John Veitch

Who was John Veitch?

John Veitch was the founder of the Veitch horticulture dynasty who created the Exeter based firm of Veitch Nurseries.

Veitch was born in Ancrum, near Jedburgh, Scotland, but left Scotland at an early age and walked to London to seek employment and his fortune. He found employment with the nursery business, Lees of Hammersmith on a wage of eight shillings a week. He then moved to Devon, to take up employment with Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, 7th Baronet at Killerton House, Broadclyst. As well as making the most of the superb natural features at Killerton, Veitch had paths and borders added and made full use of the gentle south facing slope and sheltered aspect. He quickly became the agent for the Acland Estate and had established his first nursery at Budlake, near Killerton, by 1800.

Sir Thomas died in 1785, and work on Killerton House had fallen into abeyance. Veitch carried on his flourishing business as a landscape consultant and tree contractor, and in 1800, he became firmly established as a nurseryman following an order for trees to the value of £1,212.