THE SURNAME

PLANTAND ITS VARIANTS

By Wm Keith PlantPresident of The Plant Family History Groupwith a contribution by Dr John Plant of KeeleUniversity.

Almost 20,000 living Plantsare now concentratedmostly around the NorthWest Midlands of England.They can be traced back inparticular to two 17th

century clusters. One wasaround the borderlandsbetween East Cheshire andNorth Staffordshire, nearwhere the Plant family isnow mainly found. Theother, which has sincediminished, was on theSouth Lincolnshire coastjust North of Norfolk andThe Wash.

The two 17th centuryclusters can be related backto 13th century records. Thename Plente is known tohave occurred by 1219 inOxford and Kent and both itand its variants, Plaunte, co-exist in Norfolk around1270. The name Plantappears near Chester by1301 and Plante in Kent by1303.

By the late 14th century, thedialect spelling Plont isknown to have been wellestablished in its mainsubsequent homeland ofEast Cheshire’s border withStaffordshire and NorthDerbyshire.

So how did the nameoriginate? Up to quiterecent times the acceptedtheory was that the name ofPlant is a metonymic for agardener or planter ofvarious plants. However,that theory is now underserious re-consideration. In

recent issues of the PlantFamily History Journal, ‘Rootsand Branches’, Dr John Plantof Keele University hashighlighted a ‘soul implant’meaning and alternatively aconnection to the Plantaganetname. This alternative theoryis consistent with the findingthat early PL(A/E)NT(E)records are largely in proximityto land of the WarrenPlantaganet earls of Surrey,who derived from theillegitimate half-brother,Hamelyn, of Henry II. Thoughthe line of these Surrey earlsended in 1347 their illegitimatedescent settled near Stockport,Cheshire where there is thenevidence for the Plant name inits subsequent homeland ofEast Cheshire and immediatelyto the south in NorthStaffordshire. For years mygrandfather and my fathercarried around with them acopy of an article publishedearly in the last century statingthat the Plants had royalancestory. As children, mybrother and I used to think ‘O!not again’ whenever they tookthis paper out of their walletclaiming Royal descent.Perhaps we should have been abit more respectful.

Subsequently, probably theneed to find work, caused thePlants to migrate southwardsand certainly by the eighteenthcentury they were very wellestablished in the Potteries andthe Black Country.

At least eight companies withthe Plant name were connectedwith the Pottery industry

through the 19th century, thoughby the end of the century onlyone was still in production. Themost famous of thesecompanies was RH & SL Plant(Ltd.), Tuscan Works, Longton,who continued producing FineEnglish Bone China up to themid ‘1960’s’ when thecompany was taken over byJosiah Wedgewood & Sons.

Some thirty miles SouthWest of the Potteries, is DudleyPort, where for the whole of thesecond half of the 19th centuryPlant and Fishers manufacturedrolled bars, hoop iron, strip,rivet iron, horseshoe iron, smallsections and angles under thebrands PF (separated by adrawing of an elephant) andPLANT’S (followed by theelephant drawing). The firmwas typical of the area, havingits own brand, (as all the better-class companies did,) andspecialising in a particularrange of products. At one timethe company had 20 puddlingfurnaces and four mills.

Another example of Plantentrepreneuship in the samearea and at about the same timeis a Robert Plant of Cheadle,Staffordshire.

A MAP SHOWING THE REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE SURNAME PLANT(As at the end of the 19th Century)

Middle

Surrey 180

Lancs 648 – 9.7%

Cheshire 544 – 8.1%

Staffs 2413– 36%

Shropshire 224

Worcester 222

Warwick 252

Hig

Hig

Me

Total number of Plants = 6697Highest concentration – Staffordshire 36%

Early Staffordshire examplesInclude

John Plant baptised17 Aug 1634 – Fould

Marjorita Plant baptised19 Aug 1638 - Leek

Early Cheshire examplesInclude

Edward Plant bornC 1565 – SiddingtonRandle Plant baptised

15 Mar 1600 – Gawsworth

Durham 123

Yorkshire 433– 6.5%

Derby 328

Leics 171

Lincoln 103

hest concentration

h concentration

dium concentration

Early Derbyshire ExampleInclude

Anthony Plant baptised15 Nov 1648 – Great

LongstoneJohn Plant baptised

15 May 1582 – Repton

Suffolk 206

Early Lancashire ExamplesInclude

Laurence Plant baptised23 Nov 1656 – Bury

Gulelmas Plant baptised12 June 1643

sex 286

Early Yorkshire examplesInclude

Eliz. Plant baptised6 June 1665 – Sherburn in

ElmetMary Plant baptisedMar. 1680 - Grinton

Born in 1840 in Cheadle,Robert was an enterprisingyoung man and, by the ageof sixteen, was inpartnership with his elderbrother, James, running twocollieries, one at Cheadleand the other at Ipstones.The following year thepartnership was dissolvedand at the age of seventeenRobert was in total chargeof two collieries.

