If you were the vicar of a rural parish in the early 20^th century, what would you get up to? Your priorities, of course, would be performing the obligatory baptisms, marriages and funerals, visiting the sick and ministering to your flock. However, alongside your pastoral duties, you might find time for a hobby or two.

From the 18^th century onward, many priests enjoyed ‘botanising’, and contributed to the sum of scientific knowledge by their detailed observations of the natural world. One of the most famous is Gilbert White, whose journal of plants and wildlife in his parish of Selbourne is still widely read today. Most of these ecclesiastical botanists never achieved notoriety, but their collections of plant specimens are still held in herbaria across the globe. 

Unearthing fascinating stories

When we took over responsibility for the University Herbarium a few years ago, little did we know how many fascinating stories we would unearth. One of the plant collectors represented in the Herbarium is the Revd. Douglas Montague Heath, who donated over 3,500 plant specimens to the Herbarium.

You can recognise his specimens instantly, because he laid them out in a distinctive way. Using pen and ink, he would draw a rectangle at the bottom right hand corner of the page, and write the details inside it, including plant family, plant name, location and date. You can tell that he drew the rectangle first, because sometimes he almost ran out of space for the contents!

Heath often created pen-and-ink drawings alongside his specimens.  We find a beautiful example on his 1912 poppy specimen.

A hobby that continued to grow throughout the years

I have always loved the artistic presentation of Heath’s specimens, but just before Christmas I discovered something that shed further light on his lifestyle. Hidden at the bottom of a box was a fragment of brown wrapping paper, with a beautiful postage label attached to it. Headed “Burberry Weatherproofs”, the label shows that Heath ordered some weatherproof clothing from an outfitter in Windsor. 

The postmark shows these were posted to him in April 1932. By that stage, Heath was Vicar of Little Compton in Gloucestershire, and he was still avidly collecting plants. Notes posted on line by his family suggest that he spent all his holidays camping in Wales in a tiny tent, scouring remote and often boggy locations for specimens. These weatherproofs would have enabled him to pursue his hobby in all weathers as he tramped around the countryside. 

Heath was known as ‘Monty’ to his friends. He was born in 1881. His father and two of his brothers were priests, so his family would perhaps have expected him to enter the ministry as well. However, it looks as though a passion for botany may have come first! Monty started collecting plants as a child, and we have specimens dating from 1891 when he was just ten years old, and he continued through his teens. 

Monty’s local finds and political feelings

Monty took his degree at Oxford and went on to Ely Theological College. During that time, he still found opportunities to collect plants locally. Following his ordination, Monty served in many different parishes. As curate of Swaffham in Norfolk, he found himself conducting parade services for the troops at a training camp during the First World War.

One interesting census entry for 1911 gives us an insight into Monty’s political views. He is listed as a member of the ‘Community of the Resurrection’ in Dewsbury, Yorkshire. The Community of the Resurrection was founded by Christian Socialist priests in 1892, with the aim of ministering to the urban working class. The Community had a monastic flavour, and as a single man Monty may have decided to explore this kind of community life for a couple of years. His involvement shows us that he was sympathetic to the community’s Socialist leanings. Needless to say, he collected plants in the area too!

Heath remained a bachelor until he got married in his 60s. Whether his wife was prepared to join him ‘roughing it’ on camping trips, we don’t know. However, he was still collecting in his 70s. Monty died aged 80, in 1961.

Monty is a man I would love to have met:  a passionate botanist, a caring priest with strong social and political awareness, and a man of great intelligence and artistic sensibility. His beautifully preserved specimens will remain as a permanent legacy.

Henrietta Lockhart
Curator