Edward Milner
Early life and career
Edward Milner was born in Darley, Derbyshire, the eldest child of Henry Milner and Mary née Scales. Henry Milner was employed at Chatsworth by William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire, as a gardener and porter. Edward was educated at Bakewell Grammar School and was then apprenticed to Chatsworth's head gardener, Joseph Paxton. In 1841 he continued his studies in Paris at the Jardin des Plantes and returned home to become Paxton's assistant. He worked with Paxton in developing and managing Princes Park, Liverpool and assisted him at Osmaston Manor in Derbyshire.[3] In 1847 he laid out the Italian Garden at Tatton Park, Cheshire, which had been designed by Paxton.[4] When Paxton re-erected The Crystal Palace in Penge Park, Sydenham in 1852, Milner was appointed as the superintendent of works. He also worked for Paxton in creating the People's Park, Halifax for Francis Crossley.[3]
Independent career
From the mid-1850s, Milner worked as an independent landscape gardener. He received commissions for work in England and Wales, including designing three public parks in Preston, Lancashire.[3] These parks were constructed as part of a scheme for relieving unemployment caused by the cotton famine in the 1860s.[5] He also designed gardens in Germany and Denmark. In 1881 he became principal of the Crystal Palace School of Gardening, established by the Crystal Palace Company.[3]
Works as an independent designer
This is an incomplete list.
Location | House/Garden | Details | Date | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|
Llanfairfechan, Conwy | Bryn y Neuadd Hospital | [3][6] | ||
nr Lincoln, Lincolnshire | Hartsholme Hall | For Joseph Shuttleworth, inventor | [3][7][8] | |
Heighington, Lincolnshire | Heighington Hall | For Alfred Shuttleworth, industrialist | [9] | |
nr Matlock, Derbyshire | Stancliffe Hall | For Sir Joseph Whitworth, inventor | [3] | |
Tal-y-Cafn, Conwy | Bodnant Garden (original garden) | For H. D. Pochin, Chemist | [3] | |
Berriew, Powys | Glansevern Hall & Gardens (original walled garden) | For Arthur Davies Owen, 1880 | [3] | |
nr Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire | Rangemore Hall | For M. T. Bass, brewer and philanthropist | [3][10] | |
nr Shaftesbury, Dorset | Iwerne Minster | For G. G. Glyn, Lord Wolverton, Whip and politician | [3] | |
Birmingham, West Midlands | Highbury | For Joseph Chamberlain, statesman | [3][11] | |
Bath | Locksbrook Cemetery | [3] | ||
Dingestow, Monmouthshire | Dingestow Court | For Samuel Bosanquet | [12] | |
Peterborough, Cambridgeshire | Elton Hall | [13] | ||
Halifax, West Yorkshire | Stoney Royd Cemetery | Opened 1861 | [3][14] | |
Halifax, West Yorkshire | People's Park, Halifax | |||
Horsham, West Sussex | Warnham Court | For Sir J. H. Pelly's son, Sir John Pelly (2nd Bt.) | 1864 | [15] |
Preston, Lancashire | Moor Park | Opened 1867 | [3] | |
Preston, Lancashire | Miller Park | Opened 1867 | [3] | |
Preston, Lancashire | Avenham Park | Opened 1867 | [3] | |
Buxton, Derbyshire | Pavilion Gardens | For the Buxton Improvements Company on behalf of the 7th Duke of Devonshire | 1871 | [3][16][17] |
Lincoln, Lincolnshire | Lincoln Arboretum | Opened 1872 | [3][18][19] | |
Bromyard, Herefordshire | Bredenbury Court | c. 1876 | [20] | |
Halifax, West Yorkshire | Shroggs Park | For Colonel Edward Akroyd | Opened 1881 | [21] |
Morpeth, Northumberland | Wallington Hall | A parterre | 1882 | [22] |
Westphalia, Germany | Wildpark Dülmen | For the House of Croÿ | [23] | |
Westphalia, Germany | Schloss Anholt, Borken | For the mediatised Prince of Salm-Salm | [3] | |
Denmark | Knutenborg Park | For Count E. C. Knuth | [3] | |
Belgium | Château Miranda | For the Liedekerke-Beaufort family | 1866 | [3] |
Personal life
In 1844 he married Elizabeth Mary Kelly of Liverpool with whom he had 11 children. The family moved to Norwood, London, and later to Dulwich Wood Park. Milner appointed his son Henry Ernest as his principal assistant.[3] Edward Milner founded the garden design and landscape architecture firm of Milner-White.[24] He died at his home in 1884 leaving an estate valued at slightly over £8,000 (£890,000 today).[3][25]
References
- "advertisement placed by F. K. J. Shenton and Edward Milner". The Spectator: 1524. 23 November 1883.
- Desmond, Ray, ed. (1994). Dictionary of British and Irish Botanists and Horticulturists. CRC Press. p. 490. ISBN 9780850668438.
- Elliott, Brent (2004), "Milner, Edward (1819–1884)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, archived from the original on 24 September 2015, retrieved 14 July 2013 ((subscription or UK public library membership required))
- Groves, Linden (2004). Historic Parks & Gardens of Cheshire. Ashbourne: Landmark. p. 64. ISBN 1-84306-124-4.
- Hunt, David (1992). A History of Preston. Preston: Carnegie. pp. 210–212. ISBN 978-0-948789-67-0.
- "Bryn-y-neuadd". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 18 June 2010. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
- "Hartsholme Park". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
- Historic England. "Hartsholme Park (Grade II) (1000984)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
- White, William. History, Gazetteer and Directory of Lincolnshire, and the City and Diocese of Lincoln. W. White, 1872, ed. 3, p.648
- "Rangemore Hall". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
- "Highbury Hall and Park". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
- "Dingestow Court". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 15 February 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
- "Elton Hall". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
- "Stoney Royd Cemetery, Halifax". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
- "Warnham Court". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
- "Buxton Pavilion Gardens". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
- Historic England. "Pavilion Gardens, Buxton (Grade II*) (1000675)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
- "Lincoln Arboretum". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
- Historic England. "Lincoln Arboretum (Grade II) (1000985)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
- "Bredenbury Court". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
- "Shroggs Park, Halifax". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
- "Wallington, Parterre". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
- "Gärten und Parks in Westfalen-LippeGärten in Westfalen - Dülmen, Wildpark". Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
- "Edward Milner". Garden Visit. Archived from the original on 9 July 2008. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
- UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 11 June 2022.