Why the South London Botanical Institute?
It enabled him to combine his strong sense of social justice and botany through the idea of using botany as a means of converting “the boy in the gutter” to a love of British plants. Sorry? He believed that if young people from poorer backgrounds had something to interest themselves in, such as plants, then they would not be as likely to turn to crime. Norwood at this time was surrounded by countryside and so local people would have had ready access to wild plants. Did this concept catch on? Sadly not. However, it did spark the development of an active botanical community in South London, with regular visits made to the Botany Department of the NHM. Did Allan Hume found any other Institutions? Yes, in 1883 he co-founded the Indian National Congress Party which led India to Independence in 1947, although sadly he did not live to see India’s Independence. His contribution has been commemorated in a series of Indian postage stamps. What of the South London Botanical Institute now? It now
