Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Marnock, Robert
MARNOCK, ROBERT (1800–1889), landscape gardener, was born on 12 March 1800 at Kintore, Aberdeenshire. In early life he was gardener at Bretton Hall, Yorkshire. In 1834 he laid out the Sheffield Botanic Garden, and was appointed the first curator. He subsequently was for a time in business as a nurseryman at Hackney, but after laying out the garden of the Royal Botanic Society in the inner circle of Regent's Park, he became curator of that garden about 1840. Thenceforward Marnock took rank as one of the leading landscape gardeners of the day. His style was that generally called 'natural' or 'picturesque,' while his work was not only sound and severely economical, but far in advance of the prevailing order in purity of taste. He was a succesaful manager of the Botanical Gardens exhibitions in Regent's Park until be relinquished his post there in 1862. He practised as a landscape gardener from that date until 1879, when he retired in favour of his assistant, J. F. Meston. On this occasion his admirers gave him his portrait by Wiegmann, and a painting of one of his works, together with an address written by Canon (now Dean) Hole, one of the committee. His work for Prince Demidoff at San Donato, near Florence, in 1852, added greatly to his reputation, and to the increasing taste for English gardening on the continent. His chief designs are those at Greenlands, Henley-on-Thames, for the Right Hon. W. H. Smith; at Hampstead, for Sir Spencer Wells; at Possingworth, Sussex, for Mr. Lewis Huth; Western Park, Sheffield; Park Place, Henley; Taplow Court; Eynsham Hall; Sopley Park; Montague House, Whitehall; Blythwood, near Taplow, for Mr. George Hanbury; Brambletye, near East Grinstead, for Mr. Donald Larnach; and Leigh Place, near Tonbridge, for Samuel Morley. His last public work in England was the Alexandra Park at Hastings, laid out in 1878. He continued to give professional advice in landscape gardening until the spring of 1889. His last private garden was that of Sir Henry Peek at Rousden, near Lyme Regis, completed in 1889.
Mamock died at Oxford and Cambridge Mansions, London, on 16 Nor. 1889. In accordance with his desire, his body, after a religious service, was cremated at Woking, and the remains deposited at Kensal Green on 21 Nov.
From 1836 to 1841 Marnock was editor of the monthly 'Horticultural Magazine,' and for several years, commencing with 1845, he edited the weekly 'United Gardeners' and Land Stewards' Journal.' With Richard Deakin he wrote the first volume of 'Florigraphia Britannica, or Engravings and Descriptions of the Flowering Plants and Ferns of Britain,' 8vo, 1837.
[Gardeners' Chronicle, 29 April 1882 pp. 565, 567 (with portrait), 23 Nov. 1889 p. 588 (with portrait); Gardeners' Mag. 23 Nov. 1889, pp. 741 (with portrait); Times, 21 Nov. 1889.]