KEW HOUSE 
i7 
Death of 
Princess 
Augusta. 
planted in the Arboretum of that date — that is, the area adjacent 
to the Temple of the Sun. Here some of them still remain, such 
as the fine cedar of Lebanon, the Turkey oak, and, perhaps, the fine 
Persimmon and the old Robinia Pseudacacia. 
During the next decade no event of importance is recorded, but 
these ten years saw, no doubt, a gradual improvement in the gardens, 
and an increase in the number of plants cultivated there. 
In 1772, however, Princess Augusta died, and Kew lost 
thereby its generous founder. When her husband died 
in 1751, Kew had already acquired considerable prestige, 
and, in a horticultural sense, was probably not far from being the 
first garden in the country, but Kew, as she left it, had become one 
of the most notable scientific institutions in the world. Owing to 
the happy community of tastes between George III. and his mother, 
Kew suffered no neglect. The Princess died in February. Three 
months later the King and his family transferred their residence from 
Richmond Lodge to Kew House, and the freehold of the property 
was eventually bought by him from the Essex family. 
The year 1772 is, in fact, a very important one in the annals of 
Kew. Besides the death of the Dowager Princess and the union 
under George III. of the Richmond and Kew properties 
(still separated, however, by Love Lane), it witnessed 
the retirement of Lord Bute from the botanical director- 
ship of Kew and the installation of Sir Joseph Banks in his place. 
From now until 1819, when he is said to have paid his last visit to 
the garden, Banks remained virtually scientific director, although he 
never appears to have received monetary payment for his services 
or to have had official status. It was in 1772, also, that it was decided 
to send out from Kew the first of the long line of plant collectors, 
to whose exertions the gardens of Europe owe the introduction 
of so many exotic plants. The pioneer in this work was Francis 
Masson, who went to the Cape of Good Hope, whence he brought 
to Kew a great number of interesting and beautiful plants. 
Sir Joseph 
Banks, 1772 
E 
