Dates of purchase of Mark Catesby’s <i>Natural history of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama islands</i> , parts 1–9 (1729–1739), by Spencer Compton, Lord Wilmington ( <i>c</i> .1674–1743)

The early eighteenth-century politician Lord Wilmington ( c.1674–1743) is little-known for his keen gardening interests. But the fruit trees, exotics and succulents he reared in his garden at Chiswick were much admired in his time. Recent discoveries in his archive at Chatsworth House reveal that as well as collecting rare plants he formed a substantial horticultural library and kept up with the latest natural history and botanical publications. The records of his subscriptions to Mark Catesby’s Natural history of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama islands – he died before the last two parts were published – are significant as the only known dates of purchase by any of Catesby’s subscribers.