[ viii ] 



eighteenth century b}^ the then Dowager Princess of Wales, were very largely 

 developed during the latter part of that century and the beginning of the 

 next by His Majesty George III., with the assistance and] advice of Sir 

 Joseph Banks. Though the gardens were the private property of the Crown 

 they were enriched, at the expense of the nation, by the results of various 

 expeditions, and by specimens obtained from the Colonies and elsew^here. 

 The living plants were cultivated in the gardens, the dried plants were 

 retained by Sir Joseph Banks, and thus contributed to form the valuable 

 . herbarium knowai as the Banksian Herbariui n. This herbarium Sir Joseph 

 Banks kept at his residence in Soho Square ; but there is some evidence that 

 a duplicate herbarium was kept in the gardens. This latter, however, 

 subsequently disappeared. 



At his death in 1820, Sir Joseph Banks bequeathed this Banksian 

 Herbarium, together with his library, drawings, etc., " usually kept in . . ., 

 my house in Soho Square" to his librarian, Robert Browai, for "his use 

 and enjoyment during his life, and after his decease to the British Museum." 

 One condition of the bequest was that Robert Brown should "assist the 

 sujDerintendent of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew as he also now 

 does." 



The Will provides that the collections might with Robert Brown's 

 assent pass into the hands of the Trustees of the British Museum during 

 Robert Brown's lifetime. In 1827 this transference was made, Robert 

 Brown becoming at the same time an Under Librarian of the Museum, wdth 

 the additional title of " Keeper of the Banksian Botanical Collections," he 

 having charge of these alone, and not of the other botanical collections. 



In 1835 Robert Brown became " Keeper of the Botanical Department,"^' 

 the wdiole of the botanical collections being placed under his care. The 

 foundation of the botanical collections at the British Museum was thus 

 supplied by the Sloane Herbaria and the Banksian Herbarium, together with 

 fruits, woods, etc. Under Robert Brown and succeeding keepers the- 

 botanical collections were increased. The Banksian Herbarium, by the 

 addition of new specimens, was developed into what is now known as the 

 " General Herbarium," the Sloane Herbaria being kept distinct. In 1859 a 

 sej)arate collection of British plants, the British Herbarium, was formed. 

 In 1881, when the Natural History Department was transferred from Blooms- 

 bury to Cromwell Road, the General Herbarium consisted of 509 cabinets 

 of specimens. Since that date large additions have been made ; the number- 

 of cabinets is now^ 1,560, containing 1,673,000 specimens. 



History of Kuw After the death of King George III. and of Sir Joseph Banks in 1820 



coUectjoTi?. ^YiQ Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew\ remaining a private garden of the Crown 



under the charge of the Lord Steward, though assisted by the Treasury and 

 the Admiralty, did not for several years undergo any great development- 

 In 1841, however, it ceased to be a private garden of the Crown. The 

 management was transferred to Her Majesty's Commissioners of Woods, 

 Forests, Land Revenues, Works and Buildings, and William Jackson Hooker- 

 then Regius Professor of Botany at Glasgow^ was made director. 



Professor, afterwards Sir W. J. Hooker, brought with him from Glasgow 

 to Kew", and for some years kept in his own residence, a large private 

 herbarium, described at the time as the largest in England, if not in the 

 world. This he continued to increase. 



In 1854: Mr. G. Bentham presented to the nation, on certain conditions, 

 his private herbarium, about one-fifth the size of that of Sir W. J. Hooker. 

 This was dei^osited in a house belonging to the Crown, formerly occupied by 

 the King of Hanover, the use of it being granted for that pm^pose. In the 

 following year the herbarium of Sir W. J. Hooker, still a private herbarium,. 

 w^as transferred to the same building. In 1865, upon the death of Sir W. J. 

 Hooker, his herbarium was purchased by the State, and this, with the 

 smaller herbarium given by Mr. Bentham, was the beginning of the present 

 national herbarium at the Royal Botanic Gardens. Since the death of Sir- 



