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Wallace (née Greenell), Mary Ann in addressee 
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From:
Thomas Wilson
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
26 March 1838
Source of text:
Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/91/1
Summary:

The Wilson's imminent emigration to Australia and re legacies (from the Greenell side of the family) for ARW and his brother John Wallace. Thomas Wilson was Mary Ann Wallace's brother in law and the executor of the will of ?J ?S Greenell.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
Frances ("Fanny") Sims (née Wallace)
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
11 September 1844
Source of text:
Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/92/1
Summary:

Chatty shipboard observations for her mother in England while en route to New York City; behavior of passengers; illnesses; favorable first impressions of America, on way to Canada, then settles in Southern U.S. Finds comfortable teaching situation in Georgia girl’s school. Wishes mother could join her, but distance is prohibitive.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
Frances ("Fanny") Sims (née Wallace)
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
19 October 1844
Source of text:
Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/92/4
Summary:

Repeats, for mother, the near-disasters during sea voyage already written to brothers (WCP1259). “Dark and stormy” night in Channel, almost ran into much larger vessel in fog, was rescued by Captain’s quick move from bed to taking the wheel or “we should have all been at the bottom of the sea in our berths.” Later a fire on board was extinguished. Nearly ran aground on French coast, stalled off Cape Hatteras. Now situated in Georgia school for girls teaching arithmetic, music, grammar, French to 24 pupils; very agreeable life, but “quite long to have Alfred here with me”; want him to teach me botany. Five teachers here, more schools planned. Wants mother and brothers to join her in making new life here.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
Frances ("Fanny") Sims (née Wallace)
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
20 December 1844
Source of text:
Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/92/8
Summary:

Locals invite us over, desire to socialize with English people. Elegant styles, fashions, homes, but tell us “20 years ago this place was thick forest inhabited only by native Indians.” Visitors don’t walk much here; travel in the area via horseback or carriages, though roads very bad.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
Frances ("Fanny") Sims (née Wallace)
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
4 May 1845
Source of text:
Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/93/1
Summary:

Adding pupils a few girls at a time, will be making £100 in six months. “Tell Herbert I have seen no Indians and no wild beasts.” We shall see friendly Indians in Alabama. Wildflowers delightful; in nearby woods azaleas, cloves, and jasmine are common.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
Frances ("Fanny") Sims (née Wallace)
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
14 May 1845
Source of text:
Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/93/2
Summary:

Living with delightful family, leave each morning to teach school. Comfortable and healthy. Wishes she could invite mother (with caregiver) to come and stay, but cannot house them.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
Frances ("Fanny") Sims (née Wallace)
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
22 May 1845
Source of text:
Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/93/3
Summary:

After bumpy, rough 200-mile carriage ride to Montgomery, Alabama, was graciously received by hosts. Later visited the Jackson’s plantation in countryside. First Episcopal Bishop of Georgia wrote letters of introduction. Good Library at house. “Servants” [slaves] live well here and are “well regulated” without using “harsh words to the poor things. I never do,” and they respond readily to kindness.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
Frances ("Fanny") Sims (née Wallace)
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
7 July 1845
Source of text:
Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/93/5
Summary:

Now established as teacher, has almost 30 girl pupils; accepted in local society. People try to match me with local gentlemen; don’t want a beau, focused on career. Established a school without capital, “could not be done in England”; works 10-hour days. Desires to reunite and re-locate family in Georgia, urges ARW (“I long for him every day”) and brother Jim to join her. They could set up successful Engineering and Surveying Company, then buy land, marry well, and become gentlemen farmers; in their letters they show no interest. English people don’t understand that each state has own customs, manners, and laws “as separate as the different countries of Europe.” Climate healthy, abundant watermelons, peaches, apples, pears, corn. Includes note to ARW and Jim that promising possibilities exist also in Texas.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
Frances ("Fanny") Sims (née Wallace)
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
10 October [1845]
Source of text:
Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/93/8
Summary:

Repeats that she is glad about Mr. Lloyd’s agreement to end his persistent courtship of her, which had caused her some anxiety, as mentioned in WCP1272; glad she finally decided to firmly decline; he graciously offers to remain a devoted friend. Will enter new school 25 Jan 1846; intends to send for their younger brother Herbert soon. Satisfied to be teacher, does not want responsibilities of becoming Headmistress. “Wish I possessed a fairy wand which could emancipate all slavery” but fears that might also unleash “all rising against their masters (the whites in general) without reserve….even the kind-hearted masters.”

