Richard Buxton in Prestwich: Artisan Naturalists #3

 

'In Memory of

RICHARD BUXTON,

THE BOTANIST.

AUTHOR OF THE MANCHESTER

BOTANICAL GUIDE,

WHO DIED JANUARY 22^ND 1865

AGED 81 YEARS.'

 

Richard Buxton (1786–1865) was déclassé, born at Sedgley Hall Farm, Prestwich to parents who moved to Manchester when he was two years old, his father John being reduced to the status of a labourer until his death.

Richard began learning to make children's shoes at twelve. At sixteen he was still illiterate, but painstakingly although with great enthusiasm taught himself to read and write.

In Where There's a Will, There's a Way! Or, Science in the Cottage; an Account of the Labours of Naturalists in Humble Life (1873), James Cash describes how Buxton went 'botanising' on Kersal Moor and met handloom weaver and botanist John Horsefield, the President of Prestwich Botanical Society (see link below for my Horsefield post).

The above daguerrotype of the sixty-five-year old Buxton was taken in 1851 by photographer John Benjamin Dancer (1812–1887), who arrived at Buxton's house with the geologist Edward William Binney (1812–1882) shortly after he'd had breakfast. Apparently Buxton believed they'd 'entrapped' him, and his expression clearly reveals his feelings. This is hardly surprising: even allowing for Buxton's camera shyness, Dancer seems to have (very stupidly) added to his subject's discomfort by thrusting a bunch of flowers into his hand. (And to make things even worse, the glimpse of the chair back initially makes it look as though Buxton's jacket is badly torn.)

My other artisan naturalist posts:

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
John Horsefield in Prestwich: Artisan Naturalists #1
James Percival in Prestwich: Artisan Naturalists #2