JOHN GERARD.
John Gerard was born in 1545 at Nantwich in Cheshire, his parentage is unknown, though by his coat of arms he appears to have descended from the Gerards of Ince in Lancashire. In 1562 he was apprenticed to Alexander Mason, a Surgeon in extensive practice, who was Warden in 1556 and 1561 and Master in 1567 and 1573 (Mr. Mason died 3rd April, 1574). Gerard was admitted to the freedom of the Barber-Surgeons 9th December, 1569. There is no record of his admission to the Livery, though in consequence of his professional attainments and his presumable friendship with his master who made him free, he doubtless had the clothing at the same time. The only note we have of Gerard, before he comes on the Court, is one in which he appears before the Masters as defendant in a case of alleged slander on the wife of a brother freeman.
21st February, 1578. Here was a complainte against Jo: Jerrard for saying that Richard James his wief had the ffrenche pocks, and he made answere and saide he wolde justifie the same, and he was dismist to the Comon Lawe.
Gerard was elected a Member of the Court of Assistants on the 19th June, 1595. For some long time previous he must have been engaged in the preparation of his great work “The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes,” a folio of some 1,400 pages, embellished with about 1,800 illustrations of plants,[339] and published in 1597, which, whilst it was by far the best and most exhaustive work of its kind at that period, has ever since been considered a standard book of reference; a good copy being now worth 8 to 10 guineas. At this period he was living “at my house in Holburne, within the suburbs of London,” probably near Fetter Lane, where he had a large garden of herbs.
The style of Gerard’s writing was very quaint, and abounds with quiet humour; he scouted monkish tales and old wives’ fables concerning the miraculous properties of plants, etc., honestly endeavouring to present facts to his readers; yet even he has not hesitated to record as true, and gravely set forth, some fabulous stories, as, for example, in speaking of Barnacles on p. 1391, he says—
There is a small Ilande in Lancashire called the Pile of Foulders, wherein are found the broken peeces of old and brused ships . . . wheron is found a certaine spume or froth, that in time breedeth unto certaine shels, in shape like those of the muskle, . . . wherein is conteined a thing in forme like a lace of silke finely woven, as it were togither, of a whitish colour; one end whereof is fastned unto the inside of the shell; . . . the other end is made fast unto the belly of a rude masse or lumpe, which in time commeth to the shape & forme of a Bird: when it is perfectly formed, the shel gapeth open, & the first thing that appeereth is the foresaid lace or string; next come the legs of the Birde hanging out; and as it groweth greater, it openeth the shell by degrees, till at length it is all come foorth, and hangeth onely by the bill; in short space after it commeth to full maturitie, and falleth into the sea, where it gathereth feathers, and groweth to a foule, bigger then a Mallard, and lesser than a Goose; having blacke legs and bill or beake, and feathers blacke and white, spotted in such maner as is our Magge-Pie, called in some places a Pie-Annet, which the people of Lancashire call by no other name than a tree goose; which place aforesaide, and all those parts adjoining, do so much abound therewith, that one of the best is bought for three pence: for the truth heerof, if any doubt, may it please them to repaire unto me, and I shall satisfie them by the testimonie of good witnesses.
The woodcut illustrations with which the book abounds are designed in a good artistic style, being frequently consulted and adapted nowadays by artists engaged in floral design. In 1596, Gerard seems to have propounded a scheme for the Company to keep a garden for the cultivation and study of medicinal plants, and some land belonging to the Company in East Smithfield was suggested for this purpose, but not being thought a suitable spot, certain members of the Court offered to contribute towards the purchase of a garden elsewhere; in June, 1597, the subject was under consideration, and again in November, 1602; but whether anything further was done in the matter does not appear. The minutes in our books relating to this business, are as follows—
26th March, 1596. A motion was also made concerninge the Demisinge of certen garden grounds at East Smithfield for the wch Mr ffettyplace, Mr Lacock and John Gerard were sevˀall Sutors. Yt was agreed that the same should be let for yerely rent at the pleasures of the masters or governors and none of the said sutors obteyned any graunte. But for as muche as John Gerard’s request was to have yt to make a garden of yt for the ffurtherance of learning in the knowledge and practiqe of the nature and skill of herbes, wch was thought not a place ffytt for that pˀpose, but that a more convenient place should be sought owte and dyvers of the Companie did offer to be contributors for the buying of the same, and Mr ffetiplace and Mr Lacock are to be spoken wthall and thus to be satisfied.
