On the Trail of Sir Joseph Banks
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For general visitor information, and to learn more Bank’s chief concern was economic botany, and Kew KING GEORGE III’S LINCOLNSHIRE about Sir Joseph Banks, visit the Joseph Banks Centre, ROYAL KEW began distributing seed and plants to other gardens 9-13 Bridge Street, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 5HZ. GARDENS and enterprising planters. The New Zealand flax SHEEP FLOCK ACTIVITIES and spinach were the first steps, but soon Kew was ON THE TRAIL OF Tel. 01507 526065 [email protected] ing George III, ‘Farmer George’ sought Banks’ espite his high office he maintained very close hortly after returning from Australia, Banks was shipping the camphor tree and mango to Jamaica, www.joseph-banks.org.uk advice regarding the introduction of Spanish links with Revesby Abbey. He owned 268 received by King George III and they formed and encouraging the East India Company to establish KMerino sheep into the Royal flock. Wool played a Dtenanted farms in Lincolnshire and thousands of acres SIR JOSEPH Sa long-standing friendship. In 1780 Banks became plantations with high yield black tea bushes from major role in England’s economy in the 1700s, but of land. Every autumn he organised annual social involved with developments at Kew Gardens. China. He masterminded the scheme to send to produce the best cloths, fine wool from Spain events such as the Fishing Party on the River Witham, BANKS With the King as Patron and Banks as unofficial breadfruit seedlings from their native Tahiti had to be imported. Banks gradually the Revesby Fair and the popular Stuff Ball. director, the Royal Gardens at Kew were developed to the West Indies, in order to feed plantation BOTANIST, EXPLORER & acquired 300 merinos from Spain as a systematic botanical collection. In 1781 he slaves better, on HMS Bounty under the Banks was proactive in the draining of fen land and the PATRON OF THE SCIENCES to set up the King’s flock, from spent the summer laying the foundation of Flora command of Captain William Bligh. It was development of canals, including Horncastle Canal, which breeding stock was dispensed Kewensis, a catalogue of the plants at Kew, which in recognition of this vital contribution improving Lincolnshire’s economic status. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION to other landowners,to Revesby, and appeared in 1789 listing 5,600 species. that the Sir Joseph Banks Centre for in 1805 to Australia to improve ON THE AREA, VISIT - Economic Botany building was named in breeding stock. HIS LASTING IMPACT lovelincolnshirewolds.com his honour in 1990. n 1820 Banks died at his home in Spring Grove, PRESIDENT OF THE Middlesex, and was buried in St. Leonard’s Church, FATHER OF IHeston. Through his involvement with commercial Plan of ROYAL SOCIETY The Royal Botanic AUSTRALIA enterprises and foreign governments he influenced Gardens Kew 1837 anks was elected President in 1778, a position the future of continents, and gained the title ’Father of anks understood the potential of Australia. In a he held until his death 42 years later. He Australia’. He changed attitudes towards nature and report to the House of Commons during 1779 he Breceived many honours including a Baronetcy agriculture. He initiated and promoted research into Bsuggested that petty criminals should be transported in 1781, Order of the Bath in 1795 and Privy new techniques and ideas, and encouraged scientific to Australia to relieve the chronic overcrowding of Councillor in 1797, exploration. He was a true patron of the Sciences and prisons in England. The government finally agreed together with countless generously supported scientific projects. and the first ship sailed with 564 men and 192 women Acknowledgements honorary memberships on board, landing at Botany Bay in January 1788. A tribute to Sir Joseph Banks Compiled by East Lindsey District Council and to learned societies in the Sir Joseph Banks Society. Governors sent regular reports to the government in Lincoln Cathedral has the Kew remained a lifelong interest. England and abroad. Photographs: The Natural History Museum, London; Royal Society; detailing developments and concerns. They also kept words “Wide as the world is, It was not only a fascinating Banks thus was in a The Corporate Body of Lincoln Cathedral; Crown Copyright; Banks informed of progress, and he used his status and traces of you are to be found Lincolnshire County Council; The Collection; ornamental garden of exotic position to influence and influence to obtain support for the struggling colony. His in every corner of it” (Robert Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire. plants, it was an essential tool support experimental involvement earned him the title of ‘Father of Australia’, Hobart 1793). There can be Produced by East Lindsey District Council © 2020 in understanding, preserving, work in all the sciences, A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY where he remains an important historic figure. few men who