io PETER HENDERSON. 



Biographical. 



Peter Henderson was born in Pathhead, a village 

 "twelve miles south of Edinburgh, Scotland, June 9th, 

 1822. He was the 3'oungest of three children, Ann, 

 James, and Peter, born to James Henderson and Agnes 

 <Gilchrist, his wife. The father, James Henderson, was a 

 man much respected throughout the district, for his in- 

 'd.ustry, integrity, and raany other excellent traits. His 

 occupation was that of a land steward, and for his 

 services he received a stipend of ^^30 per year. Small 

 as this salary ($150.) appears to our more modern eyes, 

 it was no inconsiderable sum in those days. On 

 this the elder Henderson brought up his children 

 ■decently, paid for their tuition at the parish school, 

 and " could look the whole world in the face, for he owed 

 not any man." From his father Peter inherited many 

 'of his best traits as well as the superb health which was 

 afterwards such a factor in helping him to success. To 

 liis mother'sside however he was indebted for his intellect- 

 ual endowments. His maternal grandfather, Peter Gil- 

 christ, (born in 1740, died in 1810,) in whose honor he 

 was named, was early in life a shepherd, but later on 

 became a nurseryman and florist. 



Peter Gilchrist was an unusually studious man, and 

 ior his station in life the possessor of a pretentious 

 library. It is related of him that on one occasion he paid 

 ^20, for a copy of Matthew Henry's Commentaries 

 «n the Bible, an enormous sum for a man of his means 

 aicentury ago. He was a man of marked ability and wield- 

 ed a very considerable influence, in fact, he was the 

 ^iniversal referee for the district on all disputed questions. 

 ^Grandfather and grandson must have had many mental 

 traits in common, for the grandson later on in his larger 

 £eld, was arbitrator and referee scores and scores of 

 times on matters both within and without the domain of 

 "horticulture. 



Peter was sent at an early age to the parish school 

 "where he first exhibited that marvelous industry which 

 all through life was his great distinguishing characteris- 



