Thomas Johnson was a botanist most notable for his complete reworking of the Herball of John Gerard in 1633 (see RCIN 1057110). Johnson is also known as the ‘father of field botany’ for his encouragement of the practice of travelling and investigating plants growing wild rather than simply observing dried specimens and relying on the accounts of others.
This book, a catalogue of plants encountered on his travels in Kent, was Johnson’s first work on the subject and one of the first of its type to be published in England. The first edition, listing the plants he had observed while on a tour of the country in 1626, was first published in 1629. This enlarged edition was published in 1632 after several other trips to the area. In addition to those found in Kent, both editions included a short appendix listing the plants Johnson had observed on excursions through Hampstead Heath.