Harry Veitch
Encyclopedia
Sir Harry James Veitch (24 June 1840 – 6 July 1924) was an eminent English horticulturist in the nineteenth century, who was the head of the family nursery business, James Veitch & Sons
, based in Chelsea, London
. He was instrumental in establishing the Chelsea Flower Show
, which led to him being knighted for services to horticulture.
and his wife Harriott (née Gould) and was born at Exeter
, England. Like many notable horticulturists, he was of Scottish descent, his great-grandfather, John Veitch
having crossed into England toward the close of the eighteenth century to take up the offices of steward and bailiff to Sir Thomas Acland
at Killerton
, Devon. Veitch was educated at the Exeter Grammar School and at Altona, Hamburg
, Germany, before attending the course of botanical lectures given by Dr. John Lindley
at the University College, London, where he learnt the management of the seed business. Shortly afterwards, he joined the staff of the French nursery firm, Vilmorin-Andrieux & Co.
, Paris, where he managed the seed department.
, Chelsea
nurseries, which had been acquired five years previously from Messrs. Knight and Perry. His industry and business sense rapidly became apparent, and the firm of James Veitch & Sons soon enjoyed the reputation of being the foremost nursery business in the world.
In 1863, the original Exeter
branch of the family business and that in Chelsea were separated, with Harry's uncle, Robert
, taking over the Exeter firm which became Robert Veitch & Sons. The London branch took the name James Veitch & Sons under Harry's father, James
. James died in September 1869, by when the business was under the management of his eldest son, John
, who only survived his father by a few months, dying in August 1870 of tuberculosis
at the age of 31. Harry, assisted by his younger brother Arthur
, then took control of the business of James Veitch & Sons.
Veitch's responsibility, energy, enthusiasm, and keenness in business surprised even those who knew him best. He expanded the business, establishing nurseries at Coombe Wood
(trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants), Feltham
(garden plants, florists' flowers, and seed production) and Langley (tree and bush fruits and, later, orchids). With Harry in control, the firm entered into the most prosperous period of its history.
During Veitch's period at the head of the Chelsea business, James Veitch & Sons sent numerous plant collectors across the world to search for new species. Among their collectors during this period were Henry Chesterton
(1870 – 1878), Gustav Wallis
(1872 – 1874), Guillermo Kalbreyer
(1876 – 1881), Frederick William Burbidge
(1877 – 1878), Charles Maries
(1877 – 1879), Charles Curtis
(1878 – 1884) and David Burke
(1881 – 1897). In addition to developing many fine hybrids of Begonia
, Streptocarpus
, Hippeastrum
, Nepenthes
, and other genera, the firm had the distinction of raising the first hybrid orchid, Calanthe
× dominii, hybridized and grown by their foreman, John Dominy.
In 1898 the firm of James Veitch & Sons was formed into a limited company, of which Harry's nephew, James Herbert Veitch
became managing director. One of the first steps taken by the new company, in accordance with the firm’s earlier practice, was to send out Ernest Henry Wilson
to China and Tibet to collect plants.
However, the business proved too much for James, who suffered a nervous breakdown
. He became withdrawn and eccentric, offended customers, and business began to decline. After his death in 1907 at only 39 years of age, his brother John
, a former England
international footballer, succeeded to the Chelsea business. He also did not have the ability to run the business successfully, and Harry Veitch returned to take over control and put the business back on track. Following John's death in October 1914 at the age of 45, and the expiry of the lease on the land at Coombe Wood, Sir Harry (who had been knighted in 1912) closed the business, there being no successor in the family. Rather than risk losing the recognized reputation which the firm had acquired, Harry disposed of the nursery and sold the land for redevelopment. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
acquired some of Veitch's rare trees and shrubs.
(director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
), he was among those present at the first international exhibition in Russia, which was held at St. Petersburg.
For nearly twenty-five years, Veitch was chairman of the Gardener's Royal Benevolent Institution, ably conducting its affairs and contributing generously to its funds. He also supported the Royal Gardener's Orphan Fund and the United Horticultural Benefit Club for many years and additionally served as a member of the Board of Directors of the British Orphan Schools and on the committee of St. Anne's and of the City of London Missions. To all these organizations he gave his patronage freely and his financial assistance liberally.
In 1866, the "Great International Horticultural Exhibition" was held in London; Veitch became a member of the executive committee of 21 members and served on many of the sub-committees. With the proceeds from the exhibition, the Lindley Library
was purchased and vested in the Royal Horticultural Society
. Veitch was intimately associated with this organization for many years and helped establish its popularity thereafter.
