Alexander Garden

1730 (age 61)

From the first, Garden took an interest in the fauna and flora of South Carolina, partly as an adjunct to the practise of medicine. His health was never good, and in 1754, he was obliged to take a trip northward, going as far as central New York state. Here he met Cadwallader Colden, philosopher and botanist as well as lieutenant-governor, and saw in his library the first of the Linnsean books that were infusing new life into natural science. On his return, he stopped in Philadelphia to visit the enthusiastic Quaker botanist, John Bartram. In 1755, he accepted Gov. Glen’s invitation to join an expedition to the Cherokee country, which probably took him to the neighborhood of Caesar’s Head, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Greenville County, South Carolina. His report on the plants and minerals of this expedition was communicated to scientists in England, but apparently was never printed. Soon after his arrival in Charleston, he had begun to correspond with John Ellis, the British naturalist, and by him was encouraged to write to Linnaeus. Garden’s first letter to the Swedish scientist was a diffident and respectful bid for friendship. No reply was received to this or the following letter, but three years later he had an encouraging note. Thereafter, for many years his correspondence with Linnaeus and Ellis was voluminous and learned; and being well preserved, it forms a delightful and historically precious document in the annals of eighteenth-century science. He was also a correspondent of Thomas Pennant and Peter Collinson in England, Gronovius in Holland, John Clayton in Virginia, Colden in New York, and Bartram in Pennsylvania. He sent his friends great quantities of plant specimens, fish, reptiles, and amphibians, with elaborate notes, of which they made excellent use. He also endeavored to propose various new species and genera, some of them justifiable, but was rather discouraged in his attempts by the European naturalists, to whose authority he bowed. By 1771, he had gained sufficient confidence to dispute with Ellis and Linnaeus, and to-day science will support him against these more famous authorities in the belief that the Florida cycad, Zamia, is not a fern, that the Carolina jessamine is not a Bignonia, and the palmetto not a Yucca. Linnaeus rewarded his disciple’s devotion by having him elected in 1763 a member of the Royal Society of Upsala, a gratifying honor to one who felt himself entirely lonely and unappreciated in his favorite pursuits in a colony too raw for learned interests. He was somewhat piqued by a certain patronizing air on the part of the Royal Society of London toward his manuscripts, but in 1773 accepted a fellowship in that body; and in 1775 his paper, “An Account of the Gymnotus electricus, " was read before the Society by Ellis. As the storm of the Revolution gathered, Garden sided with his King, and was one of the congratulators of Cornwallis after the battle of Camden. He was banished and his property confiscated by the Act of February 26, 1782, and although in 1784, his property was restored, less an amercement of twelve per cent, he never returned to America. Sea-sickness on the voyage to England in 1783, seriously injured his health; he was already succumbing to tuberculosis. In the hope of recovery he visited Scotland, France, and Switzerland, suffering physically from a round of social activities, though they were grateful to one long deprived of honors and learned intercourse. He assumed the duties and honors of vice-president of the Royal Society, but failing strength soon confined him to his home in Cecil Street, London, where he died, attended by the women of his family. Before his death, he is said to have prepared papers on his natural history observations in South Carolina, but unfortunately for science these have not been traced.

Alexander Garden

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naturalist physician

Background

Alexander Gardenwas born in January 1730 in Birse, Aberdeenshire. He was the son of Rev. Alexander Garden of Birse Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Education

Garden was unusually well grounded in languages, philosophy, mathematics, and the natural sciences, studied under the celebrated Dr. John Gregory at Edinburgh, and was a pupil of Charles Alston, director of the botanical gardens there.

In 1753, he graduated with the degree of M. D. from Marischal College, Aberdeen. Soon afterward he went to South Carolina where, in Prince William Parish, he entered into practise and built up a large and fashionable clientele.

Career

From the first, Garden took an interest in the fauna and flora of South Carolina, partly as an adjunct to the practise of medicine.

