THE CHELSEA ‘ PHYSICKE 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, 1678, 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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