An annual flower show had first been held in 1862, named the "Royal Horticultural Society
’s Great Spring Show". Its venue was the R.H.S. garden in Kensington
. When that garden was closed in 1888, the show was moved to the gardens of the Inner Temple
near the Victoria Embankment
. In 1912, the Temple Show was cancelled. However, Sir Harry Veitch brought this event back by securing the grounds of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea for a one-off event, the "Second Great International Horticultural Exhibition". The show was a success and the Great Spring Show was moved there in 1913, where it became the venue of today’s annual Chelsea Flower Show
.
In 1918, Sir Harry Veitch became Treasurer of the Royal Horticultural Society for one year, having been a member of its Council since 1887 and Chairman of the Orchid Committee for many years.
for Leopold de Rothschild
and his wife.
The gardens at Caerhays Castle
, Cornwall
, the home of John Charles Williams
, (M.P. for Truro), was planted with seeds donated by Harry Veitch from those brought back from China by Ernest Henry Wilson
in 1903.
The grounds of Birr Castle
, Ireland
were planted with trees and shrubs purchased at the sale of Veitch's London nursery in 1914. Included within this collection were a number of Wilson introductions from China; an exceptionally rare Carrierea calycina
, specimens of Rhododendron yunnanense and a very fine Magnolia delavayi still survive today.
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For his services to horticulture, King George V
conferred the honour of knighthood upon him in 1912; this was the first time a horticulturist had been given a knighthood.
He also received the Order of the Crown
from the Belgian King, the French Legion of Honour, the French Isidore Saint-Hilaire
Medal, and the United States' George R. White Gold Medal for eminent services to horticulture. Apart from the knighthood, probably the greatest honour accorded Sir Harry Veitch was the award of the Victoria Medal of Honour
in 1906, given by the Royal Horticultural Society
, with which he had long been associated and of whose Orchid Committee he was chairman for many years.
. These included "Orchids Past and Present" (1881), "Coniferae of Japan" (1892),and "Deciduous Trees and Shrubs of Japan" (1894). He also shared in the production of the history of the house of Veitch, entitled "Hortus Veitchii" (1906).
, Buckinghamshire, where he died on 6 July 1924, at the age of eighty-four. In the obituary for him published in the Gardeners' Chronicle on 12 July 1924 it was stated,
During his lifetime Sir Harry and his wife amassed a substantial art collection, which also included decorative art. On his death he bequeathed the entire collection to the Royal Albert Memorial Museum
in Exeter, including works by Myles Birket Foster
(1825 – 1899) and Kate Greenaway
(1846 – 1901).
At the end of every July, the Royal Albert Memorial Museum holds the "Veitch Memorial Lecture ", a plant-orientated lecture in memory of Sir Harry Veitch.
Sir Harry's name lives on, with the beautiful Masdevallia harryana and Masdevallia veitchiana
, which were discovered by Veitchian collectors, being named in his honour. Other plants named in his honour include Odontoglossum harryanum ("Harry's Odontoglossum"), Viburnum harryanum ("Sir Harry Veitch's Viburnum") and Nepenthes × harryana.
Veitch Nurseries
The Veitch Nurseries were the largest group of family-run plant nurseries in Europe during the 19th century. Started by John Veitch sometime before 1808, the original nursery grew substantially over several decades and was eventually split into two separate businesses - based at Chelsea and...
, based in Chelsea, London
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
. He was instrumental in establishing the Chelsea Flower Show
Chelsea Flower Show
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, formally known as the Great Spring Show, is a garden show held for five days in May by the Royal Horticultural Society in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in Chelsea, London...
, which led to him being knighted for services to horticulture.
Education and early life
Harry was the second son of James VeitchJames Veitch, Jr.
James Veitch was the third in a long line of horticulturists who established the renowned family business Veitch Nurseries....
and his wife Harriott (née Gould) and was born at Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, England. Like many notable horticulturists, he was of Scottish descent, his great-grandfather, John Veitch
John Veitch (horticulturist)
John Veitch was the founder of the Veitch horticulture dynasty who created the Exeter based firm of Veitch Nurseries.Veitch was born in Ancrum, near Jedburgh, Scotland, but left Scotland at an early age and walked to London to seek employment and his fortune. He found employment with the nursery...
having crossed into England toward the close of the eighteenth century to take up the offices of steward and bailiff to Sir Thomas Acland
Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, 7th Baronet
Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, 7th Baronet was the son of Sir Hugh Acland, 6th Baronet and Cicely Wrothe.-Succession:He succeeded his father as baronet on the latter's death on 29 July 1728...
at Killerton
Killerton
Killerton is an 18th-century house in Broadclyst, Exeter, Devon, England, which, with its hillside garden and estate, has been owned by the National Trust since 1944 and is open to the public...