16th June, 1597. At the request of Mr Peck[340] and Mr Gerat yt was agreed at this Corte that those whose names are here after menc͠oned should survey a peece of ground ffyt to make a Garden for to plant all kinde of herbes in routes plantes and suche like as to the saide Mr Gerat being a skilfull Herbalist should thinck meete for the worshipp of this societie, and to relate their opinions and acc͠ons therein to this howse and societie for the further pˀceding therein, vizt Mr John Isard[341] Mr Lewes Atmer[342] Mr Cox Mr Wood[343] Mr Sprignell[344] Mr Borne[345] Jeames Bates[346] Mr Thomas Waren[347] Mr Bovy[348] Mr Byrd[349] Mr Gale[350] Mr Laycock[351] Mr Jo Martin[352] or any viij. x. or the most pˀte of them.
2nd November, 1602. This daye it is ordered that the Committes for Mr Gerrard’s garden shall this aftr noone meet at the hall to consider of the report for a Garden for the said Mr Gerrard.
In August, 1597, John Gerard was chosen Junior Warden (George Baker, the Queen’s Serjeant-Surgeon being at the same time elected Master), and in January following he was appointed one of the Examiners of Surgeons. In 1604, there had been controversies between Gerard and Christopher Frederick (Master 1609), which on the 12th June were referred to a Committee of the Court for settlement. “And if they no ende can make they are to make report at the next Court of their pˀcedinges therein.”
26th September, 1605. This day Mr Jerrard was discharged of the office of second Warden and upper governor of this Company uppon his suite & entreatie for certayne considerac͠ons. And is fyned for the said places at xli which he is pˀntlie to pay to the pˀnte Mrs or governours And is hereafter to take his place as though he had served the place of upper Governor any thinge to the contrarie notwithstandinge.
7th November, 1605. The above order was rescinded, but shortly afterwards Mr. Gerard brought £10 into Court, and left it with the Wardens, when it was ordered that the matter should be further considered, and in the result the fine was accepted.
21st October, 1606. This daie John Gerrard was fyned at vjs viijd for abuseing Mr Peck and it is ordered that from henceforth they shall be freinds, and all Controversyes betweene them are to cease.
20th July, 1607. Mr. Gerard was again appointed an Examiner of Surgeons, and 17th August following elected Master.
Queen Elizabeth is reported to have entertained a high opinion of Mr. Gerard’s attainments, and he was also patronised by her Minister, William Cecil, Lord Burleigh, whose garden he superintended for twenty years. In the dedication of his Herbal to Lord Burleigh, in speaking of the “care and studie” of herbs, he says—
Under your Lordship I have served, and that way imployed my principall studie, and almost all my time now by the space of twenty yeeres. To the large and singular furniture of this noble Iland, I have added from forren places all the varietie of herbes and flowers that I might any way obtaine, I have laboured with the soile to make it fit for the plants, and with the plants to make them to delight in the soile, that so they might live and prosper under our climate, as in their native and proper countrie: what my successe hath beene, and what my furniture is, I leave to the report of them that have seene your Lordships gardens, and the little plot of my speciall care and husbandrie.
Among the numerous epistles, etc., laudatory of Gerard, prefixed to the Herbal are some exceedingly quaint verses dedicated by “Thomas Thorney[353] Master in Chirurgerie, to his learned friend and loving brother in Art, M. John Gerard.” There is also an epistle by “George Baker, one of hir Maiesties chiefe Chirurgions in ordinarie, and M. of the Chirurgions of the Citie of London.” Besides his garden in Holborn, Gerard seems also to have had one in the Strand by Somerset House, and to have held the appointment of “Herbarist” to James I, for among the Domestic State papers at the Record Office, is a grant dated 10th October, 1603, by Anne, Queen of James I to Sir Robert Cecil, Lord Cecil of Essingdon, of the Keepership of Somerset House with all the orchards, walks, gardens, &c., thereto belonging “except and alwaies reserved to John Gerrard of London Surgeon and herbarist to his Matie all that garden plott or peece of ground wth all and singular pˀfittꝭ comodities and other the app̃tencꝭ therewth graunted and demised unto him by one lease given under or hand and seale at”[354] . . .
In 1639 the Company purchased a copy of Gerard’s work for the Library. “Paid for Mr John Gerrardꝭ herball for the library for Claspes & settinge on the chaine . . . . . xxvs vjd.”
John Gerard died in February, 1612, and was buried at St. Andrew’s, Holborn, on the 18th of that month. There is a fine portrait of Gerard facing page 1 of the Herbal, in which he is represented holding a potato plant in his hand; below are the arms of the Barber-Surgeons and his own coat, viz., quarterly 1st and 4th ar. a lyon rampant erm. crowned or, a crescent for difference (Gerard), 2nd and 3rd ar. three torteaux in bend between two bendlets sa. (Ince). Crest, A lyon’s jamb era. inverted holding a hawk’s lure. Motto, D’assenti buone.
The best account of Gerard may be seen in a privately-printed “Catalogue of Plants cultivated in the Garden of John Gerard and a life of the Author,” by Benjamin D. Jackson, F.L.S. London, 1876.