| AdminHistory | Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward (1791-1868) was a physician, botanist, a Fellow of both the Linnean Society and the Royal Society, and Master of the Apothecaries' Society of London. He is famed for inventing the Wardian case, an early form of the terrarium, which was used to create habitable conditions for plants when being transported and to protect them from poisonous environments.
Ward was the son of Stephen Smith Ward, a medical practitioner, and lived in East London. As a boy Ward aspired to be a sailor, but his father disapproved and at the age of thirteen Ward was sent on a voyage to Jamaica as a way of dissuading him from seafaring life. Whilst living in Jamaica he spent his time studying the local sea life and tropical vegetation, the latter of which made a great impression on him. The voyage had had its intended effect on Ward and he returned to England to study medicine. He qualified as a member of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1814 and inherited his father's medical practice. He was elected as a Fellow to the Linnean Society in 1817.
It was Ward's love and cultivation of plants that led him to accidentally discover a new way to grow plants successfully in urban environments. He had been attempting to grow ferns in his garden at Wellclose Square, but the air pollution produced by nearby factories hindered his efforts. However, in the summer of 1829 he was attempting to observe the hatching of a sphinx moth from its chrysalis, which he had buried in damp soil (known as a "mould") and sealed in a glass bottle. What he did not realise at the time was that some fern spores were also in the soil and to his amazement the plant grew in the bottle without water and appeared to be healthy.
Ward proceeded to experiment with and create other kinds of glass cases and found that the combination of condensed moisture and sunlight shining through glazed glass containers could provide ideal conditions for plants to grow without being affected by London's air pollution. Furthermore, these cases could also be used to ship plants to and from foreign countries safely and without risk of dying from exposure to the rough conditions at sea. After a successful test run transporting ferns and grasses to Sydney, Australia, and returning with Australian plants intact, many maritime expeditions made use of Ward's cases including the HMS Erebus, which a young Joseph Dalton Hooker sailed on.
Ward's findings were eventually published in the 'Companion to the Botanical Magazine' after he wrote to Sir William J. Hooker in 1836 about his discovery and six years later he published his findings in a book entitled, 'On the Growth of Plants in closely glazed Cases'. His work brought him to prominence among naturalists as he delivered lectures on preserving plants and was admitted Fellowship to the Royal Society in 1852. He also became involved with managing the Chelsea Physic Garden under the management of the Apothecaries' Society of London and became the Society's Master in 1854.
Ward died on 4 June 1868 in St Leonards, Sussex. |
| Description | Correspondence of Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward:
When the addressee is known the name is recorded in brackets. Numbers listed below are page numbers in the bound volume.
WARD, MARIA
2. 1874 Aug 27; London: Prepared to donate autographs and collection of British Mosses and algae from her late father's herbarium.
2. 1874 Sep 2; London: Has despatched autographs; will ask Hooker about Mosses and algae.
2. 1874 Sep 7; London: Book received safely; chatter.
AGARDH, CARL ADOLPH
3. [No year] Jul 18; Hopes to meet Mr Ward.
3. 1817 Oct 8; J.E. Smithio Botanigo Summo.
AITON, WILLIAM TOWNSEND
3. 1839 May; Kew: (To N.B. Ward) Visit to Kew with desiderata welcome; dried ferns over-rated.
DARNOTT, GEORGE ARNOTT WALKER
4. 1834 Sep 26; Kinross: (To N.B. Ward) Encloses continuation of Wight's Catalogue; plant chatter.
BABINGTON, CHARLES CARDALE
5. 1836 Dec 1; Cambridge: (To N.B. Ward) Sending collection of packets for Botanical Society, Edinburgh.
5. [No date; no location]: (To N.B. Ward) Introduces J. Ball, of Christ Coll., Cambridge.
BANKS, JOSEPH (Sir)
6. 1887 Dec 30; [No location]: (To A. Dalrymple) Sorry nobody at home when he called.
BARCLAY, ARCHIBALD
7. 1827 Dec 3; Dorking: {To Linn Soc Council) Suggests that Council selects one half of the specimens sent to them; remainder to go to Bath West of England Society.
BARTON, BENJAMIN SMITH
8. 1806 Apr 26; Philadelphia: (To Robinson, bookseller) Complains strongly about lack of reply to several letters relative to the Fragments and other works sent; if ten books have been sold he should be paid for them.
BAUER, FRANCIS
9. 1829 Dec 31; Kew: Introduces Mr Hertz of Stutgard, in the service of the King of Würtenburg; wishes to see museum side of the Linn Soc.
BAUHIN, JOHANNES
9. [No date; no location] [In Latin].
BEILSSCHMIED, GEORGE
10. 1841 Jun; Silesia: (To Mr Pamplin) Encloses the latest edition of Swedish Reports of the Progress of Botany.
BENTHAM, GEORGE
10. -- Nov 26; London: Plant from the Cape is Phyllopodium heterophyllum.
