Knowlton. ^39 
confirmed. Mr. Fairchild died ia No- 
vember 1729. 
K N O W L T O N. 
Thomas Knowlton was, in the earlier 
part of his life, gardener to Conful She- 
hard 5 but I find him in that ftation at 
Lonefoorough, in Yorkjhire^ in the fervice of 
the Earl of Burlington, in the year 
1728 in which place, I believe, he fpent 
the greater part, if not the whole, of the 
remainder of his life. His zeal for Englifh 
botany v/as uncommonly great, and recom- 
mended him fuccefsfuliy to the learned bo- 
tanifts of this country. From Sir Hans 
Sloan E, he received em.inent civilities. He 
merits notice in thefe memoirs, were it 
only to record his difcovery of that fingu- 
lar produftion, the Globe Confer'-ua^ or Moor 
Balls ( Conferva /Egagropiia Lin.) ; v/hich 
he firfl found in IVallingfen Mere, I have 
read a letter from him to a correfpondent, 
written in the year 1728 and another in 
1729 : in one of which he relates his hav- 
ing waded near a quarter of a mile into the 
lake to colled them ; which is not done 
without 
