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THE LATE JAMES BACKHOUSE.
(With Portrait.)
By the death of James Backhouse on the 31st August last at his
residence, West Bank, York, Enghsh Botany has lost one of its
most painstaking observers and accurate exponents. Born in York
on the 22nd of October, 1825, he was educated at the Friends'
School in Lawi-ence Street (since transferred to 20, Bootham,
York), and from a young man inherited the taste for Natural
History so strongly developed in his father. The latter, who bore
the same name, was widely known as a prominent Minister of the
Society of Friends, and for his long and important missionary
journeys in the Southern Hemisphere in connection with that
body. Here during his mission labours he collected many plants,
especially from among the numerous and beautiful group of Filmy
Ferns ; these he transmitted to his nursei'ies in York, where they
have ever since been cultivated with singular success. These
nurseries, the most important in the north of England, have been
in existence for over a centux-y. Eighty years ago they were in the
hands of the Telford family, who had conducted them for several
generations in " The Friars' Gardens," but who subsequently
yielded them up in favour of the (to them) more profitable
occupation of whale fishery. They were then purchased by
Thomas and James Backhouse, of Darlington, who, on the introduction
of railways, removed them to Fishergate, and later still to
their present site between Holgate and Acomb.
For many years father and son followed their favourite pursuit,
together exploring many of the more remote mountainous districts
in the north of England, Scotland, and Wales. On the 20th of
January, 1869, James Backhouse, sen., died. An interesting
account of his life by Mr. J. G. Baker appeared in this Journal for
that year. During a long period, therefore, it was impossible to
separate the botanical work of the two James Backhouses. Their
joint labour in the exploration of the remarkable flora of Teesdale
is known to all English botanists. A paper in the handwriting
of the late Mr, Backhouse has been placed in my hands, which
gives in a rough chronological order the dates of their jouxuieys
either alone or together, and the more important botanical
discoveries which they made. Though too long to quote at length,
it is of sufficient interest to justify me in inserting the following
brief summary.
The paper begins with a reference to a visit by James Backhouse,
sen., to Castle Eden Dene in 1803, where he found
Ci/pripediitni Calceuliis L. From this date to the year 1842 all the
notes refer exclusively to his work, chiefly in Teesdale, which he
first visited in 1810. The more noteworthy plants there found by
him were Uelionthcmum marijolinm Mill, var. vineale Pers., Armaria
verna L., Dri/cs ortopptala L., Potentilla fruticosfi L,, Sdxifrni/'i HirchIhs
L, (Baulderstlale), Scilion rillosmn L., I'lpUobinin alsiiiifolium
Vill., Gentiana verna L., and Woodda ilveiisis R. Br., which he first
JowRNAL OF Botany,—Vol, 28, [DECKMnER. 1800.] 2 a