William Kenrick

Background

William Kenrick was born in Newton, Massachussets, the elder son of John Kenrick and Mehitable Meriam, daughter of Reverend Jonas Meriam. His father, one of the pioneer nurserymen in America, established a nursery in 1790 on Nonantum Hill, near the town line between Newton and Brighton

Career

By 1823, William had become associated with his father in the enterprise. By 1832, if not before, he had established a nursery independent of his father's, for in that year he issued his own catalogue of fruit and hardy ornamental trees and shrubs, which were for sale at his nursery "located near the nursery commenced 35 years ago by the elder Kenrick. " In this catalogue there were listed 148 varieties of apples, about twenty-five of which are well-known sorts of the present day; 155 varieties of pears; ninety-nine of peaches; forty-seven of plums; forty-eight of cherries.

In 1833, upon his father's death, he inherited the original establishment, and by 1838 the list of apple varieties appearing in his catalogue had increased to 228; pears to 317; with fewer additions to the stone fruits. He gave much attention to variety-testing, his activity in this work being evinced and his memory best perpetuated by his book, The New American Orchardist, first published in 1833. In all, seven editions appeared, the last being in 1844. In the early forties the author visited France and England where he gathered much information on varieties, which he incorporated in the seventh edition of his book.

His interests were not entirely centered in nursery and fruit enterprises. At one period he gave considerable attention to silk culture. In 1835 there appeared under his authorship The American Silk Grower's Guide, which included a discussion of the growing of the mulberry. A second edition was printed in 1839. In a communication to the Cultivator he expressed "sanguine hopes that the sugar beet culture will succeed and flourish with us, as it now does in France, " and he elsewhere stated the conviction that agriculture, commerce, and manufactures must all flourish together. In 1845 he gave a public park to the town of Newton. He retired from strenuously active participation in affairs about 1856, but until the end of his life he watched with interest "the progress of his favorite pursuit".

Achievements

• For half a century Kenrick was one of a small group of nurserymen who laid the foundation of the fruit industry of the present day. His most important works were his catalogue of fruit and hardy ornamental trees and shrubs and the book "The American Orchardist" (1833). He was also credited with the importation of the purple beeches.

Works

More photos

• book

  • The American silk growers guide: or, The art of raising the mulberry and silk, and the system of successive crops in each season

    (This is a reproduction of a classic text optimised for ki...)

  • The New American Orchardist: Or, An Account of the Most Valuable Varieties of Fruit, of All Climates, Adapted to Cultivation in the United States; with ... Shrubs, and Flowers, the Agricultural...

    (This is a reproduction of a classic text optimised for ki...)

Membership

Kenrick was one of the original members (1829) of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, and a member of its council, 1829-1841.

Connections

On May 13, 1824, Kenrick married a widow, Harriot (Russell) Jackson. They had no children.

Father:

John Kenrick

1755 - 1833, nurserymen

Mother:

Mehitable Meriam

Spouse:

Harriot (Russell) Jackson

Grandfather:

Jonas Meriam

clergyman

References

• History of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society (Classic Reprint)
• Cyclopedia of American Horticulture, Vol. 2 of 4: Comprising Suggestions for Cultivation of Horticultural Plants, Descriptions of the Species of ... States and Canada; E-M (Classic Reprint)
• The Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture; A Discussion, for the Amateur, and the Professional and Commercial Grower, of the Kinds, Characteristics and ... of the United States and Canada...; V.3