Mary Parker, Countess of Macclesfield, Botanical Album: Finding Aid mssHM
84100
Gayle M. Richardson
The Huntington Library
August 2022
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Business Number: (626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Mary Parker, Countess of Macclesfield, botanical album
Creator:
Macclesfield, Mary Parker, Countess of, approximately
1726-1812
Identifier/Call Number: mssHM 84100
Physical Description:
0.83 Linear Feet
(1 volume, accompanying material)
Date (inclusive): 1756-1767
Abstract: A botanical album containing 48
watercolor paintings created by Mary Parker, Countess of Macclesfield, in the 18th
century.
Language of Material: Materials are in English and
Latin.
Conditions Governing Access
RESTRICTED. Available with curatorial approval. Requires extended retrieval and delivery
time. Please view digital surrogate.
Conditions Governing Use
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from
or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The
responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining
necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item]. Mary Parker, Countess of Macclesfield, botanical album, The
Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased for the Huntington from Maggs Bros. Ltd., by the Library Collectors' Council,
March 2022.
Custodial History
The botanical album has been held in the library at Shirburn Castle since it was created;
it was lastly owned by the 9th Earl of Macclesfield.
Biographical / Historical
Mary Parker, Countess of Macclesfield (approximately 1726-1812) was born in Hursley,
Hampshire, the daughter of Sir William Heathcote, 1st Baronet, and Lady Elizabeth Parker. On
December 12, 1749, Mary Parker married her first cousin, Thomas Parker, 3rd Earl of
Macclesfield (1723-1795); together they had two sons and a daughter, Lady Elizabeth Parker
(1751-1829). Thomas Parker was a politician and Fellow of the Royal Society. The
Macclesfield family seat is Shirburn Castle, Watlington, Oxfordshire. Mary Parker, and her
daughter Elizabeth, were taught botanical drawing by German Georg Ehret (1807-1770), the
pre-eminent botanical draughtsman of the eighteenth century and former head of Oxford
Botanical Garden. In the eighteenth century, botanical illustration was deemed essential
education for aristocratic women and both women became expert amateurs. Mary Parker died on
May 20, 1812.
Scope and Contents
A botanical album created by Mary Parker, Countess of Macclesfield; she started the album
in 1756 when she was 30 years of age. Flower painting had become a fashionable occupation
for the wives and daughters of the great houses of England and Mary Parker achieved
exceptional ability under the tutelage of Georg Ehret. The album contains 48 watercolor and
gouache paintings on parchment; depicted are both sides of the plant's leaves and also shown
are more than one reproductive stage for each specimen: with the early formation of the
blossom, the growing petals, and the full expression of the flower. The images in the album
depict numerous plant specimens, sometimes with butterflies and other insects, most likely
local to the Macclesfield estate, Shirburn Castle, in Oxfordshire. Many of the illustrations
are identified by names predating Carl Linnaeus' binomial plant nomenclature in his "Species
Plantarum" (1753), while other notations on the illustrations include Linnaeus' names. The
album is bound in a contemporary, richly gilt morocco wallet binding, with interior green
silk ties; the binding is likely by Richard Montagu. The pages in the album are marked with
the Macclesfield armorial blind stamp. It has a lock and key fastening, and while the
original key is present, the lock has been deactivated by a professional restorer, please do
not attempt to use the key; also present is a red velvet bookmark.
Processing Information
The album was cataloged by Gayle M. Richardson in August 2022.
Related Materials
Lady Elizabeth Parker Fane botanical album, 1765-1767 (mssHM 84101).
Existence and Location of Copies
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Botanical illustration -- Great Britain -- 18th century
Botany -- Pictorial works -- Early works to 1800
Women art students -- Education -- Great Britain -- 18th
century
Women illustrators -- Great Britain -- 18th century
Botanical illustrations -- Great Britain -- 18th century
Pictorial albums -- Great Britain -- 18th century
Scientific illustrations (images) -- Great Britain -- 18th
century
Watercolors (paintings) -- Great Britain -- 18th century
Ehret, Georg Dionysius,
1708-1770
Fane, Elizabeth Parker, Lady, 1751-1829
Botanical album
1756-1767
Scope and Contents
The paintings listed below were identified both by the dealer who sold this album to
the Huntington, as well as briefly by three of the Huntington's botanical curators. A
number of the identifications are necessarily speculative and might prove incorrect or
warrant greater details to identify some of the flowers to the specific level.
