William Casson
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William Casson(23 October 1796 – 22 January 1886) was an Englishbotanist,seed merchant, and local historian. He discovered the Fen orCrested Buckler-fernDryopteris cristatainYorkshireand wrote a local history ofThorne,The History and Antiquities of Thorne, with some account of the drainage of Hatfield Chase(1829, 3rd edition 1874). He also established a large garden on the edge of theThorne Moorswith his brother John in which he bred varieties ofrhododendron,sheep laurel,andspringbeauty.
William was born in Thorne on 23 October 1796 to Mordecai and Mary Casson. He had two brothers, Mordecai and John Calvert, and one sister, Sarah. After a very basic education at the vicarage school, he was apprenticed to a firm of grocers and later worked in a grocery business in Thorne started by his grandfather. By the mid-1850s, William and his brother John had become successful "seedsmen, grocers, and farmers." They established an important nursery east of Thorne where he transformed the "unproductive moor" into a place for raising a variety of plants for their business (Limbert 1991).
William was an ardentQuakerwho was closely involved with Thorne Friends Preparative Meeting as well as a member ofBalbyMonthly Meeting. In March 1879, he became a minister and visited other meetings throughoutYorkshire,often in the company of aScarboroughQuaker minister, Henry Hopkins.
Throughout his life William showed a deep interest in the district's poor and the inmates of Thorne Unionworkhouse.He visited the workhouse often and led a religious service on Sunday afternoons for several years. He was also a staunch liberal who occupied several parish offices. He also played a crucial role in the Thorne Literary & Scientific Association. At the end of his life, William suffered an accident to his hip and the loss of an eye, yet continued his rigorous schedule. He died oferysipelason 22 January 1886 and was buried at the Friends' burial ground off Church Lane in Thorne.
References[edit]
- Desmond, Ray; Ellwood, Christine (1994).Dictionary of British And Irish Botantists And Horticulturalists Including Plant Collectors, Flower Painters and Garden Designers.Taylor & Francis.ISBN978-0-85066-843-8.
- Limbert, Martin (1991). "William Casson of Thorne".The Naturalist.117:3–15.
- Limbert, Martin (2000). "Casson's Garden: a horticultural venture on Thorne Moors".Landscape Archaeology and Ecology.4:77–84.
- Thorne (1829).The History and Antiquities of Thorne, with Some Account of the Drainage of Hatfield Chase.S. Whaley.