Edward Milner

Edward Milner FLS[1][2] (20 January 1819 – 26 March 1884) was an English landscape architect.

Milner's design for Buxton Pavilion Gardens

Early life and career

Edward Milner was born in Darley, Derbyshire, the eldest child of Henry Milner and Mary née Scales. Henry Milner was employed at Chatsworth by William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire, as a gardener and porter. Edward was educated at Bakewell Grammar School and was then apprenticed to Chatsworth's head gardener, Joseph Paxton. In 1841 he continued his studies in Paris at the Jardin des Plantes and returned home to become Paxton's assistant. He worked with Paxton in developing and managing Princes Park, Liverpool and assisted him at Osmaston Manor in Derbyshire.[3] In 1847 he laid out the Italian Garden at Tatton Park, Cheshire, which had been designed by Paxton.[4] When Paxton re-erected The Crystal Palace in Penge Park, Sydenham in 1852, Milner was appointed as the superintendent of works. He also worked for Paxton in creating the People's Park, Halifax for Francis Crossley.[3]

Independent career

From the mid-1850s, Milner worked as an independent landscape gardener. He received commissions for work in England and Wales, including designing three public parks in Preston, Lancashire.[3] These parks were constructed as part of a scheme for relieving unemployment caused by the cotton famine in the 1860s.[5] He also designed gardens in Germany and Denmark. In 1881 he became principal of the Crystal Palace School of Gardening, established by the Crystal Palace Company.[3]

Works as an independent designer

This is an incomplete list.

Location	House/Garden	Details	Date	Refs
Llanfairfechan, Conwy	Bryn y Neuadd Hospital			[3][6]
nr Lincoln, Lincolnshire	Hartsholme Hall	For Joseph Shuttleworth, inventor		[3][7][8]
Heighington, Lincolnshire	Heighington Hall	For Alfred Shuttleworth, industrialist		[9]
nr Matlock, Derbyshire	Stancliffe Hall	For Sir Joseph Whitworth, inventor		[3]
Tal-y-Cafn, Conwy	Bodnant Garden (original garden)	For H. D. Pochin, Chemist		[3]
Berriew, Powys	Glansevern Hall & Gardens (original walled garden)	For Arthur Davies Owen, 1880		[3]
nr Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire	Rangemore Hall	For M. T. Bass, brewer and philanthropist		[3][10]
nr Shaftesbury, Dorset	Iwerne Minster	For G. G. Glyn, Lord Wolverton, Whip and politician		[3]
Birmingham, West Midlands	Highbury	For Joseph Chamberlain, statesman		[3][11]
Bath	Locksbrook Cemetery			[3]
Dingestow, Monmouthshire	Dingestow Court	For Samuel Bosanquet		[12]
Peterborough, Cambridgeshire	Elton Hall			[13]
Halifax, West Yorkshire	Stoney Royd Cemetery		Opened 1861	[3][14]
Halifax, West Yorkshire	People's Park, Halifax
Horsham, West Sussex	Warnham Court	For Sir J. H. Pelly's son, Sir John Pelly (2nd Bt.)	1864	[15]
Preston, Lancashire	Moor Park		Opened 1867	[3]
Preston, Lancashire	Miller Park		Opened 1867	[3]
Preston, Lancashire	Avenham Park		Opened 1867	[3]
Buxton, Derbyshire	Pavilion Gardens	For the Buxton Improvements Company on behalf of the 7th Duke of Devonshire	1871	[3][16][17]
Lincoln, Lincolnshire	Lincoln Arboretum		Opened 1872	[3][18][19]
Bromyard, Herefordshire	Bredenbury Court		c. 1876	[20]
Halifax, West Yorkshire	Shroggs Park	For Colonel Edward Akroyd	Opened 1881	[21]
Morpeth, Northumberland	Wallington Hall	A parterre	1882	[22]
Westphalia, Germany	Wildpark Dülmen	For the House of Croÿ		[23]
Westphalia, Germany	Schloss Anholt, Borken	For the mediatised Prince of Salm-Salm		[3]
Denmark	Knutenborg Park	For Count E. C. Knuth		[3]
Belgium	Château Miranda	For the Liedekerke-Beaufort family	1866	[3]

Personal life

In 1844 he married Elizabeth Mary Kelly of Liverpool with whom he had 11 children. The family moved to Norwood, London, and later to Dulwich Wood Park. Milner appointed his son Henry Ernest as his principal assistant.[3] Edward Milner founded the garden design and landscape architecture firm of Milner-White.[24] He died at his home in 1884 leaving an estate valued at slightly over £8,000 (£840 thousand today).[3][25]

References

1. "advertisement placed by F. K. J. Shenton and Edward Milner". The Spectator: 1524. 23 November 1883.
2. Desmond, Ray, ed. (1994). Dictionary of British and Irish Botanists and Horticulturists. CRC Press. p. 490. ISBN 9780850668438.
3. Elliott, Brent (2004), "Milner, Edward (1819–1884)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, archived from the original on 24 September 2015, retrieved 14 July 2013 ((subscription or UK public library membership required))
4. Groves, Linden (2004). Historic Parks & Gardens of Cheshire. Ashbourne: Landmark. p. 64. ISBN 1-84306-124-4.
5. Hunt, David (1992). A History of Preston. Preston: Carnegie. pp. 210–212. ISBN 978-0-948789-67-0.
6. "Bryn-y-neuadd". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 18 June 2010. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
7. "Hartsholme Park". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
8. Historic England. "Hartsholme Park  (Grade II) (1000984)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
9. White, William. History, Gazetteer and Directory of Lincolnshire, and the City and Diocese of Lincoln. W. White, 1872, ed. 3, p.648
10. "Rangemore Hall". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
11. "Highbury Hall and Park". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
12. "Dingestow Court". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 15 February 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
13. "Elton Hall". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
14. "Stoney Royd Cemetery, Halifax". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
15. "Warnham Court". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
16. "Buxton Pavilion Gardens". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
17. Historic England. "Pavilion Gardens, Buxton  (Grade II*) (1000675)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
18. "Lincoln Arboretum". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
19. Historic England. "Lincoln Arboretum  (Grade II) (1000985)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
20. "Bredenbury Court". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
21. "Shroggs Park, Halifax". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
22. "Wallington, Parterre". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
23. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
24. "Edward Milner". Garden Visit. Archived from the original on 9 July 2008. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
25. UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 2 February 2020.

Further reading

• Milner, Henry Ernest (1890), The Art and Practice of Landscape Gardening, London: Author and Simkin, Marshall, OCLC 6811280
• Craddock, J.P. (2012), Paxton's Protege, The Milner White Landscape Gardening Dynasty