Thomas Hardwicke (1756-1835): botanical drawings and manuscripts from the Hardwicke Bequest in the British Library

Major-General Thomas Hardwicke retired following a lengthy career in India during which he amassed a considerable collection of natural history specimens and drawings. At his death in 1835, the bulk of these were transferred to the British Museum, together with various drawings, manuscripts and corr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inArchives of natural history Vol. 42; no. 2; pp. 236 - 244
Main Author Turner, I. M
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published UK Edinburgh University Press 01.10.2015
Subjects
Botanists
Botany
Careers
Descriptions
Flora
Historical Studies
Libraries
Penang Malaysia
Malaysia
India
illustrations
William Jack
William Hunter
Mauritius
William Roxburgh
India
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Summary:Major-General Thomas Hardwicke retired following a lengthy career in India during which he amassed a considerable collection of natural history specimens and drawings. At his death in 1835, the bulk of these were transferred to the British Museum, together with various drawings, manuscripts and correspondence - the "Hardwicke Bequest". The purpose of this paper is to review some of the material in the Hardwicke Bequest, particularly that related to botany now held in the British Library. The illustrations include the 16-volume set of "Plants of India", a volume of Indian fungi, and another of plants of Penang. Among the manuscripts, a copy of the contents list of William Jack's hortus siccus of Malay plants presented to the Marchioness of Hastings appears to be a significant find. A manuscript copy of William Hunter's "Plants of Prince of Wales Island", the earliest, though unpublished until 1909, flora of Penang is also notable. Hardwicke was an indefatigable describer of the plants he encountered, sending many descriptions, as well as specimens, to William Roxburgh and other eminent botanists of his day. The Hardwicke Bequest includes a large number of manuscript descriptions, notably 247 from Hardwicke's extended stay in Mauritius in 1811.
ISSN:0260-9541
1755-6260
DOI:10.3366/anh.2015.0308