His health was never good, and in 1754, he was obliged to take a trip northward, going as far as central New York state. Here he met Cadwallader Colden, philosopher and botanist as well as lieutenant-governor, and saw in his library the first of the Linnsean books that were infusing new life into natural science.

On his return, he stopped in Philadelphia to visit the enthusiastic Quaker botanist, John Bartram. In 1755, he accepted Gov. Glen’s invitation to join an expedition to the Cherokee country, which probably took him to the neighborhood of Caesar’s Head, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Greenville County, South Carolina.

His report on the plants and minerals of this expedition was communicated to scientists in England, but apparently was never printed. Soon after his arrival in Charleston, he had begun to correspond with John Ellis, the British naturalist, and by him was encouraged to write to Linnaeus.

Garden’s first letter to the Swedish scientist was a diffident and respectful bid for friendship. No reply was received to this or the following letter, but three years later he had an encouraging note.

Thereafter, for many years his correspondence with Linnaeus and Ellis was voluminous and learned; and being well preserved, it forms a delightful and historically precious document in the annals of eighteenth-century science.

He was also a correspondent of Thomas Pennant and Peter Collinson in England, Gronovius in Holland, John Clayton in Virginia, Colden in New York, and Bartram in Pennsylvania. He sent his friends great quantities of plant specimens, fish, reptiles, and amphibians, with elaborate notes, of which they made excellent use.

He also endeavored to propose various new species and genera, some of them justifiable, but was rather discouraged in his attempts by the European naturalists, to whose authority he bowed.

By 1771, he had gained sufficient confidence to dispute with Ellis and Linnaeus, and to-day science will support him against these more famous authorities in the belief that the Florida cycad, Zamia, is not a fern, that the Carolina jessamine is not a Bignonia, and the palmetto not a Yucca.

Linnaeus rewarded his disciple’s devotion by having him elected in 1763 a member of the Royal Society of Upsala, a gratifying honor to one who felt himself entirely lonely and unappreciated in his favorite pursuits in a colony too raw for learned interests.

He was somewhat piqued by a certain patronizing air on the part of the Royal Society of London toward his manuscripts, but in 1773 accepted a fellowship in that body; and in 1775 his paper, “An Account of the Gymnotus electricus, " was read before the Society by Ellis.

As the storm of the Revolution gathered, Garden sided with his King, and was one of the congratulators of Cornwallis after the battle of Camden. He was banished and his property confiscated by the Act of February 26, 1782, and although in 1784, his property was restored, less an amercement of twelve per cent, he never returned to America.

Sea-sickness on the voyage to England in 1783, seriously injured his health; he was already succumbing to tuberculosis. In the hope of recovery he visited Scotland, France, and Switzerland, suffering physically from a round of social activities, though they were grateful to one long deprived of honors and learned intercourse.

He assumed the duties and honors of vice-president of the Royal Society, but failing strength soon confined him to his home in Cecil Street, London, where he died, attended by the women of his family.

Before his death, he is said to have prepared papers on his natural history observations in South Carolina, but unfortunately for science these have not been traced.

Achievements

Garden rendered notable service in the smallpox epidemic of 1760 and is said to have amassed a considerable fortune from his practise. He was the discoverer of the vermifugal properties of pink-root, and communicated this intelligence to Linnaeus in 1770. He also discovered some remarkable animals, such as Amphiuma means, the Congo snake, and the anomalous batrachian called mud eel, Siren la- certina. Of these he sent specimens to Europe, and was instrumental, too, in sending the first electric eels. The flower Gardenia was named in his honor by Ellis.

Membership

Alexander Garden was a member of the Royal Society of Upsala.

Personality

In person, Garden was apparently a typical Georgian gentleman, refined, metaphysical, proud, touchy, choleric, often intolerant, “fond of good company and particularly of refined female society”.

He never forgave his son, Maj. Alexander Garden, for taking up arms in the Revolutionary cause.

Connections

On December 24, 1755, Garden was married to Elizabeth Peronneau.

Father:: Rev. Alexander Garden
Wife:: Elizabeth Peronneau

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Alexander Garden

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