For some authors and illustrators of botanical and horticultural periodicals from the 18th and 19th centuries, there is little biographical information available. This includes Henry C. Andrews. As recently as 2017, his date of birth was unknown, as was his full middle name. But careful review of genealogical records, including documents that record both his marriage and his death, show that he was born about 1759, died in 1835, and his middle name was Cranke, instead of Charles as was assumed in earlier biographical references.
There still is nothing known about his place of birth, or little else before he became an active illustrator. In 1797, he began publishing The Botanist’s Repository, the first significant rival to The Botanical Magazine by William Curtis.
Andrews notes in his first volume that Curtis’s work “consists of those well-known common plants, long cultivated in our gardens”. By contrast, his work will include “Coloured Figures of such Plants, as have not Hitherto appeared in any similar publications.” It was also bigger, quarto size or 9.5”x12”.
Unusual for his time, Andrews drew, engraved, printed (in green ink), and colored all his illustrations. The descriptions, both in Latin and English, were for the first five volumes attributed to his father-in-law, John Kennedy, who was a nursery owner, although others possibly contributed. Horticultural information is limited, but more attention is paid to the discovery and introduction of featured plants.
Andrews is perhaps better known for his later work on heaths (Erica species), responding to craze for these South African plants that had gripped the gardening community in England. Regrettably, the Miller Library does not have this work, or his other books on geraniums or roses.
Reviewed by: Brian Thompson on September 15, 2025
Excerpted from the Fall 2025 issue of the Journal of the Book Club of Washington.