SERINGE (Nicolas Charles, 1776-1858, Professor of Botany and Director of the Botanic Gardens, Lyon)

Autograph letter signed, in French with translation, to Matthew Henry Marsh, (1810-1881, English botanist) sending "some of the things I have written" and enclosing "some second copies for your friend Mr. Macleay [sic], Professor of Botany at Sydney, and Director of the Botanic Gardens ... If your friend could provide some of the Australian grains, and dried specimens of Mimosa, of Epacris, [and] of rare or common Cereals, he would give me great pleasure" and offering to send "what you and he may like to choose" in exchange, 1 side folio, addressed to Marsh in Lyon on conjugate leaf, Lyon, 17th March

Seringe was a born plant exchanger, and as a young man teaching in Bern published a list of all the varieties of dried Roses he would exchange for plants, botanical books, or coin at 15 batzen (45 sous). He did important work on Swiss cereals, their use in commerce, and their diseases. When he moved in 1830 to the Botanic Gardens at Lyon, the great centre of the silk industry, he did the same for mulberry trees, and published a 'Flore du pharmacien', 1851. He contributed many specialist sections to Candolle's famous 'Prodromus' of a universal classification.
Marsh trained as a barrister, then in 1840 went to New South Wales. He farmed sheep for 14 years, and was a member of the legislative council 1851-1854. Returning to England, he was M.P. for Salisbury 1867-1868.
At the time of this letter, Charles Moore (c.1820-1896), was in fact Director of the [Royal] Botanical Gardens, Sydney 1848-1896. (His brother David was director at Glasnevin, Dublin). He first gave lectures, to medical students, in 1851, in a shed at the Gardens, but in fact there was no Science Faculty at Sydney till 1882 and no school of Botany at the University till 1913. Moore opened a Public Botanical Library in 1852 and by June 1856 the public had free access 3 days week.
Macleay is probably William Sharp Macleay, 1792-1865, possibly (Sir) George, 1809-1891. Their father Alexander, 1767-1848, born in Wick, 'the father of Australian Zoology', and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales, 1843-1846, was closely connected with founding the Australian Museum. His garden at Elizabeth Bay became famous for its valuable and rare plants. William Sharp Macleay, eldest of Alexander's 17 children, took over the garden. Moore regularly exchanged plants with both brothers. William, a committee man, then a trustee of the Australian Museum from 1841 to 1862, was in touch with all those genuinely interested in science in Sydney, and visiting scientists made a point of meeting him. Both brothers had been on the Botanical Gardens Committee, wound up in 1851, and were members of the Legislative Assembly. See 'The Royal Botanical Gardens, Sydney: 1816-1985' (1986) by Dr. Lionel Gilbert, especially pp. 75-94.

Item Date:  1856

Stock No:  16757      £275

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