John Ystumllyn, Wales and the first rose named after a Black Gardiner
Wales celebrated its most famous gardiner in style by naming a rose after him. The twist? John Ystumllyn was black.,
John Ystumllyn (born c. 1738, died 1786) was a Welsh gardener become one of the most respected Welsh gardeners in history. who received the world’s first rose breed named after him
He would later John’s work with cultivating roses was not limited to his home country. He also travelled abroad to help other countries grow their own rose crops, including Albania and Denmark.
He likely ended up in Wales as part of the slave trade though John was no slave in the traditional sense of the term. He was described himself as a very free man who switched jobs whenever he desired. As a result of his innate skill in horticulture, he was never out of employment for long.
Early in his life the Wynn family took him to their Ystumllyn estate in Criccieth, (now a grade 2 listed building,) where he was baptised and given the Welsh name John Ystumllyn. He was the first well-documented black person of his time to dwell in the region, and he made history. He was raised on the estate and locals helped him in learning English and Welsh while he was here. In the estate garden, he learnt about horticulture and handicraft, both of which he already possessed some natural ability. He was employed on the estate as a gardener.
A black person in 18th-century Wales was not unheard of, but seeing one was out of the usual at the time. Britain was, of course, involved in the trans-Atlantic slave trade at the period, and thus his origins are blurred. However, keeping a black servant was formerly fashionable among society aristocracy, and it is probably clear that this is how a young John Ystumllyn came to be stationed at a rural home in Gwynedd.
John Ystumllyn was controversially known as “Jack Black” or “Jac Ddu” in the Welsh language at the time. It’s likely that John wasn’t his his given name.
John was considered a handsome man and the attention of many local ladieds. He married a local woman, Margaret Gruffydd, a maid at the Ystumllyn estate, The couple had seven children, five of whom lived to adulthood.
In later years, his son worked as a huntsman on the Glynllifon estate, which is located near Caernarfon. He died of unknown causes and was buried in St Cynhaearn’s Church on 2 July 1786
200 years later and finally a plant fit for the man is unveiled in the form of a new rose.
Originally from Hertfordshire, the rose was cultivated by Harkness Roses, which is also responsible for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee rose, which will be released in 2022 and will be named after her. Campaigners think that the rose is also the first in the United Kingdom to be named after an ethnic minority individual.
We wanted to create a rose that does justice to the story of John Ystumllyn and that anybody in the country could easily grow, whether in a garden or in a pot on the patio. The John Ystumllyn Rose is a Hybrid Tea. It grows to 80cm tall and 60 cm wide. The flower itself is a beautiful golden yellow variety that doesn’t fade, it starts flowering early and goes on to the first frosts and has a lovely scent to it. We chose yellow because it conveys warmth and is associated with friendship. Even if some people do not garden themselves, we hope this rose will brighten up homes”.
Harkness Roses
Harkness Roses have been breeding and cultivating over 200 types of magnificent British Roses for more than 140 years. Celebrated for their astonishing beauty, delicious smell and repeat blossoming flowers, their roses have been ever-present in Britain’s gardens for decades. Browse their vast choice of award-winning bare root and potted roses that are sure to enhance any patio or garden.