BOTANICAL INVESTIGATION IN MIDDLESEX. 388 



Petiver also contributed as many as twenty-one papers to the Royal 

 Society, which appear in vols. 19 to 29 of the Philosophical Transactions^ 

 from 1697 to 1717. 



On the private life and character of this energetic man the Sloane MSS. 

 throw considerable light. He was never married. Of his father we know 

 nothing, but his mother (who had remarried a Mr. Grlentworth) survived him. 

 He had a maternal uncle very rich, but somewhat eccentric, Eichard 

 Elborowe,* of Rugby, who, besides sending frequent presents to Petiver, 

 granted him an annuity of 40Z. per annum. It would appear, however, that 

 Petiver in some way managed to offend this gentleman, for the latter made 

 Elborowe Grlentworth, James's younger half-brother, sole executor of his 

 will. In answer to Petiver's protests Mr. Elborowe writes (April 8, 1704), 

 ' I have left you a very fair and plentyfull legacy,t besides other provisions 

 made for you in my will, which will keep you from the condition mentioned 

 in your letter, which, if you live to receive, I hope you will make better 

 improvement than hitherto you have done ' (Sloane MSS. 4043, fol. 282). 

 This uncle died in 1707 ; his last letter is dated April 5, and his will is 

 dated July 31, and was proved on December 4 of that year. In a letter, 

 not dated, to his brother, Elborowe Grlentworth, Petiver bitterly com- 

 plains that ' on ye 9th of next month, which is now neer at hand, our 

 very good and generous Uncle has been dead three years, and yet I have 

 not, in all this time, received of you one Farthing, either of principal! 

 or Interest, of the Legacy he left me' (Sloane MSS. 3331, fol. 608). Nor 

 was it ever paid, for there are many other letters, even as late as 1714 

 (Sloane MSS. 3330, 937), asking for it, apparently without effect. Of this 

 brother, who inherited much of Mr. Elborowe's property, and must have 

 been well off, we can discover nothing further than that he was also at 

 Rugby School,! and that he married, and lived 'at the old barge-house 

 against the Temple ' in 1714. Petiver wrote to him, however, in 1711, from 

 the Hague, and the brothers were at that time evidently on good terms. 



Petiver seems to have been rather unfortunate in money matters ; many 

 of his letters are requests for the payment of debts, either of money lent, or 

 in payment of professional attendance. In 1706 he lost ' near 800 pound ' 

 by the ' breaking of Mr. Ayrey ' to whom he had lent it (see Sloane MSS. 

 3335, f. 9). 



Many of his relations were in poor circumstances. § One William 

 Pettiver |j (as he always spells his name) was in 1703-4 at Merton College, 

 Oxford ; he was one of a large family who also lived at Hillmorton, and 



three vols, (two folio, and one octavo) for six guineas. A good many plates not before 

 published were added to this reprint. 



* Mr. Elborowe built a school-house at Rugby, and endowed it for ever, for the 

 instruction of thirty poor children, and an almshouse for six poor widows. 



t 7,000Z., to be paid within twelve months after the death of the testator, as appears 

 from a codicil to Elborowe's will. % Entered in 1692 {Register, p. 6). 



§ It is supposed that he was connected with Sherard, whom he certainly addresses 

 as ' coz,' ' kinsman,' &c. 



II Also at Rugby. Entered the school in 1689 {Register ; where are also the entries of 

 Richard, John, and Nicholas Petiver in the years 1677, 1682, and 1687, respectively). 



