John Haverfield Sr (1694–1784) was an English gardener.[1][2]

Career

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John Haverfield was a surveyor at Twickenham; he later moved to Kew Green where he had a house built c1750, which was known as Haverfield House.[3]

Lord Bute recommended John Haverfield to Princess Augusta in 1759 to succeed Robert Greening at Kew. At that time there were two royal gardens at Kew, Richmond Gardens to the west and the grounds of Kew House to the east, which had been reconstructed by Capability Brown. John Haverfield was Head Gardener at Kew to Augusta, Dowager Princess of Wales, and superintendent of the Royal Gardens at Richmond Lodge. In October 1759 he was recorded 'ordering and cultivating Her Royal Highness's garden at Kew'.[4] On the death of George II in 1760, Haverfield was in charge of Richmond Gardens and William Aiton of Kew Gardens. In 1762 his son, John, joined to assist his father. In 1763 he was paid £700pa 'for cultivating and keeping in order our Pleasure Grounds and Orangery, Kitchen Garden and Melon Ground at Kew'.[4] On 1 January 1783 William Aiton was appointed chief gardener when the Haverfields resigned, although they continued to be responsible for the Richmond Gardens.[4] On Havefield's death in 1784 his son John followed him for a couple of years before concentrating on his own business. Aiton then succeeded to the management of both gardens, so combining the two main gardens.[5][6] When he died in 1784 his son took over the management of Richmond Garden.

Personal life

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Tomb, St Anne's Church, Kew

He married Ann Drew (1717–1769) in 1742 at Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire.

Their children were

The three sons of John Snr were members of Kew Masonic Lodge. Johan Zoffany painted "The three brothers Haverfield" (John, Thomas and William).[10]

John Haverfield died 29 October 1784 at Kew, Surrey, and was buried at St Anne's Church, Kew, in the family tomb. There is a pew cushion for him in St Anne's Church, Kew, which depicts Haverfield House.[11] Haverfield Gardens, Kew, is built on the orchard that once belonged to the Haverfield estate.[12]

References

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  1. ^ Haverfield, T Tunstall (29 November 1862). "Notes on Kew and Kew Gardens". The Leisure Hour: A Family Journal of Instruction and Recreation (570): 767–768 – via ProQuest.
  2. ^ a b Desmond, Ray (1994). Dictionary of British and Irish Botanists and Horticulturalists. Taylor & Francis and The Natural History Museum, London. p. 326. ISBN 978-0-85066-843-8 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Pasmore, Stephen (1986). "Miss Haverfield of Kew". Richmond History. 7: 28–29.
  4. ^ a b c Pagnamenta, Frank (1997). "The Aitons: Gardeners to their Majesties, and others". Richmond History. 18: 7–19.
  5. ^ "The Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew". Plant Explorers.
  6. ^ "Historical Account of Kew to 1841". Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew). 1891 (60): 279–327. 1891. doi:10.2307/4111337. JSTOR 4111337 – via JSTOR.
  7. ^ "Births, Deaths, Marriages and Obituaries". General Evening Post. 11 December 1804. p. 4.
  8. ^ Jacques, David L (1995). "The King's Privy Garden at Hampton Court Palace, 1689-1995". Academia.
  9. ^ "Births, Deaths, Marriages and Obituaries". Baldwin's London Weekly Journal. 18 May 1822. p. 1.
  10. ^ Couch, Sarah (2015). "The Conservation of the Pitzhanger Manor Landscape" (PDF). The London Gardener. 19: 84–101.
  11. ^ Cassidy, G E. "The Pew Cushions in St Anne's Church, Kew" (PDF). Richmond Local History Society.
  12. ^ Thomson, Betty. (2001). "The Story of a Kew Street". Richmond History. 22: 37–44.
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