William Townsend Aiton papers

Collection containes one volume titled ‘Hortus Kewensis 2nd edition mss. Fragmentum’ & one volume titled ‘Hortus Kewensis ms notebook 1805-1814'. Both volumes are handwritten. Both volumes have been bound at a later date.

KGU/1/4/37

DC/16/72a

WJH/2/16

KPG

DC/52/79

DC/61/197

DC/52/76

DC/66/87

ELL/1/1

DC/63/27

DC/16/325

DC/54/545

DC/16/328

WJH

DC/200/269

DC/210/453

DC/200/221

DC/52/82

CUN

JDH/1/10/128-130

Related material held in the Archives at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew:

DC/52/88

DC/16/i

DC/43/97

DC/16/77

DC/54/69

JDH/1/10/262-267

FOR/1/1

DC/16/2

KGU/1/3/3/12

JDH/1/2/68

FOR/1/3

DC/43/101

DC/16/179

DC/62/42

JDH/1/10/213-214

Publications held in the Library at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

JDH/2/16/179

DC/16/331

DC/53/141

DC/16/1

KPG/1/5

William Townsend Aiton was born in Kew, London on 2 February 1766. His father, William Aiton, was superintendent of the Royal Gardens from 1759-1793. After his father's death, William Townsend Aiton succeeded the role of Superintendent. He later become superintendant of Richmond Gardens, the royal gardens at Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace and at the Royal Pavilion, Brighton. Aiton co-founded the Horticultural Society of London in 1804, which later became the Royal Horticultural Society. Aiton published the second edition of Hortus Kewensis in 1810?1813, his father having published the first edition in 1789.

Following the deaths of both King George III and Joseph Banks in 1820, royal funding for the gardens at Kew was reduced. In 1841, the gardens were awarded the status of national botanical garden and Aiton handed over control of the gardens to William Joseph Hooker, who became the first Director of Kew Gardens. Aiton retired in 1845.

Aiton had one son, William Atwell Smith, born in 1808.

Aiton died on 9 October 1849 in Kew, London. He was buried at St Anne's Church, Kew.