Over the next twenty yearsRobert’s empire extendedwith the purchase of othercollieries until the majorityof collieries in the Cheadlearea were under his control.

One of Robert’s enterprises,The Cheadle Coalfield, wasby now playing animportant part in thecommercial life ofStaffordshire. The problemwas that it was ratherisolated and the NorthStaffordshire Railway Co.,was not prepared toconstruct a branch line intoCheadle. Robert Plantformed a carrying companyand used a Steam TractionEngine to tow two waggonsloaded with coal. Thisenterprise proved to be ofinestimable value but urbandistricts, such as Leek, were

dismayed to find theircobbled streets being

damaged. Consequently thetraction engines were banned.Robert had to think again andhis answer was a railway. Anew company was formed andby 1879 Parliamentary sanctionhad been obtained. However,this company failed due to lackof financial support and it wasnot until 1889 that a railwaywas finally opened.

Robert’s standing in the townthrough the 1870’s can beillustrated by two events. In1872 Robert, still only 32, wasgiven a Testimonial Dinner bythe town and in October 1874,when Robert opened his newBirches Colliery, a ceremony,to surpass any other eventpreviously held, was arranged.The schools and shops wereclosed and the day declared ageneral holiday. TheStaffordshire Sentinel reportedthe event in full running tosome four thousand words.

Following these days of glory,Robert’s life began to godownhill. In 1881 his BirchesColliery ran into seriousgeological difficulties whichcaused its closure. Robert hadborrowed large sums of moneyand he filed a petition ofbankruptcy. Undeterred by theset-back Robert set up TheCheadle Railway, Minerals and

Land Co., in an effort to bringthe Railway into Cheadle.

However, by this time Roberthad lost his touch,underestimating the difficultiesin driving a tunnel through theintervening hillside.

More failures followed and heleft the district to live inLondon where he died in 1902aged 62. It was ironic that hiscoffin was brought to Cheadlein the Railway for which he hadfought so long and hard. Hismemory is retained in Cheadlefor there is still a Plant Street.

Four thousand miles awayfrom Cheadle another railwayengineer, Henry Bradley Planthad not just a street named afterhim but a city, Plant City ofFlorida, U.S.A.

In 1883 Henry Bradley Plantcompleted a cross-state railroadfrom Sanford to Tampa runningthrough what is now the heartof the city. The FloridaRailway and NavigationalCompany extended a North-South line through Plant City in1889 establishing the city as avital transportation centre.

Henry Bradley Plant

Henry Bradley Plant wasdescended from John Plant ofBranford, Connecticut, whowas a soldier in theNarragonnett War. TheConnecticut General Assembleyin October 1696 bestowed onthe ‘English Volunteers’ in thisstruggle, a tract of territory sixsquare miles, to be divided

amongst them, this tractbearing the name ofVoluntown.

The Narrogonnett War hadended in 1676 and the nameof John Plant appears on therecords of the town ofBranford 1677 when a lot oftwo acres was granted tohim on condition that heshould build upon it withinthree years.

A descendant of this family,David Plant born 1783, theson of Solomon Plant was,for a period, Governor ofConnecticut.

Persons bearing thename of Plant moved fromthe UK to America at anumber of different timesand established themselvesin different areas of thecountry. The earliest ofthese was Humphrey Plant,who arrived in the Margaretfrom England in the autumnof 1619 and was among thethirty five original settlersof the town of Berkeley, onthe James River in Virginia.On 24th July 1635 MatthewPlant was enrolled in the listof passengers to sail forVirginia on the Assurancefrom Gravesend. A littlelater, in 1642, it is recordedthat William Plant died on aplantation in Virginia.

In 1722 a Rev., MatthiasPlant entered upon hisministry in Queen Anne’sChapel at Newbury, NewHampshire. Later in the

century (1785) a Samuel Plantmoved from Macclesfield,England settling in Bostonbefore moving to St Louis in1837. Samuel, who was acotton worker in Macclesfield,was sent to America by hisuncle, a Mr Haigh who was amanufacturer of woollen goodsin Leeds, England. Samuelappears to have been joined byhis brothers, moved to St Louisand in 1840 one of his sons,George P Plant, founded thefirst Plant Flour mill, thiscompany becoming a largegroup and continuing under thecontrol of the Plant family forthree generations.

