lO 



THE NATURALIST. 



TEESDALE BOTANY: 

 HISTORICAL AND PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS. 



By JAMES BACKHOUSE. 



The original discoverer of most of the botanical rarities of Upper 

 Teesdale was John Binks. He was a miner, who worked in the lead 

 mines near Middleton in Teesdale, very early in the present centmy. 

 Though in humble life, Binks was an 'observant and intelligent 

 man,' of 'gentlemanly appearance,' apparently 'above his station.' 

 He was described as ' like a little smart French (!) doctor' (or in words 

 to that effect), with a deHcately formed and highly intellectual face ! 

 utterly unlike 'a working miner.' Owing to the unhealthiness of the 

 occupation, four days only in the week were devoted to mining ; the 

 remaining two being ta.ken advantage of for recreation, and for 

 obtaining from the adjacent hills any plants that ' the druggists wanted,' 

 by which a slight addition could be made to his scanty income. 



Among these plants, I believe, were the Rose-root {Sedum 

 Rhodiold), the Common Juniper, and the 'Bear Berry' {Arctostaphylos 

 uva-ursi). The latter he found abundantly on Cronckley Fell. 



John Binks loved a good ramble right well, and his powers of 

 endurance were not small. Living in the most frugal way, he could 

 ' rough it ' with a pleasure known to comparatively few. 

 He it was who first found and brought under notice 



Fotentilla fruticosa L. Vacciniwn uliginosiim L. 



Gentiana verna 1^. Bartsia alpina L. 



Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi Spr. Jtmcus triglumis L. 



Saxifraga HirculiLS L. Dryas octopetala L. 



HelianthemiLm ca?iui}i Dun. Malaxis paliidosa Sw. 

 and the other ' Teesdale rarities ' which became known to the 

 botanical world previous to the year 1820. 



Binks brought down his treasured discoveries to a clergyman and 

 to a ' doctor,' both of whom resided at Middleton (or Barnard 

 Castle?). These gentlemen .sent up the plants, so received, to 

 Sir Jas. E. Smith, and (I have always understood) 'got the personal 

 credit ' of the discoveries by so doing. 



When my father was young, his health was very delicate : so much 

 so that it seemed questionable whether he would ever reach manhood. 

 The fine air of Teesdale was recommended for him, and he was 

 consequently located for a time, in 18 10, with a farmer named 

 Applegarth, at Sledwick, near Barnard Castle. His attention had 

 already been turned to botanical subjects by his elder brother, and 

 by several of his relatives at Darhngton and Sunderland ; so that the 

 moorland region of Upper Teesdale offered an attraction to him in a 



Naturalist, 



