Received small cargo of Australian plants; sending one of each kind for Smith. Hopes to meet Smith in London in the summer.
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The Linnean Society of London Collection
The scientific and personal correspondence of James Edward Smith (1759-1828), purchaser of the collections of Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) and founder of the Linnean Society of London in 1788, was presented to the Linnean Society between 1857 and 1872 by his widow Pleasance Smith (1773-1877). Since then, it has been complemented by additional series. The collection was catalogued, conserved, and digitised from 2010 to 2013, thanks to the generous support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Letters can be searched through Ɛpsilon, with links to images and summaries available on the Linnean Society’s Online Collections (http://linnean-online.org/smith_correspondence.html).
Received small cargo of Australian plants; sending one of each kind for Smith. Hopes to meet Smith in London in the summer.
Asks directions for forwarding [Joseph] Sabine's supplemental paper on Chrysanthemums for Smith's observations, at request of Linnean Society Council.
Cannot conceive that anything written for the Linnean Society by [Joseph] Sabine can require his revision. Had hoped to be in London for 15 April but this will now be 1 May in order for him to finish second volume of his "[English] Flora" and to correct sheets of the first. Received "melancholy letter" from Bishop of Carlisle [Samuel Goodenough]; hopes he is better, "great pressure of his work" prevents him from writing to his friends.
Has read [Joseph] Sabine's paper and concurs with him in everything, except for minor changes to specific names. Sorry he gave Macleay "such a kettle of fish", had hoped it would be better. Hopes to be in London on 6 May [1823] but very unwell at present, being threatened with a pulmonary irritation and "a bad state of bowels". Macleay to "throw the Cornish paper aside if not quite worthy to appear".
Death of his mother following a sudden illness.
Too unwell with influenza to come to London for 6 May [1823], finds it "mortifying" after having been so well over the winter. Hopes to attend Linnean Society anniversary meeting, will stay at [Thomas] Forster's in Clapton, [Middlesex], so as to prepare for the London air, and only the Society will bring him to London this spring, as he must decline visits, sights, and lecturing. Just informed that [Antoine] Gouan of Montpellier, [France], has died. Afraid Bishop of Carlisle [Samuel Goodenough] is ill, he wrote a "very melancholy" letter on death of his granddaughter.
[John] Denson [(fl 1820s-1870s, curator of Bury botanic garden] received parcel of seeds sent by Smith. Alarmed by account given of Smith's health, his own legs are inflamed and forming superficial abscesses. Had hoped to invite Smith to visit him in Bury on his way to London. Received letter from [Thomas] Rackett, an executor for David Garrick's widow [Eva Marie Veigel (1724-1822)], offering to show him curiosities from Garrick's estate, and given a catalogue of Garrick's soon to be auctioned library; sketches and transcribes inscription of one of Garrick's book plates and comments on it. Received letter from his son in Rome, details their intended movements around Italy.