Putting the Boot In

It appears that a very trendy thing in mid Victorian England was the tree species, the Wellingtonia Gigantea, a member of the Sequoia family. 

Although an ancient species of mythical native aura and size in its natural habitat of the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California it was not at all well known beyond this enclave or even to the increasing population of the New World who, having become settled, were now inquisitive visitors and tourists to other parts of their fledgling nation. 

A Brit, William Lobb, on occasion a plant hunter for home based Nurseries and Horticultural establishments was visiting San Francisco in 1852 when he first heard about the monster trees of the region. 

He was amazed at the sight of around ninety trees, some over 300 feet tall and with a girth around the trunk of almost thirty feet. He was even more astounded by the information that the trees were about 3000 years old. His reaction to the fact that the cross section of a felled tree was in use as a seating area for 40 to attend a piano recital can only be guessed at on this basis. 

Lobb knew that this species would excite considerable interest and demand back in Britain and so took it upon himself to transport seeds, shoots and seedlings to their new environment. 

The trees were rapidly taken up by wealthy Victorians to populate their rural estates and in this way the Sequoia became a status symbol, a must have item, the bees knees in horticultural fashion of the time. 

The Stateside discoverer of the species was keen to name it after the first President, Washingtonia and pressed ahead to assemble the all important herbarium specimens that would enable a formal registration to be made. Lobb was aware of this move and quickly returned to England with his own specimens before this could take place. In what was seen to be almost a diplomatic standoff between the transatlantic neighbours the new species was named Wellingtonia gigantean to commemorate the death in 1852 of the great servant of the nation, The Duke of Wellington. 

A more scientific rather than iconic name of Sequoiadendron giganteum was given to settle the arguments although Wellingtonia persisted in true nationalistic style. 

The tree was hardy enough to cope with prevailing soils and climate in Britain and became well established in the grounds of many country houses.

This was the background to the decision by the people of Kingston Upon Hull, Yorkshire to celebrate the opening of the peoples park, Pearson Park in the city in August 1860 with the planting of what was described as a very healthy specimen of  Wellingtonia Gigantea. A custom made spade, bedecked with ribbons was used by the Lord Mayor and namesake benefactor of the land for the park, Zachariah Pearson, to dig the bedding hole for the tree. 

It was hoped, in his own words conveyed to the crowd of 40,000 in attendance that it would “shoot upwards and expand its boughs pointing to the sky and that in its own way those using the park for their recreation and leisure would, like the tree, aspire towards Heaven so that they might find a glorious and happy future”. 

Unfortunately the tree seems to have been unable to live up to its expectations and is reported to have died shortly after being planted. 

Little was the honourable Zachariah to suspect, although there has been great speculation and discussion on his business acumen and judgement, that within just two years his own fate and personal fortune would fail to flourish and thrive as a result of bankruptcy.