John Rea, nursery gardener, is said to have had the largest collection of tulips in England and introduced Coylus Colurnam in 1665. Rea lived with his daughter, Minerva and her husband, Samuel Gilbert, at Kinlet, Shropshire. Rea was also responsible to designing the gardens at Bromley, Staffordshire, the seat of Charles, 4th Baron Gerard. He died at Kinlet in November 1681.