Roderick Impey Murchison to Faraday   6 September 1846

The programmes are all printed & circulated at Southampton with your name as President of the Sect B¹

16 Belgrave Square | Sept 6 1846

My dear Faraday,

No one could have been more shocked than I was when I read in the Country, of the untimely death of your poor brother², both because I had a great respect for him as an excellent man & that I am sure his loss would occasion you deep grief.

The pang being over, I trust that the little exertion of coming to the British Association for the first three days of our meeting³ (as we arranged it) may be of great service to you, in giving you just that amount of agreeable intercourse with friends & fellow lecturers which will gratify you.

There never was an occasion since you became a Man of Science, at which your presence was so much desired, that Oersted is among us. I have, in fact, so arranged my discourse in reference to yourself (as the disciple who has just contributed the crowning accession to the long train of brilliant researches which the original discovery of the Danish philosopher opened out) that positively I should break my heart, if I did not see you seated near him on Thursday Evening when I read my discourse⁴.

Your presence will be of immense importance to us & H Rose as well as Forchhamer⁵ & Oersted all at Sabloniere's Hotel Leicester Square are dying to see you, & Dumas comes direct by Harve purposely to meet you.

I leave Town tomorrow (Monday) for Southampton by the 1/2 p 12 train & to relieve my mind I shall be rejoiced to learn before I start (ie before 1/2 p 11) that you are coming down on Wednesday.

With Lady Murchison's⁶ | kind regards believe me | to be yours most sincerely | Rodk I. Murchison