Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/Kew

KEW, a village and parish in the county of Surrey, England. The village is pleasantly situated on the south bank of the Thames, 6 miles by road west-south-west of Hyde Park corner. It has communication with London by steamer and by several railway routes. By a stone bridge of seven arches, erected in 1789, it is connected with Brentford on the other side of the river. The village consists chiefly of a row of houses with gardens attached, situated on the north side of a green, to the south of which is the church and churchyard, and at the west the principal entrance to Kew gardens. In the vicinity there are many fine villas. From remains found in the bed of the river near Kew bridge it has been conjectured that the village is an old British settlement. The name first occurs in a document of the reign of Henry VII., where it is spelt Kayhough. The free school originally endowed by Lady Capel in 1721 received special benefactions from George IV., and the title of “the king’s free school.”

The estate of Kew House about the end of the 17th century came into the possession of Lord Capel of Tewkesbury, and in 1721 of Samuel Molyneux, secretary to the prince of Wales, afterwards George II. After his death it was leased by Frederick, prince of Wales, son of George II., and it continued to be the residence of members of the royal family until the estate was purchased about 1789 by George III., who devoted his chief leisure to its improvement. The old house was pulled down in 1802. Dutch House, adjoining Kew House, afterwards sold by Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester, to Sir Hugh Portman, a Dutch merchant, was purchased by George III. as a nursery for the royal children. It is a plain brick structure, and is now known as Kew Palace. The Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew originated in the exotic garden formed by Lord Capel and greatly extended by the princess dowager, widow of Frederick, prince of Wales, and by George III., aided by the skill of the Aitons and of Sir Joseph Banks. In 1840 the gardens were adopted as a national establishment, and transferred to the department of woods and forests. The gardens proper, which originally contained only about 11 acres, have been increased to 75 acres, and the pleasure grounds or arboretum adjoining extend to 270 acres.

A catalogue of the plants in the exotic garden of Kew was published by Dr Hill in 1768, 2d ed. 1769; and in 1789 William Aiton published Hortus Kewensis, in 3 vols. 8vo. See Oliver’s Guide to the Royal Botanic Gardens and Pleasure Grounds, Kew, 26th edition, 1881.