Item 204 - Letter from Elizabeth Jackson to Walter Maynard about propagating mangoes in the West Indies

A Narrative of Facts relative to the propagation of the Mango Trees from the East Indies to the West Indies. Walter Maynard being a Native of the Island of Nevis in the West Indies, and sailing from Madras touched at the Island of Bourbon on his way to Europe, & having tasted the Mangoes of that Island & finding they were a most delicious Fruit was induced to have some young Mango Plants put in Tubs with some Earth in Order if possible to plant them in the West Indies & was happy enough to meet a West India Packet at Sea, which induced him at that time to go in her to the West Indies & was so fortunate as to establish them in the Island of St Vincents, since which they have fruited & are now propagated in almost all the west India Islands: Mrs Jackson a Widow Lady lately of St Vincent will attest this to be a real history of this matter, as her late husband had the first tree that fruited in that Island from these said Plants.\nWalter Maynard\nN.B. This happen'd in the year 1770\nMrs Jackson is to be met with at No.13 Suffolk Street, Cavendish Square\nDoctor Young of St Vincents was also furnished with one of these Mango Plants which now bears fruit.'\n\nTo: Walter Maynard\n'As I think it one of the least returns I can make for the favour you granted us in the Island of Saint Vincents, by a present of the Mango's, I do here attest & am ready so to do, whenever applied to by any Gentlemen of the society that you brought the Plants to the West Indies in the year 1770 & perfectly remember it to be in the Month of June, am happy to find you are perfectly recover'd from the Illness you then suffered: Am sorry I was not at home when you called on me as I should have been happy to have had the pleasure of seeing you. The Tree you left I am sorry to say was lost in the Hurricane we experienced in 1780 but there are now many Trees from the seeds of it that will bear this on the preceding year. There were four plants sent to the Kings Garden at Kew & I am informed one now living. This Tree was sent by the Doctor about six years ago, shall be glad if you can inform me anything concerning it.\nI am...Elizabeth Jackson. March 11 1784'\n

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Creator Chris 21/09/1998