Page 1
"Venus's Looking-Glass. Painted Lady Sweet Pea. Speculum Veneris minus.
Lathyrus. M.P. pinx"
Scope and Contents
Possibly Blue pimpernel.
Page 2
"Bryonia Aspera, sive. Alba, Baccis rubris. White Bryony. Campanula Hortensis
Flore et Folio oblongo. Canterbury Bells"
Page 3
"Caprifolium Germanicum flore rubella Serotinum Bross: Late Red Honeysuckle."
Probably currently in the Lonissera genus
Scope and Contents
Probably currently in the Lonissera genus.
Page 4
"Papaver Erraticum flore pleno miniato. H.R. Par. Double Wild
Poppy"
Page 5
"Convolvulus Lusitanicus, flore Cyaneo. Bross. Portugal Bindweed Siberian
Gentistella"
Scope and Contents
In the pea genus.
Page 6
"Rosa Provincialis rubra. Park. Prad. Common Provence Rose"
Page 7
"Lavatora foliis et facie Altheæ"
Page 8
"Hieracium [Hyraceum] medio nigrum"
Scope and Contents
With a bumblebee.
Page 10
"Nigella flore majore pleno cæruleo. C.B.P. Fennel Flower"
Page 11
"Lathyrus latifolius minor, flore majore. Boerh Ind: Everlasting
Pea"
Page 12
"Crocus Sativus. C.B. Saffron"
Scope and Contents
The crocus from which saffron is derived is pictured.
Page 13
Manuscript note on verso: "Balsamina lutea sive Noli me tangere major,
Virginiana, floribus saturate luteis, rubentibus maculis intus notatis. Pluk. Alm. p.
63." The recto illustration is of touch-me-not-balsam without a title
Scope and Contents
Laid in: slip of brush color tests.
Page 14
"Rosa Silvestris, Austriaca flore Phœniceo. Park. Austrian Rose"
Scope and Contents
With a large Cabbage-white butterfly.
Page 15
[White and pink ranunculus, cultivated variety]
Page 16
"Rosa sine Spinis flore majore ruberrimo. Royal Virgin Rose"
Page 17
"Convolvulus purpureus folio subrotundo. C.B."
Scope and Contents
Morning glory.
Page 18
[Red matthiola incana(?)]
Scope and Contents
A garden variety.
Page 19
[Purple flower, possibly gentian]
Scope and Contents
With two insects.
Page 20
"Acriviola maxima Odorata. Boerh. Indian Cress"
Scope and Contents
Nasturtium. Tropiola.
Page 21
"Delphinium Hortense flore Violaceo, Carneo, Albo et Cæruleo. Double
larkspurs"
Page 22
"Cistus Mas, folio oblong incano. C.B."
Scope and Contents
Rock rose.
Page 23
"Gentianella fugax Autumnalis elatior Centaurii minoris foliis. Ray.
Syn"
Page 25
[Red and white primrose]
Scope and Contents
With tortoiseshell butterfly.
Page 30
[Lobellia]
Scope and Contents
On facing page, in pencil: "Lobelia Cardinalis." Cardinalis is native to North
America.
Page 33
[Chinese lantern flower?]
Page 34
[Strawberry tree, Arbutus unedo]
Page 35
[Likely coreopsis or helianthemum]
Page 41
[Pink fruit blossom?]
Scope and Contents
Perhaps a peach, apricot, or cherry. Double-flowered; but possibly an herbaceous
plant.
Page 42
[Spider wort]
Scope and Contents
On facing page, in pencil: "Tradescantia Virginiana."
Page 43
[Pink carnation - dianthus]
Page 47
[Vaccinium? Strawberry tree flowers]
Page 48
[Red strawberry flower]
Scope and Contents
Or more herbaceous one: huckleberry, woodland berry.
