William Loudon  Gardener

John Claudius said ‘I will speak about the man whose name we all bear, my father. Before his sudden death in 1809, I was fortunate to share a house with him for two years, at Wood Hall. During that time he spoke about his life in a way he had never done at home. I didn’t make notes. But as nearly as I can remember this is what he said to me.’ This is a quote from The Claudians: gardens, landscapes, reason and faith: John Claudius Loudon and Claudius Buchanan, Tom Turner (Kindle, 2024). 

More about William Loudon 

The known facts about William Loudon are as follows: 

1. He was born in Mid Calder
2. He was employed as a gardener at Woodhouselee estate near Glencorse.
3. He leased Kerse Hall near Gogar. To do this he must have had money and knowledge.
4. He was living in Wood Hall, Pinner when he died.
5. The tomb in Pinner churchyard was designed by his elder son

John Claudius Loudon son left no record of the ideas behind the tomb’s unusual pyramidical design but (1) it displays the Earl of Loudoun’s family motto, (2) it uses the Loudoun family’s coat of arms, the inscription states that William Loudon was of the original stock fo the Loudon family. In Latin the wording is prima stirpe generis (‘of the first line’, or ‘of the first family line’).

William Loudon's Role in Gardening and farming

William Loudon, born in Midcalder, worked as a gardener and later leased Kerse Hall near Gogar, where his expertise in farming became evident. His later residence was Wood Hall Farm in Pinner, where he spent his final years before his death in 1809. His tomb in Pinner churchyard, designed by his son John Claudius Loudon, features a distinctive pyramidal design, incorporating the Loudoun family motto and coat of arms. The inscription highlights his lineage, noting that he was of the original stock of the Loudoun family.