The Sir John Herschel Collection
The preparation of the print Calendar of the Correspondence of Sir John Herschel (Michael J. Crowe ed., David R. Dyck and James J. Kevin assoc. eds, Cambridge, England: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1998, viii + 828 pp) which was funded by the National Science Foundation, took ten years. It was accomplished by a team of seventeen professors, visiting scholars, graduate students, advanced undergraduates, and staff working at the University of Notre Dame.
The first online version of Calendar was created in 2009 by Dr Marvin Bolt and Steven Lucy, working at the Webster Institute of the Adler Planetarium, and it is that data that has now been reformatted for incorporation into Ɛpsilon.
Further information about Herschel, his correspondence, and the editorial method is available online here: http://historydb.adlerplanetarium.org/herschel/?p=intro
No texts of Herschel’s letters are currently available through Ɛpsilon.
Expects difficulty with wages listed for Patrick Shanahan and one other worker at Mint. Find documents that authorized JH to pay additional overtime wages during coinage pressure of last two years.
Sends Mint accounts of Apr. 1855 for JH's signature.
[Marked 'Private.'] Encloses letter from Henry Roberts, assistant secretary to War Department. Will convey JH's reply to Roberts.
Call on CT when convenient.
Appointment of JH's successor is delayed by changes in Cabinet. CT spoke to George Lewis, who promised to speak to Lord Palmerston [H. J. Temple]. Will forward JH's latest note as reminder to Lewis. JH is free to leave London; W. H. Barton is competent to handle JH's duties.
Must know soon if LW's wax model for Kaffir medal has been approved.
Will visit JH tomorrow at Bedford Place to submit LW's wax model for Kaffir medal.
Arthur [Gordon?] visited to reveal that Lord John Russell just resigned, expected others will follow, and urged JH to follow their example and 'give up the Mint.' Lord Aberdeen [G. Hamilton-Gordon] wants to give newly created position of 'President of the Board of Examiners' to JH as a 'parting gift.' Arthur assured CH that JH could perform all its duties from Collingwood. Relates 'abuse' CH overheard in House of Commons yesterday.
Relates CH's and Arthur [Gordon?]'s conversation yesterday with Lord Aberdeen [George Hamilton-Gordon] on how to enable JH to resign without public 'mess.' Three weeks ago, Aberdeen would have accepted JH's resignation and appointed William Henry Barton as Master, but now Aberdeen's successor must decide.
[Copy in JH's hand of memorial to Treasury from F. R. Brande and Henry Finch. JH marked this copy 'Strictly private....'] Recount improvements that FB and HF have made in Mint operations, but complain that they do not receive the consideration, encouragement, or salary that is due them. [After reading this memorial, JH opened his finished letter (also 21 Feb 1855) to Brande and added a P.S. that led Brande and Finch to withdraw this memorial.]
Hill introduces courier Thomas Adams, who will pick up JH's parcels. Hopes JH's health is improving. [On verso, signed at Collingwood] Adams's receipt for parcels and one letter, all addressed to officials at Royal Mint.
Reports status of Crimean medal and Cape medal [Kaffir medal?]. Benjamin Wyon expects to have models ready soon. [Addressed to 'My Lord'.]
Explains mistake that made JH angry. War Department presumed to commission medal of Queen without consulting Master of Mint first. Benjamin Wyon has been instructed to cease work until JH is informed and approves of project.
Copy [in JH's hand] of doctor's prescription for four to five weeks of bed rest and country air for JH before resuming duties at Mint.
Writes to inform GH that JH has seen the Chancellor of the Exchequer and tendered his resignation as Master of the Mint.
Happy to have met JH. Discusses journey in Himalayas. Would be glad to send JH any information he would like about the tropical climate.
Has JH received the second or third of AS's Cambridge Paleozoic? Asks about William Whewell's pamphlets regarding the University. Describes trip to Scotland.
JH is very ill; would GA please deal with the disbursement of funds from Melbourne University [see JH's 1854-10-17].
A note of information about the impending forwarding of all Melbourne University materials to GA [see JH's 1855-3-23].
A letter of information, together with a list of all material, sent with the material, to GA [see JH's 1855-4-13].