Monty Don Reveals Family Tragedy: From Tragic Drowning to Long Standing Feud.

Monty Don has become a beloved household name across the country, thanks to his long-standing role on the popular BBC show Gardeners’ World.

The green-thumbed presenter has graced our screens for decades, sharing expert gardening tips and advice with viewers since 2003.

While Monty has been candid about his personal life over the years, including his health challenges, his family history is equally intriguing.

From deep-rooted family feuds to a surprising connection with the marmalade dynasty, there’s much more to Monty’s story than meets the eye. Discover the fascinating details of his family’s past here…

Monty Don’s links to the invention of marmalade

In 2010, Monty Don appeared on the popular BBC documentary series Who Do You Think You Are?, where he uncovered a fascinating connection to the invention of marmalade through his Scottish ancestors.

Monty’s great-great-great-great-grandmother, Janet Keiller, is credited with creating the orange preserve in the late 18th century. While marmalade existed in a jellied form before, Janet’s use of the orange rind and pulp resulted in the version we know and love today. Her innovation sparked a thriving business empire in Dundee.

She later handed the business over to her son, James, leading to the formation of the iconic brand James Keiller & Sons, which became renowned in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Monty’s heartbreaking family tragedy

In his episode of Who Do You Think You Are?, Monty Don also uncovered a tragic family story involving his great-great-grandfather, Charles Hodge.

Charles, a vicar in Clarborough, Nottinghamshire, was a passenger aboard the Royal Charter, a ship that sank off the coast of Moelfre, Wales, in 1859. He was one of over 400 people who perished in the disaster.

At the time, Charles had been returning to England after reuniting with his estranged wife, Ann, in New Zealand. Ann had emigrated years earlier, leaving behind their nine children to become one of New Zealand’s early settlers.

Reflecting on Charles’ drowning, Monty remarked, “There’s a poignancy about it for me, that he died so close to home. But I don’t know what to make of him. I don’t think I like him, and I’m not proud of him.”

Monty’s family’s 170-year-old feud

Despite Monty Don’s long-standing career in horticulture and his frequent appearances at the Chelsea Flower Show, many fans may be surprised to learn about his family’s 170-year feud with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

The conflict dates back to Monty’s great-great-great-great-grandfather, George Don, the RHS’s first plant hunter.

During his global expeditions to places like the Canary Islands, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Brazil, and New York, George made rare botanical discoveries, which he chose to publish in a rival scientific journal instead of the RHS’s own.

During his travels, George became gravely ill with fever, and two of the marines accompanying him succumbed to the illness. It’s believed that George grew resentful, feeling that his salary was unfairly equal to that of a horticulturist working safely in the UK, despite the dangerous conditions he faced abroad.

Tensions between George Don and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) escalated when George gave a newly discovered pine tree specimen to his brother’s employer instead of the RHS.

Further fueling the rift, George published his botanical findings in a Sierra Leone journal rather than through the RHS.

This led the society to sever ties with him and obtain an injunction preventing him from publishing his work in England.

Reflecting on the family feud at Gardeners’ World Live in 2019, Monty Don said, “George Don fell out with the RHS, and his name was mud. He spoke out about his plant hunting and broke an embargo, and they cut all ties with him.”

However, Monty added that the rift has since been healed. “The RHS invited me to view their plant library. So, they’ve forgiven the Don family now—it only took 170 years.”