Eckfords Seeds Seal, Image by StuE, Found by Long Shadow.
Found in the Essex/Suffolk area, 19mm.
Curved around the outer border is ECKFORDS at the top and in slightly smaller letters below .SEEDS. On the other side is WEM
"As far as we can learn the Sweet Pea is a native
of Sicily, and we read that in 1699 FRANCISCUS CUPANI,
an Italian monk, sent seeds to England, and so was
begun the culture of Sweet Peas.
Although there were several distinct colors in cul-
tivation, no great advancement was made until the
late HENRY ECKFORD, of Wem, Shropshire, England,
in 1870 started his great life work on Sweet Peas.
Since then the development of this lovely and fragrant
flower has been one of the floral wonders of the age."
From - SWEET PEAS UP-TO-DATE BY G. W. KERR
The Eckford Sweet Pea Society of Wem, North Shropshire believe that the company was setup about 1888 and had ceased trading by 1940.