BLICH, THOMAS L. C. F.
11. 1838 Apr; Norway: (To N.B. Ward) Grateful for hospitality; awful return journey; Dr Boeck will send a parcel of Norwegian plants.
BLUMENBACH, J.F. [?]
11. 1817 Jun 1; Göttingen: (To Ludwig Vogel) [In German].
BOOTT, FRANCIS
12. 1836 Feb 12; London: List of plants.
BROMFIELD, WILLIAM ARNOLD
12. [No date; no location]: Plant chatter.
BROWN, ROBERT
13. 1841 Sep 6; London: Has received Price's collection of plants; many specimens imperfect, good for the B.M. but not for him unless the price is moderate.
BUCKLAND, WILLIAM, Dean of Westminster
13. [No date] Oxford: Regrets he cannot attend Microscopic Party.
BURCHELL, WILLIAM JOHN
14. [No date; no location] (To N.B. Ward) Regrets cannot accept invitation.
14. 1835 Feb 13; Oxford: (To N.B. Ward) Regrets cannot accept invitation to party.
CAMERARIUS, JOACHIM
15. 1584 Feb 20; Nuremburg: Chatter [In Latin].
CANDOLLE, ALPHONSE LOUIS PYRAMUS DE
16. 1839 Jun 10; London: (To N.B. Ward) Encloses £3 which he hopes will be enough for the watering engine.
BARTRAM, JOHN
17. 1754 Dec 16; [No location] (To Dr Gronovius) His 15-year-old son knows most of the plants; can draw trees and birds.
COLLINSON, PETER
17. 1755 Mar 14; London: (To Dr Gronovius) Sends Ellis's Essays on corals and corallines; Sorry to hear of G's illness; chatter.
17. 1755 Jun 5; London: (To Dr Gronovius) [Letter starts on verso of letter to G. from J. Bartram] Plant chatter.
18. 1756 Sep 17; London: (To Dr Gronovius) Chatter and plant talk.
18. 1757 Apr 29; London: (To Dr Gronovius) Grateful for parcels; chatter.
DODOENS, REMBERT
19. 1567 Feb 19; Mechlin: [To C. Clusius. Savage sent photographs of letter to Dr W.F.T. Hunger in the Netherlands for deciphering into English. Hunger replied that "the writing of the letter is wrong" but in due course he would send a translation.]
DON, DAVID [?]
20. 1821 Sep 5; London: (To A.B. Lambert) Draft letter about visit to France; details of many herbaria.
FORBES, EDWARD
21. 1881; Edinburgh: (To William Christie) Has despatched a dredge, with instructions on how to use it.
21. [No year] Feb 4; Edinburgh: (To N.B. Ward) Sorry to hear about illness; chatter.
21. [No date; no location]; Edinburgh: [Two plant specimens mounted on paper].
GRAHAM, ROBERT
22. 1829 Oct 4; Edinburgh: (To D. Don) Introduces Dr Falconer, an enthusiast in botany who would like access to the Linn library.
GRONOVIUS, JAN FREDRIK
22. 1752 Mar 15; Leyden: (To Earl of Bute) Sends conditions for publishing works of Conradus Gesnerus; about drying up the Haarlemer Meer and the project of Geneté's mill.
HARVEY, WILLIAM HENRY
23. [No date; no location]: (To N.B. Ward) Encloses plant specimen.
23. [No date; no location]: [Specimen of Comaropsis radicans mounted on paper].
23. 1860 Jan 18; Kew: (To N.B. Ward) Arranges visit following Saturday or Sunday.
JOHNS, CHARLES ALEXANDER
24. 1849 Apr 18; Reading: Looking forward very much to his visit.
24. 1858 Dec 15; Rickmansworth: (To N.B. Ward) So very grateful and hopes to visit him soon.
LODDIGES, GEORGE
25. [No date; no location] (To N.B. Ward) Promises to visit.
LODDIGES, WILLIAM
25. [No date; no location] "Particularly obliged" if Mrs Barden and friends to see his plants.
LONDON, GEORGE
26. 1763 Dec 28; Spring Gdn; Plant chatter.
26. [No date; no location] Signature G. London.
MANTELL, GIDEON
26. 1841 Feb 1; London: Was not aware he was a Fellow of the Linn Soc; asks about his subscription.
MARIUS, GEORGE
27. 1601 Dec 11; Leiden: (To Clusius) About a rare botanical specimen [In Latin].
PALLAS, PETER SIMON
28. 1765 Jun 9; The Hague: The Duke of York's trip from Harwich to Hellevoetsluis [In French].
PETIVER, JAMES
29. [No date; no location] List of parts of plants, described.
PULTENEY, RICHARD
30. 1769 May 5; Blandford: (To Nourse, Bookseller in the Strand) Orders book and fasciculi to be sent to him via Blandford Waggon.
30. 1782 Feb 27; Blandford: Has not received copy of Wallerius [?]; asks to take note.
