A Man of Botany

A Man of Botany

In the 1880s the fortunes of the Harris Family of Eldon House improved with a substantial inheritance from the Ronalds Estate, when Lucy Harris became the sole heiress of her English family’s fortune. The wealth that the Ronalds accrued over several generations is linked to the botanical trade and the nineteenth century’s exploration of exotic and medical plants. Hugh Ronalds, Lucy’s great-grandfather was considered a “Man of Botany” and immersed himself in the world of plants. Part of the inheritance that made its way to London Ontario was a large cabinet housing 12 volumes of pressed and identified botanical specimens attributed to Hugh Ronalds. This exhibit explores the story behind the specimen volumes, how and where they were collected and why they are significant today.