Ellacombe Family Papers

A personal papers collection encompassing material from, Revd Henry Thomas Ellacombe (1790-1885) and his son Canon Henry Nicholson Ellacombe (1822-1916) who corresponded and exchanged seeds with leading Horticulturalists and organisations including Kew. The collection consists of correspondence of both Ellacombes with horticulturalists which date from 1828 to 1915, with individuals such as Joseph Dalton Hooker and John Stevens Henslow. In addition to these volumes of correspondence, is Sir Arthur Williams Hill collection of correspondence with various individuals concerning Canon Henry Nicholson Ellacombe and their memories with him, with the date range of the letters in the volume ranging from 1879 until 1919. Most of this collection consists of the Canon Henry Nicholson Ellacombes travel diaries from his trips to Europe and Ireland, with the first diary written in 1873 and the final one in 1907. The diaries which contain details of each journey reflect his interest in churches and their architecture, flora and gardening.

Revd Henry Thomas Ellacombe (1790-1885) was a Church of England clergyman, gardener and author. Born in Alphington, Devon to William Ellicombe and Hannah, née Rous, Henry Thomas Ellacombe later graduated BA from Oriel College, Oxford in 1812. Ellacombe was based at Bitton from 1817 until 1850, as curate for the first 18 years, and as vicar for his remaining time there. While in Bitton he corresponded with various leading Horticulturalists, including those based at Kew, and established a garden at Bitton vicarage that was brought to prominence by his son Henry Nicholson Ellacombe. In 1850 Henry Thomas Ellacombe succeeded his brother William Rous Ellacombe as rector in Clyst St George, where he would spend the remainder of his life. Henry Thomas Ellacombe was married three times- to Ann Nicholson (d. 1825) in 1818, resulting in five daughters and one son (Canon Henry Nicholson Ellacombe), and in 1827 his second marriage to Ann, the daughter of George Bridges of Ashton Lodge took place. His final marriage in 1835 was to Charlotte, daughter of the Revd R Palk Welland after the death of his second wife in 1831.

Canon Henry Nicholson Ellacombe (1822-1916) was a Church of England clergyman, gardener and author who continued the legacy of his father in succeeding him as Reverend of Bitton in 1850 and inherited the garden that his father established. Born at the vicarage of Bitton, Gloucestershire to Henry Thomas Ellacombe and his first wife Ann, née Nicholson, Henry Nicholson also attended Oriel College, Oxford and graduated BA in 1844. After achieving MA in 1848 he assisted his father as curate before taking over the role of vicar at Bitton. In 1852 he married Emily Aprilla, with the marriage resulting in ten children, including Gilbert Henry Wemyss Ellacombe, who had some brief correspondence with and sent a specimen to the Herbarium at Kew. Henry Nicholson Ellacombe was later appointed Rural Dean of Bitton in 1874 and an Honorary Canon of Bristol in 1881. Ellacombe also frequently corresponded with leading horticulturalists including the Hookers at Kew, and often exchanged specimens with these horticulturalists. In the later years of his life he travelled widely, recording in detail these journeys in diaries, including the plants that came across and potentially took samples of.