THE CHELSEA " PHYSIGKE GARDEN " 



the Society of Apothecaries. The Society itself was still very 

 young, having been incorporated in 1617, in the reign of James I. 

 It had from a very early period of its existence taken a lively interest 

 in botany, and so long back as 1632 we find its members making 

 annual botanical excursions, known as " herbalizings," into the 

 country round London. In founding, in the year 1670, a garden 

 for the better pursuit of botanical study, the aims of the apothe- 

 caries seem to have been threefold : firstly, the advancement of 

 botany in its relation to medicine ; secondly, the classification, for 

 the benefit of their own students, of the multitudinous forms that 

 constitute the vegetable kingdom, by means of specimens of the 

 groups of plants spread over the surface of the globe, collected 

 and arranged systematically for educational purposes : and thirdly, 

 the introduction, with a view to cultivation, of foreign trees, 

 vegetables, and plants. The young society, having recently re- 

 built their hall destroyed in the great fire of 1666, had few funds 

 at their disposal for the purposes they had at heart ; but having 

 the will, they found the way. The matter is a little obscure, but 

 it would almost appear that the apothecaries already had a lease 

 of the land upon which they proposed to make this garden ; for 

 a writer in 1693 says, " The ground upon which the Chelsea Gar- 

 den is now situated was originally taken by the Apothecaries 

 Society as a convenient place upon which to build a barge-house 

 for the ornamental barge that the Society (like the other City com- 

 panies) then possessed." 



In quoting the above in 1878, Field and Simple, writing the 

 " Memoirs of the Botanic Garden at Chelsea," remark that " it 

 appears that Charles Cheyne, Esq., by his indenture of lease bearing 

 date August 29, 1673, did demise and grant unto the Master, Wardens 

 and Society of the Art and mystery of .apothecaries of the City 

 of London and their successors and assigns, the piece and parcel 

 of ground and premises therein mentioned to hold from Michaelmas 

 then ensuing, until the full term of sixty years at the yearly rent 

 of 5." There is some discrepancy in the dates, which, however, 

 is not of great importance to us, but it is interesting to know how 

 such favourite localities as Cheyne Row, and Cheyne Walk, came 

 by their names. 



Certain public-spirited members of the Society of Apothecaries 

 now offered at their own expense but hoping that other 



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