Walter Jardine Letters
Item set
- Title
- Walter Jardine Letters
- Creator
- Jardine, Walter, active 1860s–1870s
- Description
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The Walter Jardine Letters comprise a collection of nineteenth-century correspondence relating to the establishment and early development of the Grahamstown Botanical Gardens during the 1860s. The letters are associated with Walter Jardine, who was appointed Superintendent of the Gardens in 1867, and reflect his professional engagement with botanical networks in southern Africa and Britain.
The correspondence includes letters from prominent botanists, most notably Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Topics addressed within the collection include the acquisition, transport, cultivation, and identification of plant specimens, as well as the logistical and scientific challenges of maintaining a colonial botanical garden during this period. The collection provides valuable insight into nineteenth-century botanical exchange, imperial scientific networks, and the history of botany in the Eastern Cape. - Language
- English
- Provenance
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The collection was donated in 2021 by Dr W. I. (Ivor) Jardine. Walter Jardine, Superintendent of the Grahamstown Botanical Gardens after 1867, was the brother of Dr Jardine’s great-grandfather.
The transfer and relocation of the materials to Rhodes University were facilitated by Tony Dold, Curator of the Selmar Schönland Herbarium. - Type
- Collection
- Correspondence
- Archival documents
- Publisher
- Cory Library for Humanities Research, Rhodes University
- Subject
- Botanical gardens—South Africa—Grahamstown—History
- Botany—South Africa—History—19th century
- Plant introduction—South Africa—History
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew—History
- Scientific correspondence—19th century
- Contributor
- Hooker, Joseph Dalton, 1817–1911
- Jardine, W. I. (Ivor)
- Dold, Tony, 1958–
- Kelly, Jean
- Date
- 1867–1870s (predominant)
- Spatial Coverage
- Grahamstown (Makhanda), Eastern Cape, South Africa
- United Kingdom
- Extent
- Manuscript letters (number of items varies)
Items
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Jardine Correspondence transcribed by Jean Kelly July 2021. Transcription: Grahams Town 14 May 1867 Mr W. Jardine Newlands Cape Town Sir I have much pleasure to inform you that your application for the Curatorship of the Botanic Garden has been accepted and that the Committee gave you preference, being strongly recommended by Mr McGibbon, the Gardener of the Colony. Salary £150 per annum (One Hundred and fifty pounds) per annum. The Committee will be glad to hear of your early departure from Cape Town. Yours truly R.G Stone Secretary. -
Jardine Correspondence transcribed by Jean Kelly July 2021. Transcription: Royal Exotic Nursery, Kings Road. Chelsea S.W. London. January 12 1869. Dear Sir We have pleasure to enclose your Duplicate Invoice and B/L [Bill of Lading] of cases sent by the Cambrian which we trust will be received to your entire satisfaction. With best respects. Yours truly. James Veitch & Sons p.p Thomas Manning. W. Jardine Esq. -
Jardine Correspondence transcribed by Jean Kelly July 2021. Transcription: Grahamstown May 14th 1867. My dear Sir Although I have a broken leg I went across to assist in obtaining the situation of Superintendent of the Botanic Garden for you yesterday. We succeeded. You are appointed at a salary of £150 a year and the use of a cottage good enough for a bachelor. I congratulate you. I am sure if you are careful to work and please that you will get on well. The gardens are prettily situated but have been badly kept and I think you will soon astonish them. You are to come at once as Mr Stone will write you. Let me advise you to bring any nice bits of seed you have especially Calceolarias, Cinerarias and such like. I brought the double Petunia and lost it. There is none here. Our geraniums are not first rate either. I hope you will be here before I leave for Cape Town. Yours Rbt [Robert?] Murray Mr McGibbon sent a […?...] testimonial for you. Be sure to thank him for it. -
Jardine Correspondence transcribed by Jean Kelly July 2021. Transcription: Royal Gardens, Sept 24/68 My dear Sir I have the pleasure of announcing the arrival of the Wardian case with the Euphorbia and Viscum per steamer ‘Norseman'. The? Viscum was unfortunately quite dead and rotted away though the Euphorbia was, and is still, alive. I suppose the closeness of the case did not agree with it for there was no fault to find with the packing. The Ficus is alive and a fine thing which is very welcome. The mesembryanthemums though not new are always useful. The Satyrium had rotted away. The continued damp being probably too much for them. We are preparing to fill the case with [?] Conifers and return it of which due notice shall be given. Very faithfully yours J. D Hooker. -
