British naturalist and gardener for Charles I. His name is associated with Tradescant's Cherry. Father of John Tradescant, who was also a naturalist. The elder John Tradescant first traveled after 1609 when he entered the service of Robert Cecil who became the first Earl of Salisbury. He visited sites all over Europe to bring back plants and trees including roses, fritillaries and mulberries to the gardens at Hatfield. Later, in the service of Sir Edward Wotton, Tradescant accompanied a diplomatic mission to Russia, and he also visited Algiers, always taking botanical notes and gathering plants. By the 1620's Tradescant had achieved a prominent position as a director of gardens whose advice was sought by the highest in the land. In 1626 Tradescant leased a house in Lambeth where he developed his own garden and a cabinet of curiosities where he displayed 'all things strange and rare' that he brought back from his travels. These included the mantle of Powhattan, the father of Pocahontas. The original is in the Ashmolean, and a copy is on display in the museum. Tradescant's home came to be called the 'Ark' and was an essential site to see in London at the time as more was being learnt about the world and different cultures (bio by J. Baker).
British naturalist and gardener for Charles I. His name is associated with Tradescant's Cherry. Father of John Tradescant, who was also a naturalist. The elder John Tradescant first traveled after 1609 when he entered the service of Robert Cecil who became the first Earl of Salisbury. He visited sites all over Europe to bring back plants and trees including roses, fritillaries and mulberries to the gardens at Hatfield. Later, in the service of Sir Edward Wotton, Tradescant accompanied a diplomatic mission to Russia, and he also visited Algiers, always taking botanical notes and gathering plants. By the 1620's Tradescant had achieved a prominent position as a director of gardens whose advice was sought by the highest in the land. In 1626 Tradescant leased a house in Lambeth where he developed his own garden and a cabinet of curiosities where he displayed 'all things strange and rare' that he brought back from his travels. These included the mantle of Powhattan, the father of Pocahontas. The original is in the Ashmolean, and a copy is on display in the museum. Tradescant's home came to be called the 'Ark' and was an essential site to see in London at the time as more was being learnt about the world and different cultures (bio by J. Baker).
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