farfel_n01_116_051

(1475-1640) S.T.C Z 2002 p 77 Ref. Rm The first + seconde partes of the herbal lately oversene, with
the third parte: also a book of the bathe of Baeth
4 pts. fol. Colle, [heirs of] A. Birckman.

- This is the most original + critical of the English herbals.
It is obvious that he based much of his herbal an original
observation. Turner was in exile during the reign of
(1553-58) - Mary, which explains why the 2 + 3 rd parts were
printed at Cologne. The dedication of an assembled
edition was dated at Wells, June 24, 1564, but it was
printed at Cologne by A. Birckman for the reason
Pulteney curmised, that Birckman was then owner of
the wood blocks. These were the blocks of the octavo Fuchs
of which Turner used over 400. He added 40 others.
It was Turner who first gave names to many
English plants. His herbal includes scientific
records of 238 native British plants.
His writings were burned + he suffered a turn of
imprisonment during the reign of Henry VIII (1509-47)
Under Edward VI (1547-53) he became Dean of Wells.

Turner was the 1st in Britian to lights his tounchet the flame
of the pioneer herbalists on the continent, and, breaking away
from authority + superstitian, to describe British plants
from his own observation + experience. He was a
religious exile for part of his life + retained a connection
with foreign printers, which explains the imprint of the
herbal. (he returned at Elizabeth's accession in 1559 +
died in London in 1568.)

Nissen - The New Herbal of W. Turner includes the 2st scientific
record of no less than 238 indegenous plants of Gt. Britian