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Eric Savill

Eric Savill was born in Chelsea in 1895. His father was a partner in a company of chartered surveyors and his mother was a horticulturalist and avid women's rights supporter. Eric was educated at Malvern College and Magdalene College, Cambridge. He suspended his studies and enlisted in 1914, and later served in France. He graduated in 1920 and joined his father's firm, where he became a partner in 1926.

He took the post of deputy surveyor at Windsor in 1930, managing an extensive and varied estate. Savill was promoted to deputy ranger in 1937, and became director of forestry to the crown estate in 1958. He retired in 1970. The Savill gardens at Windsor were to become his living memorial. They were so named on command of George VI in 1951.

Savill was a founder of the Ministry of Transport's landscape advisory committee, of which he was chairman from 1962-9. He was closely involved with the Royal Horticultural Society, receiving the Victoria medal of honour in 1955 and a gold Veitch memorial medal in 1963. He died in Windsor in 1980.

Bibliography

Taylor, George ‘Savill, Sir Eric Humphrey (1895-1980)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford: Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Oct 2006) [ accessed 28 June 2009]

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