, Devon. Veitch was educated at the Exeter Grammar School and at Altona, Hamburg
Altona, Hamburg
Altona is the westernmost urban borough of the German city state of Hamburg, on the right bank of the Elbe river. From 1640 to 1864 Altona was under the administration of the Danish monarchy. Altona was an independent city until 1937...
, Germany, before attending the course of botanical lectures given by Dr. John Lindley
John Lindley
John Lindley FRS was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist.-Early years:Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley was a nurseryman and pomologist and ran a commercial nursery garden...
at the University College, London, where he learnt the management of the seed business. Shortly afterwards, he joined the staff of the French nursery firm, Vilmorin-Andrieux & Co.
Vilmorin
Vilmorin is a French seed producer. Along with its international subsidiaries, the company considers itself to be the fourth largest seed company in the world...
, Paris, where he managed the seed department.
Veitch Nurseries
At the age of eighteen, he returned to England to help his father in the management of the Kings RoadKings Road
King's Road or Kings Road, known popularly as The King's Road or The KR, is a major, well-known street stretching through Chelsea and Fulham, both in west London, England...
, Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
nurseries, which had been acquired five years previously from Messrs. Knight and Perry. His industry and business sense rapidly became apparent, and the firm of James Veitch & Sons soon enjoyed the reputation of being the foremost nursery business in the world.
In 1863, the original Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
branch of the family business and that in Chelsea were separated, with Harry's uncle, Robert
Robert Veitch
Robert Toswill Veitch was a member of the family of horticulturists who established the renowned family business Veitch Nurseries.Veitch was the younger son of James Veitch and grandson of John Veitch...
, taking over the Exeter firm which became Robert Veitch & Sons. The London branch took the name James Veitch & Sons under Harry's father, James
James Veitch, Jr.
James Veitch was the third in a long line of horticulturists who established the renowned family business Veitch Nurseries....
. James died in September 1869, by when the business was under the management of his eldest son, John
John Gould Veitch
John Gould Veitch was a horticulturist and traveller, one of the first Victorian plant hunters to visit Japan. A great-grandson of John Veitch, the founder of the Veitch horticulture dynasty, he also visited the Philippines, Australia, Fiji, and other Polynesian islands.He brought back a number of...
, who only survived his father by a few months, dying in August 1870 of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
at the age of 31. Harry, assisted by his younger brother Arthur
Arthur Veitch
Arthur Veitch was one of a long line of horticulturists who established the renowned family business Veitch Nurseries.Arthur was the son of James Veitch, Jr., who had established the Chelsea, London branch of the family business...
, then took control of the business of James Veitch & Sons.
Veitch's responsibility, energy, enthusiasm, and keenness in business surprised even those who knew him best. He expanded the business, establishing nurseries at Coombe Wood
Coombe Wood
Coombe Wood is a small woodland and garden area in the old village of Coombe, Upper Shirley, in the London Borough of Croydon near the junction of Coombe Lane and Conduit Lane...
(trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants), Feltham
Feltham
Feltham is a town in the London Borough of Hounslow, west London. It is located about west south west of central London at Charing Cross and from Heathrow Airport Central...
(garden plants, florists' flowers, and seed production) and Langley (tree and bush fruits and, later, orchids). With Harry in control, the firm entered into the most prosperous period of its history.
During Veitch's period at the head of the Chelsea business, James Veitch & Sons sent numerous plant collectors across the world to search for new species. Among their collectors during this period were Henry Chesterton
Henry Chesterton
Joseph Henry Chesterton was a plant collector who was sent by James Veitch & Sons to search for orchids in South America with much success.-James Veitch & Sons:...
(1870 – 1878), Gustav Wallis
Gustav Wallis
Gustav Wallis was a German plant collector, who introduced over 1,000 plant species to Europe, many of which were named after him.-Early life:...
