Humphry Davy to Faraday   23 September 1820

Howick Sepr 23 | 1820

Dear Mr Faraday,

It occurs to me that the only method to relieve poor from Mrs Greenwood from her embarrassment with respect to her son would be an official application from the Board of Managers. A corporate body has a right to apply to a public office & there would be no obligation incurred no favour asked which must be the case if the demand comes from a single individual1. In the present state of the country there can be no difficulty in this2.

I hope to be in town about the 10 of Octr.

Put the p[os]t of letter rate[.]

I shall be at Rokeby near Greta Bridge where any letters addressed under cover to Mr Rose will find me.

I am Dear Mr Faraday | very truly your friend & | well wisher H. Davy


Address: To | Mr. Faraday | Royal Institution | London

1
Hannah Greenwood’s son had been appointed in 1818 as a laboratory assistant for the lecture season (RI MM, 7 December 1818, 6: 225). However by 1821 he had clearly been relieved of this position and Hannah Greenwood asked for permission for him to live with her in the Royal Institution (RI MM, 5 February 1821, 6: 309). This was granted but the Managers added that she must not expect him to be employed at the Royal Institution again. This letter of Davy’s clearly refers to some aspect of this problem, but there is no evidence that the Managers ever made such an application as Davy suggests.
2
A reference to the political problems (for example the Cato Street Conspiracy and the attempted divorce of Queen Caroline) that occurred during 1820.

Please cite as “Faraday0119,” in Ɛpsilon: The Michael Faraday Collection accessed on 24 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/faraday/letters/Faraday0119