58 
THE ESSEX NATURALIST. 
that lie was bom almost certainly six or seven years later than 
his brother—in either 1658 or 1659. 51 
The earliest fact in connection with him oi which w*e find 
a definite record is that, when about sixteen years of age, he 
was formally bound apprentice to learn the profession of an 
apothecary. Both brothers followed, therefore, the same 
occupation. It is recorded 52 that, on 5th 1674 “ Samuel, 
Dale, son of North : D[ale], of the p’ish of St. Mary Whitechappell, 
Midd x , silke throier, [was] ex[amine]d, approved], and bound 
to Tho. Wells for 8 years :—Fee 4s. 8i.” At the same time, 
“ Tho. Wells, p d quarterage xs.” Though thus apprenticed 
through the Society of Apothecaries, he appears never to have 
taken out his freedom thereof ; this being probably unnecessary 
to him, as he never practised as an apothecary in the City of 
London. 53 
About the time of the completion of his apprenticeship,, 
young Dale established himself at Braintree, in Essex, where 
he lived for the rest of his life. There, for many years, he 
practised as an apothecary ; but, during the last few years of 
his life (as will be seen), he took a medical degree and practised 
also as a physician. If he Went to Braintree immediately after 
he finished his eight years of apprenticeship, he must have 
gone there in 16S2 ; but the Rev. Stephen Newcomen, vicar 
of Braintree, 64 in a letter dated 16th March, 1744-5, written 
to the Rev. Philip Morant, the historian of Essex, 55 says ex¬ 
plicitly :— “Mr. Dale came to Braintree in the year 1680. 
This, though two years before the completion of his term of 
apprenticeship, is probably correct 56 ; for his first child was 
born at Braintree in 1681. 57 
It is worth noting, perhaps, that Dale must have lived 
actually in Braintree, and not, as is sometimes stated, in the 
51 Very probably the date was never recorded formally , for, during the Commonwealth. 
Parish Registers were kept very imperfectly. We are compelled, therefore, to rely on such' 
other more or less contemporary evidence as is now obtainable. Dawson Turner, in a MS. note 
(ii., p. 122) in his copy of Pultenev’s Progress of Botany (1790), now in the British Museum, says : 
—“ He was born at Braintree about 1658,” which is certainly wrong as to the place of his births 
Relham notes (see post, p. 65) that he was 81 when he died, which points also to 1658. On his 
portrait engraved by Vertue in 1737, he is described as aged 78 ; which points to 1659. In a 
letter from Newcomen to Morant, written in March 1745 (see post, p. 58), the writer says he was 
79 when he died ; which points to 1660. On the portrait at Apothecaries’ Hall, he is said to 
have been 79 when he died ; wnich also points to 1660. 
52 Society of Apothecaries’ Minute Book, fo. 184a. 
53 See Prof. Boulger, in Journ. of Botany, xxi. (1893), p. 193. 
54 Appointed 24th March 1709 ; resigned 1738. 
55 Itisnowin the fine collection of Essex material formed by Mr. John Avery, who has 
kindly communicated to me an extract from it. 
56 If he was born in 1659, be must have been twenty-one years of age in.1680. 
57 See post, p. 59. 