(1872 – 1874), Guillermo Kalbreyer
Guillermo Kalbreyer
Wilhelm Kalbreyer was a German plant collector who was sent by James Veitch & Sons of Chelsea, London to collect new plants in West Africa and South America....
(1876 – 1881), Frederick William Burbidge
Frederick William Burbidge
Frederick William Thomas Burbidge was a British explorer who collected many rare tropical plants for the famous Veitch Nurseries. Burbidge's first job was as a gardener at Kew Gardens...
(1877 – 1878), Charles Maries
Charles Maries
Charles Maries was an English botanist and plant collector who was sent by James Veitch & Sons of Chelsea, London to search for new hardy plants in Japan, China and Taiwan between 1877 and 1879; there he discovered over 500 new species, which Veitch introduced to England...
(1877 – 1879), Charles Curtis
Charles Curtis (botanist)
Charles Curtis was an English botanist who was sent by James Veitch & Sons to search for new plant species in Madagascar, Borneo, Sumatra, Java and the Moluccas, before settling in Penang, where he became the first superintendent of the Penang Botanic Gardens.-Early days:Curtis was born in...
(1878 – 1884) and David Burke
David Burke (botanist)
David Burke was one of the most widely travelled plant collectors, who was sent by James Veitch & Sons to collect plants in British Guiana, Burma and Colombia. In his later life, Burke became rather eccentric, preferring the privations of life away from his native England.-Plant hunter:Burke was...
(1881 – 1897). In addition to developing many fine hybrids of Begonia
Begonia
Begonia is a genus in the flowering plant family Begoniaceae and is a perennial. The only other members of the family Begoniaceae are Hillebrandia, a genus with a single species in the Hawaiian Islands, and the genus Symbegonia which more recently was included in Begonia...
, Streptocarpus
Streptocarpus
Streptocarpus is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae, closely related to the genus Saintpaulia. One common name is Cape Primrose, referring to the nativity of several species to South Africa and their superficial resemblance to the genus Primula...
, Hippeastrum
Hippeastrum
Hippeastrum is a genus of about 90 species and 600+ hybrids and cultivars of bulbous plants in the family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas from Argentina north to Mexico and the Caribbean. Some species are grown for their large...
, Nepenthes
Nepenthes
The Nepenthes , popularly known as tropical pitcher plants or monkey cups, are a genus of carnivorous plants in the monotypic family Nepenthaceae. The genus comprises roughly 130 species, numerous natural and many cultivated hybrids...
, and other genera, the firm had the distinction of raising the first hybrid orchid, Calanthe
Calanthe
Calanthe – commonly abbreviated Cal. in horticulture – is a widespread genus of terrestrial orchids with some 170 species.The genus is divided into 2 groups – deciduous species and evergreen ones...
× dominii, hybridized and grown by their foreman, John Dominy.
In 1898 the firm of James Veitch & Sons was formed into a limited company, of which Harry's nephew, James Herbert Veitch
James Herbert Veitch
James Herbert Veitch F.L.S., F.R.H.S. , was a member of the Veitch family who were distinguished horticulturists and nursery-men for over a century.- Early days :...
became managing director. One of the first steps taken by the new company, in accordance with the firm’s earlier practice, was to send out Ernest Henry Wilson
Ernest Henry Wilson
Ernest Henry "Chinese" Wilson , better known as E. H. Wilson, was a notable English plant collector who introduced a large range of about 2000 of Asian plant species to the West; some sixty bear his name.-Career:...
to China and Tibet to collect plants.
However, the business proved too much for James, who suffered a nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
. He became withdrawn and eccentric, offended customers, and business began to decline. After his death in 1907 at only 39 years of age, his brother John
John Veitch (footballer)
John Gould Veitch was an English amateur footballer, who played for the Corinthian club in the 1890s. He made one appearance for England playing at inside left in 1894, in which he scored a hat trick.-Family and education:...
, a former England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
international footballer, succeeded to the Chelsea business. He also did not have the ability to run the business successfully, and Harry Veitch returned to take over control and put the business back on track. Following John's death in October 1914 at the age of 45, and the expiry of the lease on the land at Coombe Wood, Sir Harry (who had been knighted in 1912) closed the business, there being no successor in the family. Rather than risk losing the recognized reputation which the firm had acquired, Harry disposed of the nursery and sold the land for redevelopment. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to as Kew Gardens, is 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. "The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" and the brand name "Kew" are also used as umbrella terms for the institution that runs...
acquired some of Veitch's rare trees and shrubs.
