John Horsefield, Botanist

John Horsefield, Artisan Naturalist.

The Heritage Society talk on Weds 17 June is “John Horsefield and his Daffodil” by Peter Corbally. John Horsefield was a poor weaver from Besses o th Barn in Whitefield. John (1792-1854) was the prominent working class botanist in the first half of the 19th Century. He founded Prestwich Botanical Society in 1820 and became the President of the district meetings of all the greater Manchester botanical societies in 1830.

Handloom weavers in Lancashire were noted for their commitment to self-education and self-improvement. They were drawn to botany,politics,poetry,entomology,science and mathematics and made real contributions in those fields. They were known as “scientists in humble life” and the botanists were later termed Artisan Naturalists. Their achievements were remarkable considering the circumstances of their lives.

John Horsefield experimented with hybridising plants and created two well known species – Narcissus Horsfieldii (they spelt his surname wrong when it was registered !) and Tigridia Conchiflora Watkinsoni. John had to sell the Tigridia bulbs to a nurseryman from Stretford called Watkinson who registered the new plant in his own name at the RHS. It was a cross between a Tiger Lily and a Shell flower. The upcoming talk will concentrate on the daffodil (Narcissus Horsfieldii). The Heritage Society obtained some of these bulbs and grew them on. They are now planted around John’s famous grave in Prestwich Parish Churchyard.

The talk is at 7.30 on Weds 17 June at the Church Inn on Church Lane ,Prestwich.