Jardine Correspondence transcribed by Jean Kelly July 2021. Transcription: Royal Gardens. Kew. July 9 1868. Dear Sir I have the pleasure of acknowledging your favor of 28th April and the arrival of the cases with 6 living Cycads. I shall take care to have the species named as soon as they are sufficiently forward to be identified. I am now preparing a list of our Succulent plants and when ready I shall forward you a copy. Meanwhile I shall always be glad to know your wants. JD Hooker -
Jardine Correspondence transcribed by Jean Kelly July 2021. Transcription: Royal Exotic Nursery. Kings Road. Chelsea S.W. London. Nov 9th 1868. Dear Sir We received your letter of the 12th Sept and are very glad to hear the seeds arrived safely and in good order and we hope it will lead to further kind favors. We do not see any reason why Camellias should not travel well in Close Boxes, we have generally sent them to the Cape in Glass Cases but as you remark it is expensive, we can supply suitable plants at £10 per 100, or stronger @£12-10- We shall be happy to receive your order which shall have our best attention and much obligation. Yours truly. James Veitch & Sons. p.p. Thomas Murray. P.S. Private. Do you know Mr Murray of your Town and is he safe, he was formerly of Cape Town. -
Jardine Correspondence transcribed by Jean Kelly August 2021. Transcription: Claremont, Sept 3 1864. My dear Sir You mentioned to me when I was at the Vineyard the other day that you had a double white Fuchsia. If you can possibly spare a bud for striking or strike one for me I should be so obliged & if you have any others to spare I should be happy to purchase or exchange for varieties which you may not have. I have the following which I do not think you have as they were imported by [?]Kotzee last year. Queen of Hanover. Her Majesty The Bell The Universal England's Glory. Yours truly HW Arderne. Note in margin: Any other good plants I am always open to purchase. Dahlia roots, Roses, etc. -
Jardine Correspondence transcribed by Jean Kelly August 2021. Transcription: Mr Walter Jardine. Grahamstown. Cape of Good hope. Sir, Most likely by the time this note will reach you, you will be in possession of the invoice of Camellias, and I hope in satisfactory condition. With the plants which you intend to return to me in exchange I should much like to have a good lot of bulbs of Disa grandiflora and superba, an orchid which is very likely well known to you and which is said to grow abundantly near the Cape Town. Please try and send me a nice lot of it. Awaiting your further obliging favours, I remain Sir Yours obediently, A Van Geert. -
Jardine Correspondence transcribed by Jean Kelly August 2021. Transcription: Ghent 21st of May 1869. Walter Jardine Esq Cape Town. [Note from Transcriber "I wonder if this is correct. He was in Grahamstown by then."] Dear Sir I beg to acknowledge receipt of your kind letter of the 16th of April and feel really pleased with its contents. I received the Zania in good conditioned and a couple are already starting a good growth. I shall be happy to receive the others plants you mention the probable invoice of, and beg you will receive my best thanks for the trouble. You would very much oblige me, my Dear Sir, by kindly sending a list of some good plants for us which can be had from the Cape or near it, or from any other place you know the means to get at. For instance I should be glad if you could procure me or tell me the way how to get palm seeds from the Seychelles and Mauritius Islands , or any other tropical islands where fine palms are growing. Encephalartos villosus and gracilis, the latter with thread-like linear leaves, are both useful species to me. Can some be had at the gardens? In fact any information will be most thankfully received. Awaiting your earliest kind news. I remain, Dear Sir, / Yours most obediently, pp A Van Geert. / Auguste Van Geert, junior. -
