English, c.1858, (date 1858 on engraved plaque on the door), signed in script to the rear of the foot 'A. Ross London 1869' microscope on a 'Y' shaped base with tall uprights supporting the body on trunnions, plano-concave mirror in a gimbal, mechanical stage with X-Y control via rack and screw, course focussing acting on triangular bar, bar limb incorporating fine focus, case contains;

1in objective and can engraved 'Ross London',
1/4in objective and can engraved 'Ross London',
Low power eyepiece marked A,
Medium power eyepiece marked B,
Medium power eyepiece marked C,
A micrometer eyepiece,
Lucida Eyepiece,
Eyepiece analyser,
Substage polariser,
Wenhams condenser,
large table bullseye condenser,
stage forceps,
a live box.

with 2 later objectives by Gundlach Berlin a 3in and a 1/2in

in mahogany case with double doors key & Lock, case height 32cm

German Silver plaque to the front door engraved in copperplate script 'Presented to G B Wollaston by the parishioners of Chislehurst 1858'

George Buchanan Wollaston, born on 26 April 1814 in Clapton, Middlesex, and died on 26 March 1899 in Chislehurst, London Borough of Bromley. He excelled as an architect, watercolour artist, and amateur botanist, gaining renown for his exceptional collection and cultivation of native British ferns.

Wollaston had strong family ties to Chislehurst, with his paternal grandfather, Francis Wollaston, serving as the Anglican rector in the area from 1769 to 1815. His educational journey began at The King's School in Ottery St Mary, where he attended grammar school. Following this, he apprenticed under the architect Augustus Pugin and worked in the field of architecture for several years. During his apprenticeship, he developed a high level of skill as a watercolourist.

Upon inheriting Conduit Lodge in Eltham, located in the London Borough of Greenwich, Wollaston's career as an architect dwindled, and he wholeheartedly dedicated himself to the study of botany. His focus revolved around the collection and cultivation of various plant species, particularly ferns, and to a lesser extent, orchids. After selling the Conduit Lodge property, he purchased a small property known as Bishop's Well in Chislehurst, where he resided from around 1853 until his demise in 1899.

In the late 1850s, Wollaston oversaw the renovation and repair efforts at the Anglican church of St. Nicholas in Chislehurst whihc is probably how he came to be gifted this microscope in 1858 by the parishioners. He also made notable contributions to The Phytologist through his writings. His name appears prominently in the 1899 publication "Flora of Kent" by Frederick Janson Hanbury and Edward Shearburn Marshall, with 33 mentions.

In May 1981, Wollaston's watercolour drawings depicting rural England in the 1880s were showcased at the Covent Garden Gallery, located at 20 Great Russell Street.