John Amson facts for kids

John Amson (born in England in 1698, died around 1765 in Virginia) was a doctor and a plant enthusiast. He moved to Virginia during the time it was a British colony. He later became an important leader in Williamsburg, serving as an alderman and then as its mayor from 1750 to 1751.

A Doctor in Colonial Virginia

John Amson lived in Williamsburg for many years. He owned several pieces of land there from 1746 to about 1758. In 1762, he bought a large farm of 180 acres.

One interesting story about Dr. Amson involves George Washington. In 1758, Washington was a general fighting in the French and Indian War. He thought he had a serious illness called "consumption," which we now call tuberculosis.

On his way to Williamsburg, Washington stopped to see Dr. Amson. Dr. Amson lived on the edge of town, near the Governor's Palace. After examining Washington, Dr. Amson gave him good news. He told Washington that he only had a common cold. He also reassured Washington that he was not going to die from it.

Amsonia flower, also known as Blue Star.

A Lasting Legacy: The Amsonia Flower

To honor Dr. Amson, a special plant was named after him. In 1760, a beautiful perennial flower called Amsonia Blue Star was given his name.

This happened because of John Clayton. He was a clerk in Gloucester County and a famous botanist. A botanist is someone who studies plants. Clayton wrote a book about plants called Flora Virginica. He decided to name this native flower Amsonia after Dr. Amson.

Clayton then sent seeds of the Amsonia plant to another well-known botanist, John Bartram. Bartram used these seeds for his plant business. This way, the Amsonia flower helped keep Dr. Amson's name remembered for a long time.