BAKER : FATHERS OF YORKSHIRE BOTANY. 1 87 



and the two Robsons. And fourthly, those who laid the 

 foundation of our knowledge of the cryptogamic botany of the 

 county, such as Bolton, Brunton, Teesdale, and Dalton. 



So far as I am aware^ the earliest record which we have of 

 any botany in Yorkshire goes back to the middle of the six- 

 teenth century. Anthony Ascham was a priest, and after 

 receiving a liberal education was presented by Edward the 

 Sixth to the living of Burniston near Bedale. In those days, 

 and long afterwards. Astrology was a popular pursuit, and 

 Ascham became one of its followers. He published several 

 pamphlets on the subject, and in the year 1550 brought out a 

 small book in duodecimo, of which the following is a copy of 

 the title page : — ' A Lyttel Herbal of the properties of Herbs, 

 newly amended and corrected, with certain additions at the 

 end of the boke, declaryng what herbs hath influence of certaine 

 starres and constellations, whereby may be chosen the best and 

 most lucky times and days of their ministration, according to 

 the moon being in the signs of heaven, the which is daily 

 appointed in the almanack, made and gathered in the year 

 MDL, xii. Feb., by Anthonye Ascham, Physician.' The 

 celebrated Roger Ascham, the tutor of Queen Elizabeth, 

 belonged to the same district, his birthplace being Kirby 

 Wiske, and lived at the same time, so that it is not unlikely 

 they were relations. Roger Ascham's father was steward to 

 one of the Scropes. Salisbury founded a genus of AmarylHd- 

 acese called Aschamia in memory of Anthony Ascham, but it is 

 now merged into Hippeastrum. 



The most distinguished of the English herbalists of the 

 Tudor period was William Turner. He was a native of Mor- 

 peth and a student of Pembroke College, Cambridge, under 

 the patronage of Sir Thomas Wentworth. Writing of Cambridge 

 as it was in 1540, he says : ' Being yet a student of Pembroke 

 Hall, whereas I could learn never one Greke, neither Latin 

 nor English name, even amongst the physicians, of any herbe 

 or tree, such was the ignorance at that time ; and as yet there 

 was no English herbal, but one all full of unlearned caco- 



