walter hacket
Summary
A good description of the state of the Botanic Gardens towards the end of Hackett’s time can be seen in the Echo in October 1929:
“Liverpool Park Which Goes Back 100 Years.
A corner of the Botanic Gardens, Edge Hill, Liverpool, once perhaps the most fashionable and beautiful park on Merseyside. which was constructed 100 years ago. Of late years it has fallen into decay, and has lost much of its former splendor, but it is intended to revive it.”
They lost all their fit young men when they went to off to the First World War. I wonder if any returned to carry on working there?
Between the wars air pollution in the local environment was said to be terrible, with sulphurous smoke from houses, gas works, and railway marshalling yards. There are reports that this was starting to badly affect the mature trees.
No wonder the Committee wanted to move into the leafy Calderstones suburbs.
The twentieth century saw the Gardens being seen for recreation and decorative horticulture. Any pretence at the Science left with the Herbarium and Library.
Prior Experience
Walter was born in 1875 in Halesowen, Worcestershire , the son of Alfred Hackett, a coachman. In 1881 two of his parent’s lodgers were gardeners.
He first becomes visible at Birmingham Botanic Gardens in September 1897, where he “ran the melon yard pits”.
He then entered Kew as a young gardener in September 1897 and can be seen in lodgings at 23 Haverfield Gardens, Kew, with 6 others, of whom 2 were also gardeners at Kew.
In January 1899 he was promoted sub-foreman of the Fernery Department and later transferred to oversee the Tropical Propagating Pits.
In July 1901, on the appointment of, Mr. Watson to succeed George Nicholson as Curator of Kew, Walter was given the then new post of Foreman, and later became Assistant Curator of the Tropical Department.
Arrival
Committee Minutes being researched