achieved such a Designed by Public Sector Partnership Services 2020 growing and acclimatising as Parkinson’s drawing and many young scientists Portrait of Banks as President Discover how Sir Joseph Banks of Revesby Abbey many different species of of Mango © Natural lasting effect on the world. History Museum, 7 8 received his patronage. of the Royal Society by Thomas 9 10 plants that could be found. London Philips 1815 influenced the development of the world. The Lincoln Cathedral Joseph Banks plaque HISTORY MATTERS Banks spent £10,000 in organising SIR JOSEPH BANKS INHERITED and equipping this trip including a COLLECTIONS LINCOLNSHIRE 1743–1820 EARLY LIFE AT THE ESTATE library of books, bottles and salts AT SOHO SQUARE for preserving specimens, nets, REVESBY ABBEY n 1761 Joseph’s father died and he aving established trawls, drags and other apparatus. TO AUSTRALIA oseph was born on the 13th February 1743 in inherited his father’s wealth, including an himself in London London to William and Sarah Banks. Two years Iannual income of £6,000 and the Lincolnshire After Tahiti the vessel sailed Hhe created a vast library laterJ the family moved to Revesby Abbey at the edge of estates. Under the guidance of Benjamin and reference collection ON THE TRAIL OF into uncharted waters, circumnavigating the Lincolnshire Fens. Stephenson, the very experienced and diligent New Zealand and exploring the east coast at his home in Soho Banks Coat of THE NEW WORLD Arms inside estate steward at Revesby, he became actively of Australia including the Great Barrier Square. It became an The estate had been in the Banks’ family Revesby involved in estate management and land drainage. international centre for Church Reef, which they claimed as British and named since 1714 when it was purchased The library at Soho Square by permission of the Linnean Society of London ‘South Wales’. When they landed in Australia on research and learned by Joseph’s great-grandfather. This 28th April 1770, Cook named Botany Bay as a tribute conversation, welcoming choicest collection of drawings coloured by Parkinson, ambitious man was agent for Exterior of Soho Square by ir Joseph Banks is famous for his journey THE VOYAGES to Banks’ work. Banks and his colleagues collected permission of the Linnean many knowledgeable and and 1,300 or 1,400 more drawn with each of them a the Dukes of Norfolk, Leeds n April 1766 he mounted an expedition Society of London with Captain Cook on the Endeavour to and catalogued examples of thousands of plants and influential people from flower, leaf and a portion of the stalk, coloured by the and Newcastle. As his financial to Newfoundland and Labrador where he Sthe South Seas and Australasia. animals. One of these plants was later named Banksia. across the world. In December 1772 the Reverend same hand.” position improved he invested Iencountered Eskimos and collected seabirds, marine Sheffield (Keeper of Ashmolean Museum) wrote a Join us on a trail through his wealth in land, and life, and plants of these northern areas. In his The return journey was a difficult one, riddled with letter to Rev. Gilbert White indicating the scope of Banks undertook the cataloguing of this collection. Lincolnshire and see how Joseph’s grandfather and absence he had been elected a Fellow of the Royal disease, calling at Papua New Guinea, Java, the collection: By 1784 the mammoth task was complete with 800 he was among the most father continued to build on Society at the young age of 23. Cape Town, St Helena. The ship returned plates prepared of Sydney Parkinson’s botanical influential men of the increasing the family’s financial in 1771 and Banks and his colleagues “The armoury was given over to warlike drawings, but sadly, spiralling costs prevented In 1768 the Royal Society obtained a commission eighteenth and nineteenth security. had a huge collection of fascinating instruments, mechanical instruments and utensils of publication. The collection was left to the British from the Admiralty, and the support of King centuries, involved in the new material. Banks’ original journal is every kind made by Indians in the South Seas. Museum, later transferred to the Natural History George III, to engage Lieutenant James Cook, development of the County retained by the State Library of New South Museum London as the Banks Archive. a Yorkshire farm labourer’s son, who would find “The second room had various native costumes and the world. Wales, Australia. fame and promotion to Captain as a result of the together with the raw material from which they Specimens including a tray of insects, a herbarium were produced, as well as a large collection of sheet and fish from Banks’ voyage in 1770. EDUCATION Endeavour voyage to Tahiti, to chart the A year later Banks and Solander set off again to the © The Natural History Museum, London insects and a complete hortus siccus of all the oseph was educated at home until his formal passage of the planet Venus over the disc Western Isles and Iceland, observing the geology, plants collected during the course of the voyage.