Evening star., 1926-11-22
OXFORD TO HONOR
JOHN TRADESCANT
Window Given by Garden
Clubs of Virginia in Memory
OF Explorer to Be Unveiled.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Bpedal Dispatch to The Star
OXFORD. England, November
1S.-VirSInia is TO have a place in the
umeliGht at oxford University Fri
day. On that day Lord Fairfax OF
Cameron will unveil an armorial win.
dow in honor of John Tradescant, eX
paorer and botanist, in the Old Ash
mclean Museum on the Broad" Ok
ford Virginians who are students a,
the university and other natives OF
the State abroad will be present al
the ceremonies.
The window is the gift of the Gar
den Clubs of Virginia, and has been
formally accepted by DIR. F. c. Penn
oer, vice chancellor of oxford Uni
verSdty. An informal viewing of the
window was held for the officers OF
the university after its acceptance or
November 2, through the courtesy OF
DR.. r. I. Gunther, director of the Old
Ashmolean Museum.
John TradeScant was one Of the
earliest explorers of the lands Of the
Virginia Company. In his two voyages
TO America, the first in 1912 and the
second in 1854. he was given two
gYnnts of land in the Chesapeake Bay
region. But he did not settle on the
land. spending his time, rather, in
listing the resources Of the country
and making a comprehensive collec-
ton Of hundreds of varieties of
flowers, plants, shells, insects,
minerals, etc, for his museum at
Lambeth, near London.
Honor Father and Son.
Oxford University and the Garden
Clubs of Virginia are paying tribute
90 both father and son, for the
Tradescant collection, started by John
Tradescant, the elder, and greatly en-
larged by the son, was the nucleus
Of the collection now housed by the
university in Old Ashmolean Museum,
which is the Oldest public museum in
che Anglo-Saxon world.
As gardener as well as botanist
xAo younger Tradescant was inter.
ested in living plants as well as speci-
mems pressed between boards for mu.
beum exhibitions. From Virginia he
brought back many Of the New
Worlds more colorful flowers and use
kul trees. In his 1.-The Natural His
Sory of the oxford District" James j.
Walker says Of him, Would that no
full flower without thinking of John
Tradescant Of Lambeth"
The trees. the occidental plane. or
sycamore. and the acacia, or yellow
locust, can be found in nearly every
oiump Of forest or along nearly every
English lane because John Tradescant
had the foresight to bring back few
Of their seeds from America and the
skill to nurture them in their new
surroundings.
Squares Old Debt.
oxford University, in so commemo-
hn ~ va Nc
souaring an old debt which the Eng.
lish owe the family. The famous
Tradescant collection Of rarities came
into the hands of the university
through the gift Of Elias Ashmole
friend Of the younger TradeScant and
successor to the TradeSca mt collection.
Ashmole offered the rarities to oxford
on the condition that the university
erect a building for them. This was
done, and the building was named the
Ashmolean Museum, for the donator
rather than the collectors Of the ex-
hibits.
into four sections. In the upper left
hand corner is the coat Of arms Of the
Tradescants, surrounded by a wreath
composed Of the green leaves and the
violet blossoms of the Virginia spider.
wort. Beneath is line or two Of
Latin commemorating the scientific
work Of the younger Tradescant. In
the lower left hand corner IL tho coat
Of arms Of Elias Ashmole, who gave
the collection to the university. The
other half Of the window is at present
plain glass. but when completed will
contain the coat of arms of DR.. Rob.
ert Plot. the first keeper Of the mu.
scum. and also that Of Sir Christopher
Ar,nI -
don. who designed the museum. The
right half of the window will be
placed and dedicated some time next
wear.