Faraday to Henry Bence Jones   7 July 1858

Royal Institution | 7 July 1858

My dear Bence Jones

As I shall be out all day and hope to go off tomorrow I cannot resist writing to tell you that Jane & I were at Hampton Court yesterday & found all very active in repairing &c. I cannot help thinking that Mr. Beckets [sic] influence has been felt there but did not hint at anything of the kind. They find the house &c very much out of repair - the Green house especially & wanted to pull it half down but as it is especially mentioned in the warrant1 as part of the Queen’s favour I am not inclined to lose the pleasure we anticipate from it. Whether I shall get that & the Garden done or not I do not as yet know.

You have I suppose no objection to my urging Mr. Vulliamy2 & Mr. Faraday3 on with the lecture room4[.] As it will bring workmen into the house we want it advanced & finished before repairs in the stairs Hall &c5 come on for as the house has to be kept open we cannot have repairs in all parts at once.

Tomorrow we hope to go off for a fortnight, but circumstances have changed our destination from Folkstone to Eastbourne. I am on some points sorry for this - as you may suppose from what you know of our intentions & hopes of meeting your family here & there: - but one cannot arrange everything to harmonize.

Ever My dear friend | Truly Yours | M. Faraday

We yesterday as a Committee agreed warmly & unanimously to the enclosed report on Degrees in science6. I expect some opposition in the Senate to day - but think we shall carry it on - perhaps warmly - but the senate must have time to think of it7. | MF

2
Lewis Vulliamy (1791-1871, ODNB). Architect to the Royal Institution.
3
James Faraday (1817-1875, GRO). Gas engineer. Nephew of Faraday.
4
This was for improving the lighting and ventilation of the lecture theatre. See RI MM, 5 July 1858, 11: 248.
5
Ibid.
6
Report of the Committee appointed to consider the propriety of establishing a degree or degrees in Science, London, 1858. See note 3, letter 3444.
7
Faraday proposed the acceptance of the Report at the Senate. However, the philosophical radical Henry Warburton (1785-1858, ODNB) sought to refer it back to the committee. This proposal was overwhelmingly defeated and the Report was adopted. University of London Senate Minutes, 7 July 1858, pp.57-8.

Please cite as “Faraday3474,” in Ɛpsilon: The Michael Faraday Collection accessed on 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/faraday/letters/Faraday3474