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
Frances ("Fanny") Sims (née Wallace)
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
29 November 1845
Source of text:
Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/92/7
Summary:

Wants more letters from the family. School boys helping to build large schoolroom. Looking forward to summer, when fruits abundant; tired of eating Poultry. During walk saw “kind of cavalcade” that turned out to be a traveling party of traders with Negroes for sale. Watched through tears at cart of young children; “extraordinary feeling of seeing human beings being driven to market.” “They are treated like beasts and their spirits broken. They exhibit a fine taste for music and sing anything they hear.” She believes that their babies born very light- skinned, but “become darker” as they grow up.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
16 July 1849
Source of text:
Wallace Family Collection (private collection)
Summary:

No summary available.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
Herbert Edward ("Edward") Wallace
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
12 November 1849
Source of text:
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP3/6
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP3/6
Summary:

Tells mother preparing for voyage to Rio Negro. We are first English to climb Monte Alegre. Explored remote cave, copied “curious writings on the rocks” inside. Indians dug up “water tortoise eggs” on river bank, which, with milk and farinha “made a very excellent meal.” Fired on “several immense alligators” in river. Have eaten alligator tail, parrot, and turtle. Met English botanist Richard Spruce here. Includes “enigma” riddle and a poem about “naked little children/with skins of every dye/Some black, some brown, some lighter/some white as you or I...a dozen such in family...Tis common in Brazil.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
Henry Walter Bates
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
13 June 1851
Source of text:
Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/22
Summary:

Henry W. Bates conveys to ARW’s mother news of the death of her son Edward (Herbert Edward), ARW’s younger brother, who reached camp while ARW was away upriver. He had contracted yellow fever; Bates was with him, obtained physician’s care, but after a few days Herbert perished from the “black vomit,” the most lethal form of the disease. Bates reports that Herbert was well looked after to the end.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
22 June 1851
Source of text:
  • Wallace Family Collection (private collection)
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/97
Summary:

“Little town of Sonora, Tuolomne County, has grown into a city.” No chance of me “settling down with a Wife” at present. Doing moderately well working in the mines (5-6 dollars a day); working at own company brings no cash, so must hire self out as ordinary miner during slow season; cannot “stand idle in California.” San Francisco had fire on 4th of May “destroying nearly the whole City;” last year Stockton also burned down, “but such is the magical influence of Gold that both Cities are now nearly the same as before.” About a thousand miners live and work in this vicinity.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
Henry Walter Bates
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
18 October 1851
Source of text:
Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/23
Summary:

Bates informs ARW’s mother of the death of youngest son Edward Herbert Wallace from yellow fever; his insect collections will be sent home by next vessel. Herbert didn’t realize “that his case was serious until a few hours before his death,” and then he remarked that it was “sad to die so young.” About a third of population here wiped out by smallpox.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
23 November 1851
Source of text:
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/99
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/96/2
  • Wallace Family Collection (private collection)
Summary:

One of a set of letters providing in-depth descriptions John Wallace's life in the gold mining town of Columbia, California, building a system to bring water to gold mining operations in the town.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
7 March 1852
Source of text:
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/96/4
  • Wallace Family Collection (private collection)
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/101
Summary:

Have been surveying mountains in this region of northern California to find better route for completion of our Canal or flume, ten miles from the Stanislaus river. We hiked where “no white man had been... only “Indian trail & the footprints of Grizly [sic] bear and Deer. Found better route for our water, 1500 feet higher up mountain; “a framework of timber will have to be constructed”; we installed a water saw mill at the river, which cuts 10,000 feet of lumber a day. “Our Company...is thought much of in these parts [as] a Great work.” Much water necessary to extract gold, as very little found on surface. Accident with lumber coming down chute unexpectedly and killing a worker; only man that “we had killed on the works.” I had “just time to jump out” of the way.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
September 1852
Source of text:
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/103
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/96/6
  • Wallace Family Collection (private collection)
Summary:

No summary available.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
24 December 1852
Source of text:
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/104
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/96/7
  • Wallace Family Collection (private collection)
Summary:

John Wallace describes for his mother the progress of the large engineering venture: building water supply flume to provide vitally needed water to the gold mining vicinity around Columbia, California. Complains he has received no letters from home in ten months. Rainy season came early, and they now have 18 miles of fluming done, plus 30 miles of ditching; has cost our company about $350,000, but we’re “all in good spirits...it will pay amply in the end.” Losses from flooding and smallpox among crew. Notices news that the Duke of Wellington has died.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
18 July 1853
Source of text:
  • Wallace Family Collection (private collection)
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/106
Summary:

In response to family requests for his picture as a rough, full-bearded miner, has had a Deguerreotype [sic] of himself made “in a medium state...passing from the rough barbarian state of early Californian life to the more peaceful and mild state of civilization.” Emphasizes that he is not a miner, but chief Engineer to the Toulumne County Water Company which supplies great quantities of necessary water in to hundreds of mines. Happy to report that his Company is a success. Requests picture of them in turn. Brother helped him (by letter) calculate the amount of water discharged to be 11 ½ million gallons every 24 hours. Describes system of reservoir and delivery system, which frequently is disrupted, sometimes flooding the town. Expresses interest in fad for mind over matter experiment, later known as telekinsesis.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project