From Blooms to Scandal: The Curious Tale of George Thurtell

June 13, 1832

It was on this day that George Thurtell held his impressive ranunculus show as part of the Norfolk and Norwich Horticultural Society.

It was said that Thurtell had exhibited between 700 and 800 blooms; including 360 varieties. They were preeminent in beauty, variety, color, form, and size.

George was no stranger to horticultural excellence.

In 1829, at the inaugural meeting of the Norfolk and Norwich Horticultural Society, he contributed "splendid specimens" of pears and apples, including Union, Pitmaston Nonpareils, Golden Gloucester, and Court of Wick Pippins, alongside "very fine white Spanish onions."

By 1831, his reputation had grown sufficiently for a local publication to report that he "exhibited a bed of Tulips this season, which has attracted the attention of most of the lovers of flowers in the neighbourhood."

The report described "about 300 specimens... collected in one parterre, and for symmetry of shape, and brilliancy of colour, 'have scarcely if ever been equalled.'" The same account praised his "abundance of Strawberries, of good size and rich flavour, Mushrooms, and very fine Cucumbers."

Fourteen years after his ranunculus show, Thurtell was fined for horse-whipping a journalist on April 30, 1846.

The victim was a Mr. Riches of St. George Colegate, correspondent for the Daily News, who had committed the offense of prematurely reporting the death of Thurtell's father alongside "a private communication respecting one of Mr. Thurtell's sons." Discovering this erroneous obituary, Thurtell became so incensed that upon encountering the unfortunate journalist in the Market Place, he administered what was described as a "severe chastisement" with his whip. The Norwich Police Court, finding the published paragraph "highly improper" (particularly as the elder Thurtell remained alive, if unwell), imposed upon the irate gardener the nominal fine of one shilling.

Two years later, in January 1848, Thurtell—described as appearing "like a dying man"—stood before the Norfolk Quarter Sessions at Norwich and pled guilty to stealing from a house where he was living as the gardener.

The court learned that Thurtell, while employed as a landscape gardener by Mr. Edward Farrar of Sporle-with-Palgrave, had been "treated as a member of the family, living and lodging in the house, and receiving six guineas a week." Yet despite this generous arrangement (and a small annuity left by his father), Thurtell had systematically pilfered valuable property from his benefactor.

When authorities searched his premises, they discovered not only Mr. Farrar's missing possessions but also "a very large variety of silver plate, wearing apparel, bedclothes, boots, fancy boxes, cigars, articles of vertu, silk pocket-handkerchiefs with names picked out, coats, pocket-books, reading books, and other things supposed to have been stolen from various persons."

The 47-year-old Thurtell—son of Alderman Thurtell (formerly mayor and sheriff of Norwich) and brother to the notorious criminal John Thurtell (executed at Hertford for the murder of Mr. Weare)—was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment with hard labor.

He died on July 26th of that same year, before completing his sentence.