Public service and the Chelsea Flower Show
For over thirty years after 1870, Veitch was a constant visitor at continental horticultural gatherings. As early as 1869, together with Sir Joseph HookerJoseph Dalton Hooker
Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker OM, GCSI, CB, MD, FRS was one of the greatest British botanists and explorers of the 19th century. Hooker was a founder of geographical botany, and Charles Darwin's closest friend...
(director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to as Kew Gardens, is 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. "The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" and the brand name "Kew" are also used as umbrella terms for the institution that runs...
), he was among those present at the first international exhibition in Russia, which was held at St. Petersburg.
For nearly twenty-five years, Veitch was chairman of the Gardener's Royal Benevolent Institution, ably conducting its affairs and contributing generously to its funds. He also supported the Royal Gardener's Orphan Fund and the United Horticultural Benefit Club for many years and additionally served as a member of the Board of Directors of the British Orphan Schools and on the committee of St. Anne's and of the City of London Missions. To all these organizations he gave his patronage freely and his financial assistance liberally.
In 1866, the "Great International Horticultural Exhibition" was held in London; Veitch became a member of the executive committee of 21 members and served on many of the sub-committees. With the proceeds from the exhibition, the Lindley Library
Lindley Library
The Lindley Library is the largest horticultural library in the world.The main part of the library is based at 80 Vincent Square, London, within the headquarters of its custodian, the Royal Horticultural Society ; the site also includes Lindley Hall, one of the Royal Horticultural Halls...
was purchased and vested in the Royal Horticultural Society
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
. Veitch was intimately associated with this organization for many years and helped establish its popularity thereafter.
An annual flower show had first been held in 1862, named the "Royal Horticultural Society
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
’s Great Spring Show". Its venue was the R.H.S. garden in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
. When that garden was closed in 1888, the show was moved to the gardens of the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
near the Victoria Embankment
Victoria Embankment
The Victoria Embankment is part of the Thames Embankment, a road and river walk along the north bank of the River Thames in London. Victoria Embankment extends from the City of Westminster into the City of London.-Construction:...
. In 1912, the Temple Show was cancelled. However, Sir Harry Veitch brought this event back by securing the grounds of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea for a one-off event, the "Second Great International Horticultural Exhibition". The show was a success and the Great Spring Show was moved there in 1913, where it became the venue of today’s annual Chelsea Flower Show
Chelsea Flower Show
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, formally known as the Great Spring Show, is a garden show held for five days in May by the Royal Horticultural Society in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in Chelsea, London...
.
In 1918, Sir Harry Veitch became Treasurer of the Royal Horticultural Society for one year, having been a member of its Council since 1887 and Chairman of the Orchid Committee for many years.
Gardens
In 1902, Veitch laid out the gardens at Ascott House near Wing, BuckinghamshireWing, Buckinghamshire
Wing is a village and civil parish in Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England. The village is on the main A418 road between Aylesbury and Leighton Buzzard...
for Leopold de Rothschild
Leopold de Rothschild
Leopold de Rothschild CVO was a British banker, thoroughbred race horse breeder, and a member of the prominent Rothschild family.-Education and career:...
and his wife.
The gardens at Caerhays Castle
Caerhays Castle
Caerhays Castle is a semi-castellated manor house located south of St Michael Caerhays, a village in Cornwall, England. It is situated overlooking Porthluney Cove on the English Channel...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, the home of John Charles Williams
John Charles Williams
John Charles Williams was an English Liberal Unionist politician and a noted gardener at Caerhays Castle, Cornwall, where he grew rhododendrons.He was educated at Rugby School and at Trinity Hall, Cambridge....
, (M.P. for Truro), was planted with seeds donated by Harry Veitch from those brought back from China by Ernest Henry Wilson
Ernest Henry Wilson
Ernest Henry "Chinese" Wilson , better known as E. H. Wilson, was a notable English plant collector who introduced a large range of about 2000 of Asian plant species to the West; some sixty bear his name.-Career:...
in 1903.
The grounds of Birr Castle
Birr Castle
Birr Castle is a large castle in the town of Birr in County Offaly, Ireland. It is the home of the seventh Earl of Rosse, and as such the residential areas of the castle are not open to the public, though the grounds and gardens of the demesne are publicly accessible.-Ireland's Historic Science...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
were planted with trees and shrubs purchased at the sale of Veitch's London nursery in 1914. Included within this collection were a number of Wilson introductions from China; an exceptionally rare Carrierea calycina
Carrierea calycina
Carrierea calycina is a species of tree in the willow family. It is native to China. Common names include goat horn tree in English and yang jiao shu in Mandarin.-External links:*...
