Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Kendrick, James

by Gordon Goodwin

KENDRICK, JAMES, M.D. (1771–1847), botanist, was born at Warrington, Lancashire, on 14 Jan. 1771, and began to practise medicine there at the close of 1793. In his leisure he studied botany and zoology, and was admitted a fellow of the Linnean Society. In 1811 he, with a few friends, established the first literary and scientific institution in Warrington, of which he was chosen vice-president; and in 1838 he joined in the formation of the Warrington Natural History Society, of which he was president at the time of his death. This society flourished, and on 3 June 1848 took the name of the Warrington Museum and Library. Kendrick was also instrumental in founding the Warrington Dispensary. He died at Warrington on 30 Nov. 1847 (Gent. Mag. new ser. xxix. 313–14). Professor Thomas Nuttall named after him the Rhododendron Kendrickii imported into England in 1852 from Bhootan (Annual and Mag. of Nat. Hist. xii. 10). He was intimate with John Howard, the philanthropist, and gave some assistance to Dr. Brown when compiling memoirs of Howard (Kendrick, Warrington Worthies, 2nd edit. pp. 7–8).

His eldest son, James Kendrick (1809–1882), topographer, born at Warrington on 7 Nov. 1809, graduated M.D. at Edinburgh on 1 Aug. 1833. He had a large practice at Warrington, and also cultivated a taste for antiquities. He frequently lectured on local topography and history. Many papers from his pen appeared in the publications of the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire, Chester Archæological Society, the ‘Reliquary,’ and ‘Warrington Guardian.’ In 1853 he became a member of the British Archæological Association. During the same year he published ‘An Account of Excavations made at the Mote Hill, Warrington,’ 8vo, Liverpool, 1853, and ‘Profiles of Warrington Worthies,’ 4to, Warrington, 1853 (2nd edit., 1854), illustrated with silhouette likenesses. He wrote in 1856 an amusing ‘Account of the Loyal Warrington Volunteers of 1798.’ In 1859 he took charge of the antiquities in the Warrington Museum, and added greatly to the collection. He spared neither time nor money in prosecuting the excavations at the Roman station at Wilderspool, near Warrington, which (with Dr. Robson) he thought might be the Condate of Antonine. All the remains discovered there were presented by him to the museum. He increased the value of the gift by compiling in 1872 an excellent ‘Guide Book’ to the collection. After his death his daughter handed over to the museum his fine collection of ecclesiastical and mediæval seals and his bequest of one hundred volumes. To the public library he gave more than three hundred books bearing a Warrington imprint. He died at Warrington 6 April 1882. A memoir of him in the ‘Palatine Note-Book’ (ii. 113–16, 179–80) gives his portrait and a list of his writings, including many contributed to newspapers and antiquarian periodicals. He was married three times. The more important of his other publications are:

1. ‘A Description of two Ancient Chess Men discovered in the Mote Hill, Warrington,’ 1852.
2. ‘A Morning's Ramble in Old Warrington,’ 1855.
3. ‘An Account of Warrington Siege, anno 1643,’ 1856.
4. ‘The Warrington Blue Coat School Exposure, and its Beneficial Results,’ 1868.
5. ‘Memorials of the late Dr. Robson of Warrington, by William Robson and Dr. Kendrick.’

[Warrington Advertiser, 8 and 15 April 1882; Manchester Guardian, 11 April 1882; Journal of Brit. Archæolog. Assoc. xxxviii. 337–8.]

G. G.