Robert Toswill Veitch (1823–1885) was a member of the family of

horticulturist Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

s who established the renowned family business

Veitch Nurseries The Veitch Nurseries were the largest group of family-run plant nurseries in Europe during the 19th century. Started by John Veitch sometime before 1808, the original nursery grew substantially over several decades and was eventually split into t ...

. Veitch was the younger son of James Veitch and grandson of John Veitch. He spent some time farming on the Cape of Good Hope in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

, before returning to England to join the family nursery company in 1856. In 1863, following the death of his father, he took over the Exeter branch of the family nursery business, which became Robert Veitch & Sons. Robert moved the nursery to New North Road in 1864, and opened another seed warehouse in the High Street. He was joined in 1880 by his son,

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...

, who had travelled extensively in his youth. Peter brought his experiences of French and German nurseries into the company as well as an element of flair from the

Chelsea, London Chelsea is an affluent area in west London, England, due south-west of Charing Cross by approximately 2.5 miles. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames and for postal purposes is part of the south-western postal area. Chelsea histori ...

nursery. Robert landscaped many Exeter parks as well as the Higher Cemetery. He was laid to rest during 1885 in the old St Leonards cemetery, which is an annexe of the Higher Cemetery. Following Robert’s death in 1885, his son Peter became head of the Exeter branch of the business.

References

External links

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Article about Exeter cemetery with photo of grave
{{DEFAULTSORT:Veitch, Robert English horticulturists 1823 births 1885 deaths Businesspeople from Exeter Veitch Nurseries