PLEYDELL, C.
31. 1837 Apr 5; N.S. Wales: (To N.B. Ward) Grateful for letter and collection of ferns sent to him by W.; plant chatter.
RALFS, JOHN
31. 1846 Feb 17; Penzance: (To N.B. Ward) List of subscribers not yet available; asks if W. has cultivated Hepaticae in a Wardean [Wardian] case.
RETZIUS, ANDERS
32. 1849 Apr 5; Stockholm: (To N.B. Ward) Introduces Dr Hartman, a Swedish botanist who hopes to see Ward's collections of living and dried plants.
ROYLE, Dr
32. [No date; no location] (To N.B. Ward) The Royal Society circulating instructions to botanists, collectors etc., about the use of Wardean [Wardian] cases.
STARK, JAMES
33. 1837 Apr 25; London: (To W. Christy, jnr) Concerning edible frogs.
STOKES, JONATHAN
33. 1816 Apr 15; Chelsfield: (To Mr Bohte) Statement of accounts.
SCHIMPER, WILHELM PHILIPP
34. 1836 Jan 15; Strasburg: Is sending the first monograph on the Bryologia europaea; plant chatter.
SCHLEICHER, J.C.
34. 1819 Feb 10; Switzerland: (To N.B. Ward) Has despatched collection of lichens and fungi [In French].
SHUTTLEWORTH, ROBERT JAMES
35. 1838 Jan 8; Bern: (To N.B. Ward) Plant chatter.
SLOANE, HANS (Sir)
35. 1701 Nov 27; London: (To R. Thoresby) Grateful for nice things T. said about him in letter to Dr Hicks.
SMITH, GERARD EDWARDS
36. 1831 Jul 23; [no location] Plant chatter.
SMITH, JAMES EDWARD (Sir)
37. 1782 Nov 14; [no location] Lord [not named] is elected Hon. Member of Society for the Investigation of Natural History.
37. 1827 Sep 4; Norwich: (To W. Christy, jnr.) Confirms that plant is Cistus surrejanus.
SMITH, JOHN
38. 1840 Jan 31; Kew: (To N.B. Ward) Plant chatter.
STANGER, WILLIAM
38. 1840 Mar 21; Wisbech: (To N.B. Ward) Agrees with Ward's method for the conveyancing of plants in closed cases.
SWARTZ, OLOF
39. 1791 Jul 16; Stockholm: Plant chatter.
TAYLOR, THOMAS
39. 1835 Jul 23; Dunkerron: Plant chatter.
TURNER, DAWSON
40. 1841 Sep 21; Yarmouth: Regrets he cannot offer a bed as his son, daughter and family are staying with him.
TUPPER, MARTIN FARQUHAR
41. 1860 Oct 23; Ambleside: (To N.B. Ward) Encloses a pinch of Trichomanes and three sorts of Lycopodium [Four specimens are mounted on paper].
VALENTINE, WILLIAM
42. 1836 Apr 29; Nottingham: (To N.B. Ward) Will search for mosses but not much choice; plant chatter.
42. 1839 Mar 21; Ilchester: Plant chatter.
VOGEL, THEODORE
43. [No date]; Woolwich: Sorry not to have said goodbye but had been summoned quickly on board.
43. [No date]; London: Will be happy to join him on the following Friday.
WAILES, GEORGE
44. 1834 Mar 18; Newcastle: (To Wm, Christy) Will be happy to receive seeds; chatter.
WALLICH, NATHANIEL
44. 1834 Jul 4; Calcutta; (To N.B. Ward) Sending cones and seeds; "I am sick of India"; plant chatter.
WIGHT, ROBERT
45. 1837 Jan 25; Madras: (To N.B. Ward) Plant chatter.
WILLDENOW, CARL LUDWIG
46. 1810 Apr 26; Berlin: (To J. Hunnemann) [In German].
46. 1812 Jan 25; [No location] (To J. Hunnemann) [In German].
WILSON, WILLIAM
47. 1831 Feb 21; Warrington: (To W. Christy, jnr.) Detailed list of desiderata.
47. 1831 Jun 22; Warrington: (To W. Christy, jnr.) Plant chatter.
WITHERING, WILLIAM
48. 1794 Sep 7; Edgbaston: (To Mr Robinson) £4.16.- to be paid to Wheatley, Surgeon.
WITHERING, WILLIAM, JNR
48. 1828 Feb 4; Wick House: (To W. Christy) Plant chatter.
48. 1828 Mar 17; Wick House: (To W. Christy) Plant chatter.
YARRELL, WILLIAM
49. 1842 Nov 29; London: (To N.B. Ward) Accepts Ward's invitation.
50. PRINTED TITLE PAGE - De Natura stirpium. Libri tres / Ioanne Ruellio authore.
51. PRINTED TITLE PAGE - FLORA seu De Florum Cultura / Lib. iv … |