I was asked to write a heraldically correct description of the coat of arms of Sir George Gery Milner-Gibson Cullum of Hardwick House, 8th and last Baronet. The West Suffolk Hospital is now on the site of the old Hardwick House. With such a name one could guessed that it would not be an easy task. However, it was finally done from a book plate in an original copy (one of 230) of The History and Antiquities of Hawsted and Hardwick in the County of Suffolk by The Rev. Sir John Cullum, Bart, F.R.S. & F.S.A. (2nd Edition, 1813).

This book showed the amazing width of interest and work done by Sir John. In addition to family and church history he covered the geology and natural history around Bury St Edmunds, the farming, and much more.

He first briefly lists the trees, and comments on the large size of some Wild Cherry (Prunus avium). Apple orchards apparently thrived well, and: “cider is sometimes made, but not excellent”. He then gives this charming introduction to the other vegetation:-

“To these more majestic productions of vegetation is subjoined a list of those of more humble growth. Some of them are medicinal; some rare; and a few of them perhaps so common as to be found in all parts of the kingdom. Whatever they be they form part of that gay robe with which the earth is vested; and although we may not be able to discover all their uses, at least they are too beautiful and various to be trampled on unheeded.”

He lists 48 local plants, with five more in an appendix. They were mainly flowering plants, but included seven non-flowering. I checked a sample of 25 from the list against Simpson’s Flora of Suffolk and was surprised to find that 48% had been recorded in Suffolk for the first time by Sir John. Most were easily recognised, with little change in common name and I was pleasantly surprised how few scientific names had changed. However, Sir John’s Earth Nut Bunium flexuosum has become Earthnut or Pignut Conopodium majus (Gouan, Loret) and his Water Hemlock (Phellandrium aquaticutum) is now Hemlock (Conium maculatum L.), and there may be other taxonomic changes.

I had hoped to find some local common names new to me but Simpson gives most of those used by Sir John. Campanula trachelium L. was an exception, called “Great Throatwort” by Sir John and “Nettle-leaved Bellflower” or “Bats-in-the-Belfry'” by Simpson. This is a good demonstration of the importance of scientific names for I found that Figwort (Scrophularia nodosa L.) was also once known as “Throatwort” (see Culpeper).

Sir John’s non-flowering plants included Rough Horsetail (Equisetum hyemale), to which he also gave the name “Shave-grass”, four species of fern and two fungi, the Morel (Phallus esculentus), now Morchella esculenta, and the Crimson Cup Peziza ( Peziza coccinea) which Roger Phillips calls the Scarlet Elf Cup (Sarcoscypha coccinea Fr., Lamb), although he gives Peziza as a synonym. Sir John gives an excellent description of the soils at Hawstead, and writes: “In both these strata are found small snake stones (Helmintholithus Ammonites), crow-stones (Helmintholithus Gryphites), and small irregular fragments of chalk almost as hard as limestone”. I would be most grateful for an explanation of this statement. Unfortunately local birds are not listed, and only one received a mention , “The Land Rail, that scarce and delicate bird, is found here (Pinford End) in autumn.” Finally, and surprisingly, he ends the chapter on natural history with a comment on the high level of infant mortality in the parish, one in six infants dying under two years of age. The book also describes a seven foot stone statue of a urinating giant (fed from a nearby pond), placed in front of Hardwick House to amuse Queen Elizabeth 1st , and a lot more fascinating local history.

I can only echo the comment by the printer that “Sir John Cullum was a profound Antiquary, a good Natural Historian and an elegant Scholar; the ‘History of Hawsted’ sufficiently evinces.” Few could hold down a ‘day job’ and write such a book today.