James Veitch (25 January 1792 – May 1863) was the second in a long line of horticulturists 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 youngest son of John Veitch and his wife, Anna Davidson. James was a natural gardener and he helped his father on the

Killerton Killerton is an 18th-century house in Broadclyst, Exeter, Devon, England, which, with its hillside garden and estate, has been owned by the National Trust since 1944 and is open to the public. The National Trust displays the house as a comfortab ...

estate from a very early age. When

Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, 10th Baronet Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, 10th Baronet (29 March 1787 – 22 July 1871) was a British politician and baronet. Background Born in London, he was the eldest son of Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, 9th Baronet and his wife Henrietta Anne Hoare, daughter of ...

resurrected the landscaping projects at Killerton, James introduced many of his own ideas and working methods, and some of the mature Spanish chestnuts and beech trees on the estate are a testament to this work. The Budlake nursery continued to flourish, and in 1832 with James now at the helm, the nursery was expanded with the purchase of of land at Mount Radford on the Topsham Road, Exeter. This was followed by the first of a number of shops or seed warehouses in the city centre area, with the first at 54 High Street and the last at the site of the Well House Inn in Cathedral Yard. By 1837 James Junior, the eldest of six children, had begun working at the nursery following training at several London-based nurseries. The family had by now moved into their specially-commissioned villa, Gras Lawn, close to the Mount Radford nursery. The multi-stemmed ''

Sequoiadendron giganteum ''Sequoiadendron giganteum'' (giant sequoia; also known as giant redwood, Sierra redwood, Sierran redwood, California big tree, Wellingtonia or simply big treea nickname also used by John Muir) is the sole living species in the genus '' Sequoiad ...

'' which graced the front garden of the Veitch residence can still be seen today as it towers above a new development off Barrack Road. In 1839 James Veitch Snr extended the nurseries still further by renting of land at Poltimore known as the "Bramberries". This site was predominantly an overspill for

Haldon The Haldon Hills, usually known simply as Haldon, is a ridge of high ground in Devon, England. It is situated between the River Exe and the River Teign and runs northwards from Teignmouth, on the coast, for about until it dwindles away nort ...

and Brockhill (near

Broadclyst Broadclyst is a village and civil parish in the East Devon local government district. It lies approximately 5 miles northeast of the city of Exeter, Devon, England, on the B3181. In 2001 its population was 2,830, reducing at the 2011 Census to 1 ...

Heath). By now, James Junior had established the family business in Kings Road, Chelsea. In Exeter, James senior was succeeded by his younger son,

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

, and this branch became Robert Veitch & Sons. The two nurseries operated together for ten years until the death of James Snr in May 1863.

External links

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Photograph of sequoiadendron giganteum (Wellingtonia) in garden of house built for James Veitch
{{DEFAULTSORT:Veitch, James English horticulturists 1792 births 1863 deaths Businesspeople from Exeter Veitch Nurseries