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 The Cape of Good Hope ( af, Kaap die Goeie Hoop ) ;''Kaap'' in isolation: pt, Cabo da Boa Esperança is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is t ...

Cape Colony The Cape Colony ( nl, Kaapkolonie), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope, which existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when i ...

, 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 Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...

branch of the family nursery business, which became

Robert Veitch & Sons 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 ...

. 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 died in 1885 and is buried 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 Cape Colony people Businesspeople from Exeter Veitch Nurseries