britains first tree surgeons

[Stephen Blair]

Hi guys, after posting on Matt Butlers pic thread i was wondering if any of you guys knew who were the first tree surgeons in Britain. I have only been in the industry for the last 13 years. Before the internet i had only ever seen a Honey Brothers magazine and been to the APF. From what i have picked up and heard from the peolpe i have met is the first tree surgeons were brothers that were acrobats and out of work, i remember seeing pics of a few guys in what looked like home made climbing gear, spikes aswell and big bow saws and axes standing below huge trees that had been worked on. They were very professional looking and had been using ropes and had done a great job on some huge trees. Can anyone add to this, am i right or wrong or on the right path at least:001_smile:

 

I used to work for a company up here that has been going for about 50 years but i am sure the English companies have been going longer.

[Yve_Clark]

I reckon these guys could easily qualify as Britain's first 'tree surgeons'?? ....back after a break of 400 years.......

 

Beavers born in the wild in Scotland spotted in Argyll | Glasgow and West | STV News

 

(sorry Stevie, couldn't resist posting this )

[John Barleycorn]

No way, what about those ancient (stone age) trackways across the marshes in the Somerset levels clearly built from coppice material.

[Stephen Blair]

nive one yvonne lol backandpack i am talking about guys who dismantled tree close to structures with climbing kit.

[Frank]

nive one yvonne lol backandpack i am talking about guys who dismantled tree close to structures with climbing kit.

 

So........ Nothing like you then Stevie. Haha

[Robert_S]

im sure i seen some pictures that looked victorian era in an A & F warehouse catalogue years ago, the work looked like it was being done in a large estate. they did have ropes tied around there waist.

[NickB]

If you want to know about the early days of arboriculture in the UK then you should not overlook this chap:

 

William Dallimore - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

and see attached photograph, scanned from Tony Kirkham's rewrite of George Brown's 'The Pruning of Trees Shrubs and Conifers' a book that is well worth adding to your library if you do not already have it

Edited August 13, 2010 by NickB

[John Barleycorn]

nive one yvonne lol backandpack i am talking about guys who dismantled tree close to structures with climbing kit.

 

Beavers with climbing kit ?

[bob]

sorry had to delete that was a bit rude:blushing:

Beaver and rope:thumbup:

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I would have thought that being sailor ship builders those guys that built the ships also took the bits of tree they wanted from the kings estates, and sailors have been sitting in a bosons chair for a lot longer than we have, I would not doubt they would have utilised those skills within the tree as they did of the top mast of a ship.

 

i think thats a pretty fair asumption.