OXFORDSHIRE BOTANOLOGIA. 
THE first notice of an Oxfordshire plant appears in The Names of Herbes 
in Greke, Latin, Englishe, Duche, and Frenche by William Turner pub- 
lished in 1548, where it is stated that ‘Clinopodium groweth plentifully 
about Bon by the Rehne and I heare say it groweth also about Oxford.’ 
Turner was born at Morpeth, Northumberland, about the end of the 
fifteenth century. From Cooper's Athene Cantabrigienses, vol. i., we 
learn that he was junior treasurer of Pembroke College in 1532, M.A. 
1533, and senior treasurer 1538, Lord Wentworth paying the expense of 
his education. In the preface to his Herball he says he was fellow of 
Pembroke College from 1530 to 1538. ‘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 herb or tree; 
such was the ignorance at that time; and as yet there was no English 
Herbal but one full of unlearned Cacographies and falsely naming of 
herbes.’ His first botanical work was a small tract of 20 pages, 
which contains the earliest printed records of any English plants. It 
was printed in 1538, and called Lidellus de Re Herbaria novus. In 
1540 having embraced Protestantism, and published and preached in 
support of it, he was obliged to leave Cambridge, was imprisoned and 
eventually exiled to Germany, where he again studied Botany. On the 
accession of Edward the Sixth, he returned to England, was made Prebend 
of York and Canon of Windsor. Having been appointed Physician to the 
Lord Protector Somerset, the University of Oxford gave him the D.M. 
degree. In 1548 appeared the Names of Herbes already alluded to. In 
1550 he was made Dean of Wells. He was also a Member of the House 
of Commons. In 1551 he published the first part of A new Herball, 
dedicated to the Lord Protector. On the accession of Mary, Turner was 
deprived of his offices and again went into exile till 1558. LHlizabeth 
restored his preferments to him. 
The second part of his Herball in 1562 and the third part in 1566 were 
printed at Cologne. 
These three parts were republished in one in 1568, and dedicated to 
Queen Elizabeth. In this Herball he mentions Anemone Pulsatilla and 
Teucrium Scordium as Oxfordshire plants. And also states Datura grows 
about Reading. The figures in the Herball are said to be the same as 
Bb2 
