidden architecture explains its habits—stayed with me into the evening. I found myself reaching for Elements of Structural and Systematic Botany For High Schools and Elementary College Courses — Key Ideas to Explore, not as a next step, but simply because the same patient curiosity seemed to live there.