Faraday to Agnes Greig   6 July 18601

The Green | Hampton Court | 6 July 1860.

My dear Mrs. Greig

I had heard of the death of Dr Somerville2 before I received your very kind note, and we were all deeply grieved in thinking of Mrs. Somerville, and the shake it would give to her feelings and immediate relations. No doubt the shock would be greater, because of the sudden coming on of danger & the end, after 30 hours of trust & reasonable expectation of recovery. Will you sympathize with Mr. Greig3 on our part. We feel very much with you both & with Mrs. Somerville, for our thoughts have been, & are now, much on death, because of the loss of several old & valued friends very recently4:- but I often feel when our attempts to say anything on the matter to those who are closely concerned, one runs a risk of speaking feebly or foolishly. Let us hope that in regarding the death of our dear friends, or in waiting for its approach to ourselves, we may be strengthened to look upon it with great hope.

Ever My dear Mrs. Greig | Most truly Yours | M. Faraday


Address: Mrs. Grieg | Surrey Lodge | Lambeth | S

1
Agnes Greig, née Graham (d.1874, age 67, GRO). Married Woronzow Greig, October 1837.
2
William Somerville (1771-1860, ODNB). Physician to the Royal Chelsea Hospital, 1819-1838. Died on 25 June 1860.
3
Woronzow Greig (1805-1865, B1). Son of Mary Somerville from her first marriage. Barrister.
4
These would have included Charles Barry on 12 May 1860 (see letter 3781) and the Dundee surgeon and member of the Glasite church John Crichton (1772-1860, B1) on 3 July 1860.

Please cite as “Faraday3798,” in Ɛpsilon: The Michael Faraday Collection accessed on 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/faraday/letters/Faraday3798