Sir John Hill

Besides Sir John Hill's numerous literary novels, and contributions to contemporary periodicals, he also authored such books as "The Useful Family Herbal. or, an Account of all those English Plants, which are remarkable for their Virtues: And of the Drugs, which are produced by Vegetables of other Countries. With their Descriptions, and their Uses, as proved by Experience." Illustrated with Figures of the most useful English Plants, first published anonymously in (1754). The second edition was printed for W. Johnston, in St Paul's-Church-Yard, and W. Owen, in Fleet-Street near Temple-Bar (1755) contained eight etchings (not hand-coloured), each plate contained six different species. "The Useful Family Herbal" was also reprinted in 1812 under the title, "The Family Herbal, or an Account of all those English Plants, which are Remarkable for their Virtues, and of the Drugs, which are Produced by Vegetables of other Countries; with their Descriptions and Their Uses, as proved by Experience", Embellished with fifty-four coloured plates, Bungay: printed and published by C. Brightly, and also published by T. Kinnersley (1812). This original hand-coloured engraving is plate (27), it depicts the 'Henbane', the 'Good King Henry', & the 'Honewort' plants, and hails from Sir John Hill's 1812 folio entitled, "The Family Herbal".

Other important contribution in the field of botany include, "The British Herbal: An History of Plants and Trees, Natives of Britain, Cultivated for Use, or Raised for Beauty published in fifty two parts by John Hill, M.D. printed for T. Osborne and J. Shipton, in Gray's Inn; J. Hodges, Near London Bridge; J. Newbery, in St. Paul's Church-Yard; B. Collins; And S. Croder and H. Woodcate, in Pater-noster-Row. (1756-1757) . This folio contained a frontispiece, two vignettes and seventy two coloured plates with as few as twelve species and as many as thirty, possibly more species per plate. In 1774, John Hill received the 'Royal Order of Vasa" from the King of Sweden for his opus, "Vegetable System and Exotic Botany" (1759 -1775), published in twenty six folio volumes, and containing around 1600 copper plate engravings. And, before his death in 1775, he authored, "Virtues of British Herbs", with the History, Description, and Figures, of the Several Kinds; An Account of the Diseases they will cure; The Method of giving them; and Management of the Patients in each disease., London, Printed for R. Baldwin, in Pater-noster-Row;; J. Ridley, in St. James's Street; J. Nourse, T. Becket, P. Elmsly, J. Campbell, in the Strand; and T. Davies, in Ruffel-Street, Covent-Gardens, This volume contained nine engravings with multiple plant species in each plate. (1770)

"The Family Herbal, Plate (27): Black Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) White Henbane (Hyoscyamus albus), Good King Henry (onus Henricus) & Honewort (Selinum sii foliis), A description of these plants are included within the text of the volume, Of these John Hill wrote,

"Black Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger): A common wild plant, of a dismal aspect and disagreeable smell. The farm yards and ditch banks in most places are full of it. It grows two feet height. The stalk is thick, round, hairy, and clammy to the touch; but not very upright. The leaves are large, long and broad, deeply serrated at the edges of a bluish green colour, hairy and clammy to the touch, and leaving a disagreeable smell upon he hands. the flowers are large and stand in rows on the tops of the branches, which often head down; they are of a strange yellowish brown color, with purple veins.. The seeds are numerous and brown..." John Hill, The "Family Herbal", 1812, pp. 165-166 *

"White Henbane (Hyoscyamus albus): A Native of Italy and Germany, Kept in our gardens. It is a foot high, and has something of the aspect of the black henbane, but not so dismal. The stalk is round, Thick and of pale green; the leaves are large, broad, but short, and a little indented at the edges; they are of a yellowish green, and somewhat hairy; the flowers are small and yellow, and the seeds are whitish..." John Hill, "The Family Herbal", 1812, p. 166 *

"Good King Henry (Bonus Henricus): A common wild plant, called also by some, 'English mercury' by way of distinction from the other, which is called, 'French mercury', and has been described already. This grows a foot high; the stalk is round and thick, but rarely stands quite upright; it is greenish and purplish, and is covered with a kind of grey powder unctuous to the touch. The leaves are large, broad, and of the shape of an arrowhead, they stand on long stalks, and are of a pale green above, and greyish underneath, being there covered with this grey powder. The Flowers are inconsiderable and are of greenish yellow, and they stand in long spikes at the tops of the branches; the plant is common in farm yards..." John Hill, "The Family Herbal", 1812, p. 166 *

"Honewort (Selinum sii foliis): A common plant in corn-fields and dry places, with extremely beautiful leaves from the root, and little umbels of white flowers. It has its English name from its virtues. Painful swellings, are in some parts of the kingdom called hones, and the herb, from its singular effect in curing them, has received the name of honewort, that is hone-herb..." John Hill, "The Family Herbal", 1812, p. 168 *

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