Edward Milner

Milner's design for Buxton Pavilion Gardens

Edward Milner (20 January 1819 – 26 March 1884) was an English landscape architect.

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.[1] In 1847 he laid out the Italian Garden at Tatton Park, Cheshire, which had been designed by Paxton.[2] 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.[1]

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.[1] These parks were constructed as part of a scheme for relieving unemployment caused by the cotton famine in the 1860s.[3] 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.[1]

Works as an independent designer

This is an incomplete list.

Location House/Garden Details Date Refs
Llanfairfechan, Conwy Bryn-y-Neuadd [1][4]
nr Lincoln, Lincolnshire Hartsholme Hall For Joseph Shuttleworth, inventor [1][5][6]
Heighington, Lincolnshire Heighington Hall For Alfred Shuttleworth, industrialist [7]
nr Matlock, Derbyshire Stancliffe Hall For Sir Joseph Whitworth, inventor [1]
Tal-y-Cafn, Conwy Bodnant Garden (original garden) For H. D. Pochin, Chemist [1]
nr Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire Rangemore Hall For M. T. Bass, brewer and philanthropist [1][8]
nr Shaftesbury, Dorset Iwerne Minster For G. G. Glyn, Lord Wolverton, Whip and politician [1]
Birmingham, West Midlands Highbury For Joseph Chamberlain, statesman [1][9]
Bath Locksbrook Cemetery [1]
Dingestow, Monmouthshire Dingestow Court For Samuel Bosanquet [10]
Peterborough, Cambridgeshire Elton Hall [11]
Halifax, West Yorkshire Stoney Royd Cemetery Opened 1861 [1][12]
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 [13]
Preston, Lancashire Moor Park Opened 1867 [1]
Preston, Lancashire Miller Park Opened 1867 [1]
Preston, Lancashire Avenham Park Opened 1867 [1]
Buxton, Derbyshire Pavilion Gardens 1871 [1][14][15]
Lincoln, Lincolnshire Lincoln Arboretum Opened 1872 [1][16][17]
Bromyard, Herefordshire Bredenbury Court c. 1876 [18]
Halifax, West Yorkshire Shroggs Park For Colonel Edward Akroyd Opened 1881 [19]
Morpeth, Northumberland Wallington Hall A parterre 1882 [20]
Westphalia, Germany Wildpark Dülmen For the House of Croÿ [21]
Westphalia, Germany Schloss Anholt, Borken For the mediatised Prince of Salm-Salm [1]
Denmark Knutenborg Park For Count E. C. Knuth [1]
Belgium Miranda Castle For the Liedekerke-Beaufort family 1866 [1]

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.[1] Edward Milner founded the firm of Milner-White which survived until the retirement of Frank Marshall in 1995, at which time it was the oldest garden design and landscape architecture practice in the British Isles.[22] He died at his home in 1884 leaving an estate valued at slightly over £8,000 (£730 thousand today).[1][23]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 Elliott, Brent (2004), "Milner, Edward (1819–1884)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press), retrieved 14 July 2013 ((subscription or UK public library membership required))
  2. ↑ Groves, Linden (2004). Historic Parks & Gardens of Cheshire. Ashbourne: Landmark. p. 64. ISBN 1 84306 124 4.
  3. ↑ Hunt, David (1992). A History of Preston. Preston: Carnegie. pp. 210–212. ISBN 0-948789-67-0.
  4. ↑ "Bryn-y-neuadd". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
  5. ↑ "Hartsholme Park". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
  6. ↑ Historic England. "Hartsholme Park  (Grade II) (1000984)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  7. ↑ White, William. History, Gazetteer and Directory of Lincolnshire, and the City and Diocese of Lincoln. W. White, 1872, ed. 3, p.648
  8. ↑ "Rangemore Hall". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
  9. ↑ "Highbury Hall and Park". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
  10. ↑ "Dingestow Court". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
  11. ↑ "Elton Hall". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
  12. ↑ "Stoney Royd Cemetery, Halifax". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
  13. ↑ "Warnham Court". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
  14. ↑ "Buxton Pavilion Gardens". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
  15. ↑ Historic England. "Pavilion Gardens, Buxton  (Grade II*) (1000675)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  16. ↑ "Lincoln Arboretum". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
  17. ↑ Historic England. "Lincoln Arboretum  (Grade II) (1000985)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  18. ↑ "Bredenbury Court". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
  19. ↑ "Shroggs Park, Halifax". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
  20. ↑ "Wallington, Parterre". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
  21. ↑ http://www.gaerten-in-westfalen.de/die-gaerten-parks/muensterland/wildpark-duelmen
  22. ↑ "Edward Milner". Garden Visit. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
  23. ↑ UK CPI inflation numbers based on data available from Gregory Clark (2014), "What Were the British Earnings and Prices Then? (New Series)" MeasuringWorth.

Further reading