John Veitch (1752 Ancrum -1869 Killerton) established the nursery before 1808. In 1856, he bought Knight's Exotic Nursery in Little Chelsea, continuing on the same site until about 1914.
James Veitch sen. (January 25, 1792 - May 1863), his elder son
James Veitch jun. (May 24, 1815 - September 1869), son of the above
John Gould Veitch (April 1839 - August 13, 1870), son of the above
James Herbert Veitch (May 1, 1868 Chelsea - November 13, 1907), son of the above
John Gould Veitch (July 19, 1869 Kingston Hill, Surrey - October 3, 1914 Exeter), brother of James Herbert Veitch
Sir Harry James Veitch (June 24, 1840 - July 6, 1924), second son of James Veitch Jr. took over James Veitch & Sons in 1875.
Robert Toswill Veitch (1823-1885), younger brother of James Veitch sen. took over the Exeter branch in 1863. This was renamed Robert Veitch & Sons. He was joined in 1880 by his son Peter Christian Massyn Veitch (February 1850 Cape of Good Hope -1929). Peter Veitch took over the business in 1885. He was in turn succeeded by his daughter Anna Mildred Massyn Veitch (November 1, 1889 - 1970). She sold the company in 1969 to St Bridget Nurrseries.
[From Flore des serres et des jardins de l'Europe, Vol. 18, 1869, p. 66:] Au cimetière de Chelsea, près de Londres, repose James Veitch, né à Exeter, le 25 mai 1815, mort le 10 septembre 1869. ....Tandis que son fils Harry tenait tête, au logis, John Gould parcourait en grande vitesse le Japon, les Philippines, la côte orientale de l'Australie et enrichissait la maison paternelle, au prix de sa vie, après que les frères Lobb, après que Pearce et d'autres explorateurs, attachés à ce foyer de richesses, y eurent entassé suffisamment de végétaux pour étonner l'horticulture de tant de merveilles.
[From La Belgique horticole, Vol. 19, 1869, p. 327:] M. James Veitch, le célèbre horticulteur anglais, fondateur de la maison Veitch et fils, à Chelsea, est décédé subitement le 10 septembre dernier.
[From The Origin of Plants, by Maggie Campbell-Culver, 2001, p. 357ff:] John Veitch (1752-1839) founded what was to become the family firm in 1808 when he set up a small nursery at Killerton, Devon. Later, in 1832, Veitch and his son, James Veitch senior (1792-1863), moved the nursery to Exeter. In 1853 it was decided to expand further, this time with a base in London, and the old established nursery of Knight and Perry in Chelsea was purchased and developed by James Veitch junior (1815-69) as The Royal Exotic Nurseries.... The firm grew still further, with branches around London, most notably at Coombe Wood near Kingston-upon-Thames. On the death of James Veitch senior in 1863, the two branches of the nursery separated and were run by different members of the family.....In 1914, as the lease on the Coombe Wood nursery in Kingston-upon-Thames ran out, and with no younger family members coming forward, Sir Harry Veitch decided to auction off the contents of the famous London nursery and shut the firm down. The Exeter branch carried on until 1969, when it was sold.
