Richard Warner (botanist) facts for kids

Richard Warner (born around 1713 – died April 11, 1775) was an English expert in plants and a scholar who studied old writings. He was known for his love of botany and his work on the plays of William Shakespeare.

Richard Warner's Life

Richard Warner was born in London, England, probably in 1713. His father, John Warner, was a successful goldsmith and banker. Richard's family had a history in London; his great-grandfather, also named John Warner, was a important leader in the city, serving as sheriff and later as lord mayor.

Richard went to Wadham College, Oxford, in 1730 and finished his studies in 1734. Even though he had a place to work as a lawyer in London, he spent most of his time at his family's estate called Harts in Woodford. Here, he created a special garden where he grew many different kinds of plants, including some from faraway places.

Meeting Famous Plant Experts

Richard Warner was very interested in plants. In 1748, he met Pehr Kalm, a student of the famous Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus. Kalm was on his way to North America to study plants there. Warner took Kalm to visit other important plant experts in London, like Peter Collinson and Philip Miller. He also introduced Kalm to the very old and respected collector, Sir Hans Sloane.

Warner was one of the first people in England to grow the beautiful Cape jasmine flower, which came from the Cape of Good Hope. Another plant expert, John Ellis, even suggested naming a plant after Warner, calling it Warneria. However, Warner humbly refused, and the plant was later named Gardenia.

Richard Warner never married. He passed away at his home in Harts on April 11, 1775, at the age of 62 or 64. He was buried in the churchyard at Woodford.

Richard Warner's Writings

Richard Warner was not only a plant expert but also a literary scholar. He started collecting notes to create a new edition of William Shakespeare's plays. However, he stopped this project when another scholar, George Steevens, began working on a similar idea.

Shakespeare and Roman Plays

In 1768, Warner published a letter to the famous actor David Garrick. This letter was about creating a special dictionary, or glossary, to explain difficult words in Shakespeare's plays. Many of his detailed notes for this glossary, some filling many books, are now kept in the British Library.

Warner also translated several plays by the ancient Roman writer Plautus into English. He even translated one play, The Captives, into verse. He worked with another translator, Bonnell Thornton, who praised Warner's help. After Thornton passed away, Warner continued the work himself, translating many more plays and publishing them in several volumes. He dedicated his later translations to David Garrick.

His Plant Book

In 1771, Warner published his own book about plants called Plantæ Woodfordienses. The title means "Plants of Woodford." This small book listed all the plants that grew naturally around his home in Woodford. He wrote it after going on plant-finding trips with the Apothecaries' Company, a group of pharmacists and botanists.

Even though his plant book had a few small mistakes, it was very important. It became a model for other plant books, like Edward Jacob's Plantæ Favershamienses (1777). Later, in 1784, Thomas Furly Forster added more information to Warner's original book.

Richard Warner's Legacy

When Richard Warner died, he left most of his money and property to his niece's husband, Jervoise Clark. He also left money to a hospital in Poplar, to David Garrick, and to a fund that helped actors who were no longer able to work.

Warner's collection of books and drawings about plants and nature went to Wadham College, Oxford, where he had studied. He also left money to the college to create a special scholarship for students interested in botany. To get this scholarship, students had to collect and present fifty dried plants and a certificate.

A portrait of Richard Warner used to hang at Idsworth, the home of the Jervoise family, showing how much he was respected.