Biography

Conrad Loddiges (1738-1826) was born Conrad Lochlies at Vristbergholzen in Hildesheim, Hanover the son of a gardener to King George II of England. He moved to England (c. 1761) as a gardener and adopted the anglicised version of his name. In 1771 he took over the Hackney nursery of John Busch (fl. 1730-1790) who left to design gardens for for Empress Catherine II of Russia. Loddiges introduced to European gardens plants from North America, originating from the collections of A. Michaux and W. Bartram.

Though he is not particularly familiar as a compiler of herbarium material, cultivated specimens from the Loddiges nursery are known at K and CGE. Cultivated material at BM recorded as collected by 'Lodd.' is probably referable here. BM has material from suppliers to Loddiges, including Bartram, Michaux and others. Employees of Loddiges included George William Francis (1800-1865), a British collector who trained at Loddiges and emigrated to Australia where he became first director of the Adelaide Botanic Garden. The artist and landscape gardener Edward William Cooke (1811-1880) also worked for Loddiges and his son, particularly on The Botanical Cabinet (1817-1833). Early British collections by Francis and Cooke are probably also at BM.

Biography

Conrad Loddiges (1738-1826) was born Conrad Lochlies at Vristbergholzen in Hildesheim, Hanover the son of a gardener to King George II of England. He moved to England (c. 1761) as a gardener and adopted the anglicised version of his name. In 1771 he took over the Hackney nursery of John Busch (fl. 1730-1790) who left to design gardens for for Empress Catherine II of Russia. Loddiges introduced to European gardens plants from North America, originating from the collections of A. Michaux and W. Bartram.

Though he is not particularly familiar as a compiler of herbarium material, cultivated specimens from the Loddiges nursery are known at K and CGE. Cultivated material at BM recorded as collected by 'Lodd.' is probably referable here. BM has material from suppliers to Loddiges, including Bartram, Michaux and others. Employees of Loddiges included George William Francis (1800-1865), a British collector who trained at Loddiges and emigrated to Australia where he became first director of the Adelaide Botanic Garden. The artist and landscape gardener Edward William Cooke (1811-1880) also worked for Loddiges and his son, particularly on The Botanical Cabinet (1817-1833). Early British collections by Francis and Cooke are probably also at BM.