William Lawson (Author)

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William Lawson (* 1553/54; † August 1635 in Ormesby ) was an English clergyman and author. He probably came from the local lower nobility. He was ordained in Durham in 1580 and was pastor of Hutton Ruby from 1582 and pastor of Ormesby ( Redcar and Cleveland ) near Middlesbrough in Yorkshire from 1583 . Little is known about his life. He was married twice and had two sons. Lawson bequeathed all of his Latin and English books to his son William.

Works

In 1618 he published two books that were first printed together and saw numerous reprints. They were dedicated to Baron Henry Bellose (Belasyse) of Yorkshire, who was interested in fruit growing. Lawson emphasizes that his book is based on his own experience ("my sea and sole experience, without respect to any former-written Treatise").

His instructions for grafting apple trees, richly illustrated with woodcuts , are still applicable today, those for protecting cherry trees from blackbirds and thrushes (use of sparrows ) are less applicable .

The book contains the ideal plan of a rectangular garden ("The forme that men like in generalle is a square"). It consists of six large rectangular beds that are distributed over three terraces and divided by a path in the middle. It is located south of a country estate and is bordered by a moat to the north. There is also a ditch between the house and the garden. At every corner of the garden there is a hill that provides an overview. It could be planted with plum, cherry or plum trees. This results in the following plan (simplified):

distillery House distillery
hill Moat bridge Moat hill
path Topiary -Garten path Baumgarten path
Stairs path fountain path Stairs
path Trees in an inclined grid pattern with a distance of 20 yards path Knot garden (round frame with Star of David inside) path
Stairs path path Stairs
Path and beehives Potager path Kitchen garden, raised beds Path and beehives
hill path hill
dig

The book begins with a chapter on gardening selection, then covers soil, garden location, garden size (Chapter iii, of the quantity ), shape, and fences. Lawson then gives advice on actual fruit growing, such as the choice of rootstock , its planting, the grafting itself, tree pruning , fertilization and care ( foyle ) and vermin ( annoyances ). This is divided into internal, such as plant canker and galls , and external, such as worms and wounds. In addition, deer, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, hares, rabbits and birds such as goldfinches , thrushes, crows and blackbirds threaten the trees and their fruits. Frost, winds, smoke, weeds, worms, moles and rubbish pose a further danger, as do bad neighbors.

In his instructions to the property lady Lawson decreed that each house a kitchen garden ( kitchin garden should have) and a summer garden with flowers. Flowers were also planned in the kitchen garden and vice versa. However, certain plants did not go together with flowers: "your Garden flowers shall suffer some disgrace, if among them you intermingle Onions, Parsnips etc." The summer garden was in the shape of a knot garden , and Lawson depicts numerous plans. Chamomile, dog violet and pennyroyal are recommended for seats . In addition, the good housewife should keep bees . The book had 10 editions and was also known under the title A Way to Get Wealth since 1699 .

Publications

  • New Orchard, and Garden or, the best way for grafting, planting and to make any ground, for a rich orchard particular in the North and generally in the whole kingdom of England etc. Roger Jackson 1618. (Facsimile edition: Rosetta E. Clarkson , Milford CT 1940).
  • The Country Housewife's Garden for herbs of common use; their vertues, seasons, profits, ornaments, varieties of knots for the best ordering of grounds and walks. As also the husbandry of bees, with their several uses and annoyances: all being the experience of forty eight years labor etc. 1618 (facsimile of the edition of 1656: Prospect Books, Totnes 2003).

literature

  • John Considine: Lawson, William (1553 / 4-1635). In: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press, 2004 ( online )
  • June Taboroff: 'Wife, Unto Thy Garden': The First Gardening Books for Women. In: Garden History. 11, 1983, pp. 1-5.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Judith Roberts: The Gardens of the Gentry in the Late Tudor Period . In: Garden History , 1999, 27, 1, p. 90
  2. ↑ all my latine books & mie English books of contraversie
  3. ↑ gla.ac.uk
  4. ↑ New Orchard, and Garden or, the best way for grafting, planting and to make any ground, for a rich orchard particular in the North and generally in the whole kingdom of England etc. 1626, reprint 1858, p. 7
personal data
SURNAME Lawson, William
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English clergyman and author
DATE OF BIRTH 1553 or 1554
DATE OF DEATH August 1635
Place of death Ormesby