THE FLORA OF STAFFORDSHIRE. 71 



following the record. In 1812 Stokes published A Botanical Materia 

 Medica in four volumes, which, like the second edition of Withering, 

 is useful on account of the extensive synonymy and the copious 

 references to the figures given by the earlier writers. In 1790 

 Stokes was elected an associate of the Linnean Society. Some 

 years later he returned to Chesterfield, where he died in 1831, 

 aged seventy-six. The following are his more important Stafford- 

 shire records : — Ranunculus Linr/ua, Viola lutea, Buda marina, 

 Flhaimms Franyula, Cicuta virosa, Pimpinella major, Campanula 

 Txapunculus. 



Hon. William Bagot (1773-1856) recorded several plants in 

 the third edition of Withering, his notes being mainly from Blith- 

 field, where he lived, and the surrounding district. In October, 

 1798, he succeeded his father as second Baron of Bagots Bromley 

 in the county of Stafford. He was a Fellow of the Linnean Society 

 and of the Society of Antiquarians, and was well versed in natural 

 history studies. He died in 1856, aged eighty-three. He recorded 

 Pyrola rotundifolia, Utricularia minor, &c. ; but his most interesting 

 record is that of Centimculus minimus from Blithfield, its only 

 known locality in Staffordshire. 



Stebbing Shaw in his great work on The Antiquities of Sta(ford- 

 shire (1798-1801) published long lists of plants compiled by the 

 Rev. S. Dickenson and other Staffordshire botanists. Very many 

 of these are first records, the more interesting being Trollius, Helle- 

 horusfoetidus, Dianthus Armeria, Hypericum Elodes, Lathyrus sylvestris, 

 Cotyledon, Drosera intermedia, Crepis paludosa, Fritillaria, Brachy- 

 Ijodiuui pinnatum, Hymeiwpliyllum unilaterale, &c. To the Rev. 

 Samuel Dickenson (1730-1823) the greater portion of the record is 

 due, his investigations having been made in the rich woods, bogs, 

 and moorlands in the country around Blymhill, of which parish he 

 was rector for many years. He died in 1823, and was buried 

 in Blymhill churchyard. Rev. Thomas Gisborne, B.A., F.L.S. 

 (1758-1846), eldest son of John Gisborne, of Yoxall Lodge, took 

 high honours at Cambridge in 1780, was Sixth Wrangler and 

 first Chancellor's Medalist, and wrote a number of works on 

 philosophy. Paid special attention to the W^ever Hill district, and 

 was so enamoured of it as to have a written a poem The Vales of 

 Wever, in which some of its special plants are mentioned. John 

 Sneyd (fl. 1797), of Belmont Hall, recorded many plants from the 

 Hamps and Manifold to Shaw, such as Tubes alpinum, Convallaria 

 majalis, &c. Richard Forster (fl. 1797), surgeon and naturalist 

 at Stone, "helped," says Shaw, "and greatly faciUtated my 

 botanical and other researches in the neighbourhood of Stone." 

 He records llabenaria bifolia, Alis)iia ranunculoides, &c. Edward 

 Bourne, M.D. (fl. 1797), of Cheadle, recorded several plants to 

 Shaw; afterwards removed to Atherstone in Warwickshire, 1801, 

 and botanized the neighbouring Staffordshire district, from which 

 he records Myosurus minimus. Rev. R. Wolseley (1772-1815) 

 recorded plants from Wolseley and district ; Gentiaua campestris, 

 Glaux, &c ; Shaw spells his name incorrectly " Wolsey." R. 

 Wainwright (fl. 1797) contributed to Shaw a long list of records, 



