Faraday to William Terry   5 May 18451

Royal Institution | 5 May 1845

Sir

My freedom may probably surprise you but believe that I would not venture it were I not led by friends to think it might not be disagreeable. Next Saturday2 I lecture on Iron & must mention Meteoric Iron & though I have some specimens I should like more. Those of the late Sir Francis Chantrey3 are by circumstances rendered inaccessible. I have been informed that you have a fine collection and if there are any that you could with pleasure to yourself trust in my care for the day it would be esteemed a great favour by me. I do not think I should have asked such a thing had you not been a member of the Institution and I further hope you will not let my request embarrass you or prevent you from giving me a negative answer if I have inadvertently done wrong. If you assent I will send Newmans man for the specimens on Thursday or Friday and in every case I shall be indebted to you &

Your Obliged & Faithful Servant | M. Faraday

W. Terry Esq | &c &c &c

1
The 1845 Royal Institution membership list gives two members by the name of William Terry.
2
That is 10 May 1845 when Faraday gave the fifth lecture on "Iron - strength, magnetism" of his "Course of Eight Lectures on Certain Metals and Metallic Properties". For his notes for this course see RI MS F4 J5. This lecture was reported in Lond.Med.Gaz., 1845, 1: 1363-8. See p.1363 for Faraday's reference to meteoric iron.
3
Francis Chantrey (1781-1841, DNB). Sculptor.

Please cite as “Faraday1723,” in Ɛpsilon: The Michael Faraday Collection accessed on 2 May 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/faraday/letters/Faraday1723