English Rose: Tradescant

What Kind of Name Is That?!

The names given to roses here in the United States are chosen to be descriptive, attractive, enticing. Names such as 'Veterans' Honor,' 'John F. Kennedy,' and 'Mr. Lincoln' appeal to the American sense of heritage. 'French Perfume,' 'Fragrant Delight' and 'Spice Twice' are names that suggest the rose has an appealing fragrance. But when the breeder is British (David Austin) and the initial market is British, the names selected rightly have a British heritage. Unfortunately, names with a British heritage don't always translate into "American" English.

Our featured rose, 'Tradescant,' is such a rose. It was named for the Tradescant Trust, which created London's Museum of Garden History. The museum, located on the grounds of the Church of St. Mary-at-Lambeth, is the final resting place for the Tradescant family, who lived nearby. In addition to being the first well-known botanical collectors in Britain, the Tradescants were also noted collectors of natural history objects and rarities - to read more about this, see our "Garden Tales."

The rose, 'Tradescant,' is a fabulous addition to any garden. The rich, deep wine-crimson color of its blooms makes for an appealing contrast to the pastel colors usually displayed by English roses. 'Tradescant' is a compact grower reaching about 21/2 feet tall, and its lush growth and tidy habit is an improvement over an earlier David Austin red hybrid, 'The Prince.' Its sweet, damask-like scent upholds the reputation of strong fragrance associated with the Austin roses. It is truly a rose of merit, and worthy of a place in your garden.

Garden Tales

The Tradescant Family Heritage

The Tradescants were the first well-known botanical collectors in Britain. John Tradescant and his son traveled abroad extensively. Their collections were mainly of a botanical nature, and they are credited with introducing a new fruit, the apricot, to England. The perennial spiderwort (Tradescantia sp.) is also named after them.

But they also amassed a large collection known as Tradescant's Ark, consisting of natural history objects and antiquities. Ironically, none of this collection resides at the Museum of Garden History. With the death of Hester Pookes Tradescant in 1678, Elias Ashmole assumed sole possession of the Tradescants' exceptional assortment of the rare, peculiar and unusual.

A neighbor of the Tradescants, Ashmole befriended John and Hester Tradescant, and used this friendship to secure from the couple a deed of gift for the collections. Although the Tradescants attempted to rescind the deed in the years that followed, Ashmole, a shrewd barrister, had crafted the document to be ironclad. On May 18, 1664, the Court of Chancery found that Ashmole should "have and enjoy all and singular the said Bookes, Coynes, Medalls, Stones, Pictures, Mechanicks, and Antiquities belonging to the Collection." The deed provided that Hester be allowed to keep them in trust for the remainder of her life.

Shortly after Hester Tradescant's unexplained drowning in her own shallow pond, Elias Ashmole presented the collection to his alma mater, the University of Oxford. This collection served as the foundation for the renowned cultural institution that bears his name, The Ashmolean Museum of Oxford.