An official website of the United States government.
Subseries X.11. Marshall Humphry Papers, 1785 - 1792
Scope and Contents
Letters and other papers of Humphry Marshall, of Bradford Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Marshall was a botanist and plant dealer, and author of Arbustum Americanum: The American Grove, 1785, (French translation: Catalogue alphabetique des arbres et arbrisseaux, 1788). He was a Quaker, and a cousin of botanist John Bartram (1699-1777).
These are all letters received by Marshall, concerned with orders for trees, shrubs and seeds, and the publication of his work. One of the main correspondents in this collection is British botanist and explorer Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820), president of the Royal Society, London, and honorary director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Others include Dr. Thomas Parke (1749-1835), George Pennock, Samuel Vaughan, and William Vaughan. Several of the letters include detailed lists of plants requested. A few are addressed to Moses Marshall (1758-1813), Humphry's nephew and his assistant in the later years of his life. Included with the collection is an undated broadside, "Some Account of the Naked or Siberian Barley."
Notes on Names and Spellings: The letters are arranged alphabetically by writer, and then chronologically. The broadside is filed after the letters.
A number of these letters were printed in William Darlington's double biography, Memorials of John Bartram and Humphry Marshall. Letters that appear in that book are marked with the note "Darlington, p. ___." Page numbers refer to the first edition (Philadelphia: Lindsay & Blakiston, 1849).
Dates
- Creation: 1785 - 1792
Conditions Governing Access
Materials created by agencies or employees of the United States government are in the public domain. Unless specified otherwise, the copyright interests in materials acquired or collected by government employees from outside sources have not been transferred to NAL or to the U.S. government.
Contact Special Collections for access.
Language of Materials
English
Provenance
These letters were found in a brown paper wrapper with a label from the Franklin Bookshop, S. N. Rhoads, 920 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa., addressed to Mr. [sic] C. R. Barnett, (i.e., Claribel R. Barnett), Librarian, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. A note on the wrapper gives the total value as $90. Pencil notations on many of the items, which include the price of certain pieces, were probably added by the manuscript dealer. The wrapper has been saved and filed separately in box 10/6, folder 3.
List of Marshall Letters
Dr. Thomas Parke to Humphry Marshall, 10 July 1789, stating that he had received a letter for Marshall from "Descenut" or "Deseemet" (?) of Paris which Parke had had translated into English. Also refers to another letter he has received from R. Barclay stating the King's gardener requests a box of cranberry plants. Oversize. Box 10/6, folder 2. Enclosure from the letter above (Parke to Marshall, 10 July 1789), letter from Paris listing requests for plants in Latin, English, and French. Also gives instructions as to how the plants should be packed for shipment. Oversize. Box 10/6, folder 2. Dr. Thomas Parke to Humphry Marshall, 9 October 1792, in which he states that he has obtained a shipment from John Bartram and includes a receipt and container list. Also mentions that he would like to fill an order for another individual very shortly. Note: The John Bartram mentioned (1743-1812) was the son of botanist and explorer John Bartram (1699-1777), and brother of William Bartram (1739-1823). Box 10/4, folder 23. Enclosure from the letter above (Parke to Marshall, 9 October 1792), a receipt dated October 10, 1792, and signed by John Bartram (1743-1812) for "1 case of growing Roots of American Trees Shrubs etc." for 3 pounds. Box 10/4, folder 23. Enclosure from the letter above (Parke to Marshall, 9 October 1792), a container list of "growing Roots of curious Trees, Shrubs & Herbacious Plants." Box 10/4, folder 23. George Pennock to Humphry Marshall, Philadelphia, dated "9 mo." [i.e., September] 12, 1788, in which the author, a nephew of Marshall's, discusses his observations on the Hessian fly. Box 10/4, folder 24.
Samuel Vaughan to Humphry Marshall, Philadelphia, 13 April 1785, in which Vaughan expresses a desire to send a box of plants to England and asks if it is too late in the season to send them. Box 10/4, folder 25. Samuel Vaughan to Humphry Marshall, Philadelphia, 30 April 1785, in which he describes presenting Marshall's Botanical Catalogue before the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture as well as the Philosophical Society and his efforts to get the work published. He also states that although Marshall was named an honorary member of the former Society that he is unable to enclose the certificate at that time. Darlington, p. 555. Box 10/4, folder 26. Samuel Vaughan to Humphry Marshall, Philadelphia, 14 May 1785, in which he further describes his efforts to get Marshall's work published and his preference for the work to be published in America as opposed to England. He also asks Marshall's advice on plants to plant in the state-house square. Darlington, p. 556. Box 10/4, folder 27. List of trees "Planted in the State-house square," as well as a list of "Wanted" plants, from Samuel Vaughan, ca. 1785. Box 10/4, folder 28. Samuel Vaughan to Humphry Marshall, Philadelphia, 28 May 1785, in which Vaughan expresses his desire to plant in the State-house square all trees and shrubs that grow in North America. Asks for Marshall's assistance in this, also hopes that Marshall may expedite the corrections on his catalogue. Darlington, p. 557. Box 10/4, folder 29. Samuel Vaughan to Humphry Marshall, Philadelphia, 22 May 1786, referring to the meteorological research of a professor of "Cambridge College, Massachusetts," and requesting Marshall's assistance in this project. Darlington, p. 558. Box 10/4, folder 30. William Vaughan to Humphry Marshall, London, 20 July 1787 in response to a request of Marshall's as well as to thank him for seeds and plants his brother procured for him through Marshall. Suggests ways of labeling and packing that would better preserve the plants and seeds. Box 10/4, folder 31. Broadside, "Some Account of the Naked or Siberian Barley," undated. Box 10/4, folder 32.
Repository Details
Part of the National Agricultural Library Special Collections Repository
National Agricultural Library
10301 Baltimore Avenue
Room 309
Beltsville Maryland 20705 USA
301-504-5876