Prior to the founding of theflour mill George P Plant hadbeen a pioneer railroad builderin the Middle West where hebuilt a railway between Napleson the Illinois river toMeredosia, forty miles to theeast.

From a photograph taken about 1807.

The first Plant flour mill,started in July, 1840, atFranklin Ave., and Fifth St.,(Broadway).

A further example of Plantenterprise, but this time muchnearer home, occurred in 1828when William Plant establisheda wood-turning business inStockport, Cheshire. The 1841Census shows that the businesswas mainly concerned with themanufacture of Hat Blocks.

Following a short period in theearly 1850’s when he went tolive in Utica, U.S.A., WilliamPlant, on his return to the UK,re-located the business inManchester.

The firm continued to prosperdespite the poor workingconditions – no heating. It wassaid that you had to work hardto keep warm. However, withthe decline in the wearing ofhats, business levels constantlyreduced and the companyclosed in 1976. The finalowner, Walter Plant, was stillworking in the factory when hewas 91.

Following the company’sclosure, the equipment wastaken over by StockportCorporation and now forms partof the Hat Museum recentlyopened in Stockport. WhenPlant’s closed it was the last hatblock making company in theNorth of England.

The Plant family and the Goldfields of Queensland Australia

The name of Plant featuresprominently in thedevelopment of thegoldfields of Queensland,Australia; principally twobrothers, Edmund HarrisThornburgh Plant andCharles Frederick Plant.

Charles Frederick Plant wasborn in 1843 and Edmund1844 at Nottingham. Afteran initial three year visit tothe U.S.A., and the collapseof their father’s business,the two brothers set sail forQueensland in late 1861arriving early in 1862.

Over the next ten yearsEdmund (and presumablyCharles, though this is notknown for certain) gainedconsiderable miningexperience in the goldfieldsof Peak Down, Four MileCreek, Monarch andRockhampton beforemoving northwards to thenewly discoveredRavenswood field. Heerected the first ore crushingmill in 1870 and was aboutto launch into a remarkablecareer in NorthernQueensland.

In 1871 gold wasdiscovered at ChartersTowers by threeprospectors, J Fraser, G EClarke and Hugh Mosman.Edmund immediatelymoved his activities toCharters Towers, setting upa Stamp Mill and a largetailing mill which processedsome 40,000 tons of tailingsover a six year period.

Prior to the discovery ofgold, the area around whatis now Charters Towersgave no hint of the wealthstored beneath its surface.

The mounds of bouldergranite rising up from thesurrounding undulating,thickly wooded countrywere in the midst of aloveliness broken only byan occasional tribe ofwandering natives andexplorers. A number ofsmall settlements hadbecome established butgenerally the area had notbeen explored and one ofthe richest gold-bearingdistricts in Australia was formany years a rough tip withthe gold-laden surface stonewhich the early prospectorsfound lying scattered inprofusion.

The gold fields at ChartersTowers were not Edmund’sonly interest and he wasinvolved in the mining ofcopper, tin and wolfran etc.In addition he owned anumber of cattle stations.

In 1886 the miningactivities were sold to theBonnie Dundee Co., withEdmund continuing asManaging Director.

Two years later EdmundPlant and his family spenttwelve months visitingEngland and on his return toCharters Towersconstruction commencedon the families new home,Thornburgh House. It wassited on Plant Ridgeadjoining the BonnieDundee Mill.

The Charters Towers fieldpeaked in 1899 and despiteattempts to extend its life bydeep mining the outputcontinued to decline and by1920 all but one major minehad closed.

Edmund Plant wasconsidered to be a drivingforce in the development ofthe mining industry. A self-taught mining engineer, apractical miner andprocessor, a perceptivecourageous invester, hehelped prolong the period ofprosperity of the gold fields.

Hon. E H T Plant

He died in 1926 and wasdescribed as, quiet,unassuming, rather solitary,modest, tolerant andgenerous.

Thornburgh House

Mr & Mrs Edmund Plantand Daughter

The house in ChartersTowers still stands todayand is the centerpiece of aschool established in 1919by the Methodist andPresbytarian Church as aboarding school.

The Diary of John Plant of Hazzlewood Farm, Leekfrith, North Staffordshire 1849 to 1853.

Extracts 21 August 1853 to30 August 1853 coveringhis visit to the Isle of Man.

August

21 We did not go toChappell today I waspreparing for myjourney. Maria [hisniece] lent me 4sevrens.

22 I started to the Isle ofMan with Mr Pimlot atRushton Station wewent to Macclesfieldby rail faire in 2nd classcarriage. 1s1d so on toManchester faire 2s3dso on to Liverpoolfaire 4d. We had MrWilliam Nixonscompany. We stayedall night at Mrs Yatesin Bayron Street No.10 today.

