IOR/P/241/12 26 May 1789 pp 1609-16

Letter dated 25 May 1789 from Dr Roxburgh to John Hollond Governor and President in Council at Fort St George, Madras, requests a specimen plant be sent to England. Refers to letter from Court of Directors 7 March 1777 requesting that every effort be made for a bread-fruit tree to be sent to England. Notes his efforts to procure the tree and methods of propagating it. Informs the Court that one is to be sent to St Helena and two will be kept by Roxburgh for propagating from. He should have several to send to England by the end of the year. Extract from letter from the Court of Directors mentioned above, signed Thomas Lewin Secretary Adelphi. Page 1612: the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce offer of premiums of a gold medal or fifty pounds for the person able to bring to the Society in London the most bread-fruit trees in the form of at least three plants of one species between 1 June-15 August. The Society of West India Planters and Merchants to establish a fund for premiums for any further successful candidates at their next monthly meeting. Pages 1613-1615: ‘Extract from a Work entitled A description of the Mangodan [Mangostan, Mangosteen] and the Bread fruit, the first esteemed one of the most delicious, the other, the most useful of all the fruits in the East Indies by John Ellis’ (Printed book bearing same title – several copies held including General Reference Collection 1651/964.(1.) - in particular c.f. ‘Of the Bread Fruit Tree’ on page 11).

Present at the consultation on 26 May in which the letter and papers were read were: John Hollond, James Henry Casamayor, Edward John Hollond.