| AdminHistory | John Ellis FRS (1714-1776) was a British linen merchant and naturalist. He was the first to publish a written description of the Venus flytrap in a pamphlet entitled "Directions for Bringing over Seeds and Plants from the East Indies and Other Distant Countries" (1770). He imported numerous American seeds and was particularly interested in the problems connected with transportation of plants and seeds. The "Natural History of Many Uncommon and Curious Zoophytes", written with Daniel Solander, was posthumously published in 1786. Ellis was a correspondent of Carl Linnaeus who described him as "a bright star of natural history". |
| Description | A small quarto book in cardboard covers; 45 leaves, f.1-18, and from the other end of the book, f.1a-26a, including 4aa. On the inside of both covers are a few notes, including receipts for eye washes.
First part of the notebook f.1-18:
1r. [Notes on the Thermometer, from Dr W. Cullen's Phil. Essays ,vol 2.]
1v. [Blank.]
2r-3r. From Dr Hume on Bleaching. [Notes.]
3v. Fibraurea Gold Thread, Miss Colden N York. [Ellis's Latin description, with sketches of details of this plant.]
4r. Ochrorhizia Yellow Root of J. Bartram John Bartram Pensylvan. [Ellis's description, with sketches of details of this plant.]
4v-6r. [Draft letter to Linnaeus; the original was printed by Smith in Corresp. Linn 1, p90. Date: 25 April 1758.]
6v-7v. [Draft letter to Dr A. Garden, Charlestown, South Carolina, dated 1 May, 1758. Not printed by Smith.]
7v-8v. [Draft letter to Henry Ellis, who was shortly after made Chief Governor of Georgia. Dated 1 May 1758. Not printed by Smith.]
9r-10v. [Draft letter to Linnaeus, dated 21 July 1758. The original letter was printed by Smith, Corresp. Linn, vol 1, p.96.] [Small portion of dried plant loose here.]
10v-11r. [Draft letter to Linnaeus, dated 1 Aug 1758. Original letter printed by Smith, Corresp. Linn, vol 1. p100.]
11v-13r. [Draft letter to Dr Alex. Garden, Charlestown, South Carolina, dates 11 Sept 1758. Not printed by Smith. Extracts only.]
13v-14r. [Draft letter to Governor Henry Ellis, dated 12 Sept 1758. Not printed by Smith. Extracts only.]
14v. [Draft letter to Governor Henry Ellis, of Georgia, dated 20 Sept 1758. Not printed by Smith. Extracts only.]
15r&v. [Draft letter to Linnaeus, dated 24 Oct 1758. Original letter printed by Smith, Corresp, Linn, vol 1, p104.]
16r. Prepared to be sent to Governor Ellis Nov 17 1758. [List of Cork Acorns prepared for preservation in eight different ways.]
16v-17v. [Draft letter to Governor Henry Ellis, of Georgia, dated 20 Nov 1758. Not printed by Smith. Extracts only.]
18r. [Draft notes for a letter to Dr. A Garden, Charlestown. Not printed in any form by Smith. Dated 20 Nov 1758.]
18r-18v. [Draft letter to Dr. A Garden, Charlestown, dated 5 Dec 1758. Not printed by Smith. Extracts only.]
Second part of the notebook, f.1-26a:
1a r&v. [Sketches & notes of "Warniera", ie Gardenia.]
2a r. The manner of curing the flowers [of Safflower.]
2a v-9a r. [incl. 4aa]. Flora Virginiana Claytonii [Plant names only, arranged in Linnaean classes.]
9a v. Lepas. [Note.] Rheumatism [Receipt.] 6oz Sarsparilla [Sarsaparilla?]. [Another receipt.]
10a r. A list of some East Indian plants that may be cultivated in our West India Islands.[List.]
10 a v. Plants growing in the continent of South America that would grouw in our Islands. [List.]
11 a r. A catalogue of such trees and plants as may be propagated to the advantage of the colonies of Carolina, Georgia, and the Baham [Bahama] islands. [List.] To these I shall add that profitable animal the mohair goat.
[On this page is a sketch of a bird's feather in red.]
11 a v. Drugs for Georgia, Carolina, and the warmer Northern Provin: [List.]
12 a r. For the table in the same provinces. [List.] Perhaps the cultivation of the following plants might be of use to the Planter [list.]
12 a v-19 a v. [A draft arrangement of the Fuci.] [Two leaves have been cut out here.]
20 a-21 a r. [Notes on preserving seeds.]
21 a v-22 a r. [Draft letter to Dr Stephen Hales, dated 20 Nov 1758. Not printed by Smith. In regard to Governor Henry Ellis's breakdown in health owing to the great heat in Georgia. Gives details of his scheme for cooling
a house in such a climate, by wooden pipes from a lower level than the house.
22 a v-23 a r. [Draft letter to Isaac Romilly, FRS.] with reference to a new species of barnacle received from Mr Smith of Stavanger, Norway.
23a r-25a r. [On barnacles, with a darwing on 25a r. This and the preceding letter are probably the draft of Ellis's paper in the Phil. Trans, vol 50, pt 2, 1759, which paper was read on 21 Dec 1758.]
25a v-26a r. Experiments to preserve Acorns. [Details of experiments.] Governor Ellis remarks that the putrid steams which arise in the ship destroy most seed unless care is taken to secure them
properly from them. |