Seeks Barrington's support in gaining admittance of [William] Drake's second son to Christ's Hospital [school], of which he is a governor.
Reserves his support for nominations to Christ's Hospital [school] to inhabitants of his own diocese [in reference to Smith's application to admit William Drake's son a pupil, see RelatedMaterial below].
Thanks Smith for pamphlet and papers on the Norwich Literary Institution. Offers to lend Smith Savi's 'Observationes in varias Trifoliorum species'. Remarks on Charles Butler [(1750-1832), Roman Catholic layman and lawyer]. Admiration for William Roscoe, desires to get him interested in Greek independence. Thanks Smith for his desire to assist in the Greek cause and suggests the establishment of a committee in Norwich to that end.
Manuscript copies, in Barker's hand, of a circular from a committee in Brighton in support of Greek independence, and of a letter received from William Thornton of Washington, USA, on the same.
No summary available.
Queries Smith's article on 'Vaccinium' in [Abraham] Rees' "Cyclopedia": considers 'V. virgatum' and 'V. fuscatum' as probably one species, and disagrees that they are both varieties of 'V. corymbosum' ; considers 'V. galeformis' variety of 'V. corymbosum; encloses specimens of 'V. marianum', 'V. grandiflorum', and unknown 'Vaccinium', observations, Smith has annotated his responses. Also 'V. salicinum' and 'V. vergatum' listed.
Confirms his visit to Smith in Norwich to meet [William] Roscoe. Would like to see Mrs Ives' copy of Giorgione's "Gaston de Foix" to determine whether his is the one by Titian or Giorgione. Has notes on [Alexander] Pope's imitations of English poets to give to Roscoe; other remarks about Pope. His Exmouth magnolias still flowering in spite of the cold. His son suffering from [w]hooping cough.
At Smith's request sent [Joseph] Woods [(1776-1864)] specimens of roses. Would have liked to have seen the proofs of Smith's work on 'Rosa' [probably for "English flora"], hopes it settles all the points between Woods, [John] Lindley [(1799-1865)], and others. Hears of a new work on 'Rubus' [Weihe's "Rubi Germanici" (1822-1827)], expects the genus to be "divided very much".
Remarks on 'Rosa' specimens.
Discusses the genus 'Rubus': [James] Bicheno, [William] Borrer, and himself have examined Weihe's ["Rubi Germanici" (1822-1827)]; believes he has some of Weihe's specimens, which he offers to send to Smith for investigation.
Sending Smith Weihe's "Rubi Germanici" for inspection, at suggestion of Edward Forster, and specimens of the 'Rubus' of this region. List of specimens with observations, numbered, dated 6 December 1823, including: 'R. leucostachys', 'R. fruticasus', 'R. rhamnifolius', 'R. nitidus', 'R. suberectus', 'R. corylifolius', 'R. affinis', 'R. glandulosus', 'R. caesius', and 'R. idaeus'.
Sent a barrel of oysters for Smith. [Aylmer Bourke] Lambert in high spirits but Mrs [Catherine] Lambert worse than ever and never sees anyone. Smith's distinction between 'Geum' and 'Dryas' "very satisfactory" and Goodenough had not observed it before; singular generic character of 'Icosandria' so striking it makes one examine the plants carelessly.
They had a wintry summer and kept fires in all rooms as in the depth of winter, and garden produce was badly damaged: no apples, unripe pears, flavourless strawberries and raspberries, and corn very late and still green in fields on 3 November, but they produced mulberries only the third time and enjoyed a good peach harvest at the end of October. Less radicalism in his area of Cumberland. Comments on the difficulty of filling the positions of Attorney and Solicitor Generals due to the "great dearth of profound lawyers", similar to the lack of profound scholars in several of the learned professions.
Recently sent Smith specimens of 'Salix glauca' and four roses, not knowing which he referred to as not a variety of '[Rosa] arvensis'. Does not know Smith's 'R. subglobosa'; thinks others of [Joseph] Woods' [(1776-1864)] varieties may rank as species; thinks he should have united two more of Smith's list, the 'R. woodsii' with 'R. dumetorum', and 'R. canna' with 'R. sarmentacea'. He has found and cultivated 'R. collina'; observations.
Discusses work of himself, [William] Borrer, and [James] Bicheno on 'Rubus', observations on 'Rubus cordifolius' and 'Rubus rhamnifolius'; will send specimens to Smith, named on authority of Merten and Weihe. Also sending plant of 'Campanuta punctata'.
Account of discussion with [Joseph] Sabine on roses.
[Bicheno's letter:] proposed rearrangement of the genus 'Rubus'.
[Forster's note:] queries some of Bicheno's decisions.
Laments not having seen Smith for a long time, gives his reasons. Health of his family. Saw [William] Roscoe recently. [Thomas William] Coke and amenities of Holkham, [Norfolk]. [Alexander] Macleay has bought a small estate in Caithness.
Wrote to Joseph Woods regarding 'Rosa systala' and his paper on 'Rosa' for "Linnean Transactions", transcribes part of Woods' reply. Woods explains an apparent confusion caused between 'Rosa systala' and [Nicaise Auguste] Desvaux's [(1784-1856) French botanist] 'Rosa stylosa', not having seen Desvaux's "Flore d'Anjou" at the time of his paper.