23 I and Mr Pimlot went onboard the Twindale for theIsle of Man we were incabin fair 6s6d. We landedat Douglas at 6 o’clock aftera fine sail she was asteamer. We got lodgingswith T Gobins No. 68 StBarnebas Square today.

24 I and Mr Pimlot sailedround the island in a Benme nee steamer the fair 2swe had a fine saile we seedall the sea view nearRamsey and we counted110 vessels of various sizesthey were fishing the castanchor and took a cargo offish of various sorts andsizes to Douglas today

25 I went with Mr Pimlot tobathe high wind and roughsea windy.

26 We walked about Douglasand vicinity today.

28 I and Mr Pimlot went to StBarnabas Church Douglastoday.

29 I and Mr Pimlot embarkedon board the steamerTwindel Douglas forLiverpool. We had a dealof sickness on board andone death. Fine day welanded at Liverpool at 3o’clock and got out teaMrs Yates and lookedthrough derby Museum westayed the night at MrsYates. Mrs Yates wentwith us to the museum.

30 We returned fromLiverpool by first train gothome by 2 o’clock.

What is a Behinder?

Included in the 1881 Censusfor Neath, Wales was thefollowing entry.

Thomas Plant – occupation– Behinder in Tin Works.

So what was a behinder?

Before the present modernhigh speed, high-tech strip-mills, tinplate was made insmall mills known as'handmills'. There wereliterally dozens of these millsin this neighbourhood and therest of South Wales, withLlanelli - being known as"Tinopolis".

Tinplate is the result of coatinga very thin steel plate with tin .

To produce the thin steel plate, asteel bar of approximately ahalf-inch thickness was heatedin a furnace and then passedseveral times through the 'nip' ofthe steel rolls in a handmill.Each time the red-hot steel platewas passed through the mill, itsthickness would be reduceduntil eventually it reached thethickness required by thecustomer. This process is bestimagined by visualising tworolls under pressure as in an old-fashioned clothes wringer. Thedrive power for the mill wasprovided by a steam engine. (orsometimes water wheel.)

Each mill was operated by ateam of four or five men and thework was extremely arduous.The man in charge of the teamwas the "Rollerman" and he

stood in front of the mill and fedthe red-hot steel bar into therolls using hand-held tongs. Asstated previously, to reduce thethickness of the plate to thatrequired, it had to be passedseveral times through the mill.To facilitate this, behind the millstood another team memberwhose job it was to 'catch' theoutcoming plate put through bythe rollerman and , again usingtongs, pass it back to therollerman over the top of therolls for the next pass. Thisprocess would continue until theplate was thin enough for thecustomer’s order.

Yes - you've guessed it - theman behind the mill was calledthe 'BEHINDER' !!

WEB SITE

The Plant Family HistoryGroup Web Site can bevisited onhttp://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/cc/help

desk/plants informationavailable includes details onhow to join, Origin of theName, distribution of thename, articles in journals,members interests andcontacts etc.

The Plant Family History Group

Formed in 1990, as a world-wide group with, in addition to the UK, members in U.S.A., Canada,Australia and New Zealand. A twice yearly journal is published. In 1999 a reunion was held attendedby over 60 members, this reunion including a series of lectures, a tour of areas in Staffordshireassociated with Plant name followed by dinner in the evening.

The Plant Family History Group Reunion June 1999

There are not many Plants with military,clerical or literary connections. There maincontribution to the development of the UK,America and Australia being in themanufacturing industry, particularly throughthe 18th, 19th and 20th century.

In addition to the enterprises previouslyoutlined, Plants were also involved in theButton manufacturing industry in Birmingham,in engineering as a machine maker inGloucester, and as brush makers inWolverhampton. Relaxation wasn’t forgottenand ‘Plant Ales’ became very well known inthe Black Country hostelries. (The BlackCountry Museum still has a sign advertising‘Plants’ Ales).

For all their hard work the Plants were notwithout character and one Richmond WarwickPlant widely known as ‘Stinking Herrings’became well known during one of CradleyHeaths flamboyant decades in the 19th century.Richmond was a fish monger and earned hisnickname from travelling the streets with hisfish-cart, shouting ‘Stinking Herrings’.

To add to his image he wore a Four-pennywaistcoat with a number of four-penny piecessown down the front of the tunic.

However, Plants will be rememberd for theirenterprise principally in building railways. Richmond Warwick Plant