, specimens of Rhododendron yunnanense and a very fine Magnolia delavayi still survive today.
Honours
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
conferred the honour of knighthood upon him in 1912; this was the first time a horticulturist had been given a knighthood.
He also received the Order of the Crown
Order of the Crown (Belgium)
The Order of the Crown is an Order of Belgium which was created on 15 October 1897 by King Leopold II in his capacity as ruler of the Congo Free State. The order was first intended to recognize heroic deeds and distinguished service achieved from service in the Congo Free State - many of which acts...
from the Belgian King, the French Legion of Honour, the French Isidore Saint-Hilaire
Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire
Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire was a French zoologist and an authority on deviation from normal structure. He coined the term ethology.He was born in Paris, the son of Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire...
Medal, and the United States' George R. White Gold Medal for eminent services to horticulture. Apart from the knighthood, probably the greatest honour accorded Sir Harry Veitch was the award of the Victoria Medal of Honour
Victoria Medal of Honour
The Victoria Medal of Honour is awarded to British horticulturists resident in the United Kingdom whom the Royal Horticultural Society Council considers deserving of special honour by the Society...
in 1906, given by the Royal Horticultural Society
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
, with which he had long been associated and of whose Orchid Committee he was chairman for many years.
Publications
Various publications were issued by Messrs. Veitch while Harry Veitch was head of the firm. "A Manual of the Coniferae" was published in 1888, with a second printing in 1900, and ten parts of the two volume "Manual of Orchidaceous Plants Cultivated Under Glass in Great Britain" were published between 1887 and 1894. A large number of Harry Veitch's own publications appeared in the Journal of the Royal Horticultural SocietyRoyal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
. These included "Orchids Past and Present" (1881), "Coniferae of Japan" (1892),and "Deciduous Trees and Shrubs of Japan" (1894). He also shared in the production of the history of the house of Veitch, entitled "Hortus Veitchii" (1906).
Death and legacy
Lady Veitch died in 1921, and soon afterward Sir Harry left off his horticultural activities and lived in complete retirement at his homes in Kensington and East Burnham Park, SloughSlough
Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
, Buckinghamshire, where he died on 6 July 1924, at the age of eighty-four. In the obituary for him published in the Gardeners' Chronicle on 12 July 1924 it was stated,
"Sir Harry Veitch may be regarded as the most outstanding figure in contemporary horticulture, and during the last fifty years no one has exercised so great an influence on all things pertaining to gardening".
During his lifetime Sir Harry and his wife amassed a substantial art collection, which also included decorative art. On his death he bequeathed the entire collection to the Royal Albert Memorial Museum
Royal Albert Memorial Museum
Royal Albert Memorial Museum on Queen Street, Exeter, Devon, England is the largest museum in the city.-History:Initially proposed by Sir Stafford Northcote as a practical memorial to Prince Albert, an appeal fund was launched in 1861 and the first phases of the building were completed by 1868...
in Exeter, including works by Myles Birket Foster
Myles Birket Foster
Myles Birket Foster was a popular English illustrator, watercolour artist and engraver in the Victorian period. His name is also to be found as Myles Birkett Foster.-Life and work:...
(1825 – 1899) and Kate Greenaway
Kate Greenaway
Catherine Greenaway , known as Kate Greenaway, was an English children's book illustrator and writer, who spent much of her childhood at Rolleston, Nottinghamshire. She studied at what is now the Royal College of Art in London, which at that time had a separate section for women, and was headed by...
(1846 – 1901).
At the end of every July, the Royal Albert Memorial Museum holds the "Veitch Memorial Lecture ", a plant-orientated lecture in memory of Sir Harry Veitch.
Sir Harry's name lives on, with the beautiful Masdevallia harryana and Masdevallia veitchiana
Masdevallia veitchiana
Masdevallia veitchiana, also known as Veitch's Masdevallia or King of the Masdevallias, is a species of the Masdevallia genus of orchids....
, which were discovered by Veitchian collectors, being named in his honour. Other plants named in his honour include Odontoglossum harryanum ("Harry's Odontoglossum"), Viburnum harryanum ("Sir Harry Veitch's Viburnum") and Nepenthes × harryana.