Jardine Correspondence transcribed by Jean Kelly August 2021. Transcription: Ghent 21st of May 1869. Walter Jardine Esq Cape Town. [Note from Transcriber "I wonder if this is correct. He was in Grahamstown by then."] Dear Sir I beg to acknowledge receipt of your kind letter of the 16th of April and feel really pleased with its contents. I received the Zania in good conditioned and a couple are already starting a good growth. I shall be happy to receive the others plants you mention the probable invoice of, and beg you will receive my best thanks for the trouble. You would very much oblige me, my Dear Sir, by kindly sending a list of some good plants for us which can be had from the Cape or near it, or from any other place you know the means to get at. For instance I should be glad if you could procure me or tell me the way how to get palm seeds from the Seychelles and Mauritius Islands , or any other tropical islands where fine palms are growing. Encephalartos villosus and gracilis, the latter with thread-like linear leaves, are both useful species to me. Can some be had at the gardens? In fact any information will be most thankfully received. Awaiting your earliest kind news. I remain, Dear Sir, / Yours most obediently, pp A Van Geert. / Auguste Van Geert, junior. -
Jardine Correspondence transcribed by Jean Kelly August 2021. Transcription: Wynberg Dispensary 20th Oct 1863. My dear Walter I now send [?]Dantjie with a box as you requested. In taking them out of the pots try and leave as much earth about the roots as you can so that the growing of them will not be affected. I think that if you [?] choose first to damp them well with water it would make the earth more firm and stick closer to the roots – but you will understand best what to do. In the meantime with kindest regards I am, dear Wattie, Your sincere friend John Christie. -
Jardine Correspondence transcribed by Jean Kelly August 2021. Transcription: Royal Exotic Nursery. Kings Road Chelsea .SW. Feb. 10th 1868 Dear Sir, We have the pleasure to enclose your receipt for [?] the 15th, also B/L and Invoice of seeds forwarded by this mail, and we trust the same will be entirely satisfactory. With our best thanks for kindnesses and hope to be favoured with a continuation of the same. You will observe we have made an allowance, being for the Botanic Gardens. They are sent care of A Taylor Esq Algoa Bay. We remain, Dear Sir, Yours truly James Veitch & Sons. pp Thomas Manning. -
Jardine Correspondence transcribed by Jean Kelly August 2021. Transcription: Royal Exotic Nursery. Kings Road Chelsea .SW. Feb. 10th 1868 Dear Sir, We have the pleasure to enclose your receipt for [?] the 15th, also B/L and Invoice of seeds forwarded by this mail, and we trust the same will be entirely satisfactory. With our best thanks for kindnesses and hope to be favoured with a continuation of the same. You will observe we have made an allowance, being for the Botanic Gardens. They are sent care of A Taylor Esq Algoa Bay. We remain, Dear Sir, Yours truly James Veitch & Sons. pp Thomas Manning. -
Jardine Correspondence transcribed by Jean Kelly August 2021. Transcription: Graham's Town. May 22 1864. I am much obliged to you, Walter, for the Disa Bulbs which arrived yesterday all safe, and with which Mr Tuck of the Botanical Gardens is much pleased. I remain Yours faithfully, Edmund R Wodehouse. ************************************************************************ Noted on scrap paper: Left Cape Town 22nd May 1867 Got to Grahamstown 1st June Bot Gardens 4th June. Walter Jardine. -
Jardine Correspondence transcribed by Jean Kelly August 2021. Transcription: Graham’s Town. May 1st 1864. [No salutation.] As I intend returning to England by the Mail Steamer which will leave Table Bay on the 20th June, I shall be much obliged to you, Walter, if you will plant the Ferns you have for me in a Wardian Case ready for their journey. I think they had better be put into the Wardian Case at once so that they may have taken good root before the time comes for closing the case. The case need not be closed till after I come down to Cape Town I expect to be there about the 13th or 14th of June. The last batch of Ferns I sent home were planted in rows, with thin boards laid along the top between the rows to keep the soil unmoved; and they reached home in very good order. I also want to take the Disa plants home with me. I am told that if they have died down, the bulbs had better be packed in dry sand; but if they have not died down, &* are still in leaf, they had better be planted in the case with the Ferns. If you have not got Wardian Case, which you can let me have, please ask Col. Travers to get one from Mr McGibbon at the Botanical Garden. Keep an account of any expenses you may incur, and I will repay you when I come down to Cape Town. I shall also be very much obliged if you could send me here some good Disa plants for the Botanical Gardens in this town, where they are very much wanted. They had better be packed in moss or dry sand, & put into a tin box, and then sent up by the post cart. If you should not be able to do this, or have any difficulties with respect to the Ferns, please write to let me know at once. Yours faithfully, Edmund R Wodehouse. Envelope addressed to: Mr Walter Jardine The Vineyard Claremont Cape Town. Pencilled note on envelope: Son of the Governor, Sir P Wodehouse.