Royal Institution | Feby 3. 1865
My dear Sir James,
Whilst endeavouring to fulfil your wishes in relation to my Old companion Mr. Anderson I think I cannot do better than accompany some notes which he has himself drawn up & had printed1 by some remarks of mine which will shew how & how long he has been engaged here & still remains with us.
He came to assist in the Glass house for the service of Science in Septr. 18272 where he remained working until about 1830[.] Then for a while he was retained by myself until in 1832 he was in the Service of the Royal Institution & paid by it3[.] From that time to the present he has remained with that body & has obtained their constant approbation in January 1842 they raised his pay to £100 per annum with praise (see page 9)4[.] In 1847 they raised it in like manner to £110 (see page 12)5; for the same reason they in 1853 (see p.15) raised it to £1206 and in 1860 in a minute of which I think Mr Anderson has no copy they say that in consideration of his now lengthened service & the diligence exhibited by him they are of opinion that his salary should be raised to £130 the same to commence from the first day of July and be paid out of the Laboratory fund in like manner as his existing salary7[.]
Mr Anderson still remains with us & is in character what he ever has been. He & I are companions in years: in work & in the Royal Institution Mr Brande’s testimony when he left the R. Institution is to the same purport as the others & may be seen at p 10.
Mr Anderson was 75 years of age on the 12th of last month. He is a widower but has a daughter8 keeping his house for him. We wish him not to come to the Royal Institution save when he is well enough to make it a pleasure but he seems to be happy being so employed[.]
BENCE JONES, Henry (1870a): The Life and Letters of Faraday, 1st edition, 2 volumes, London.
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