From W. B. Carpenter 15 April 1856

Dear Prof. Henslow

I quite appreciate the difficult position in which you are placed among so many rival claims, and do not wish to urge my own to the exclusion of those of any of the others Candidates—still I think I may say that if one of your friends at least (I refer to Hooker) had been aware that I was in the field, he would not have applied to you in behalf of Latham. I feel sure that you will give a fair consideration to the qualifications of all the Candidates, should you determine upon attending the Election; and I venture, therefore, to ask your perusal of the first two pages of the accompanying Report of University Hall for the year 1833, which records the circumstances under which I came to hold my present position. The Council of the Hall, at its Meeting last Thursday, kindly offered me the strongest Testimonial in its power, as to my general Educational knowledge and experience, my habits of business and my fidelity in the discharge of duties undertaken. Finding, however, that I thought it preferable to fall back on the perfectly spontaneous testimony contained in the Report,the Council authorized me to state that the experience of three subsequent Lessons has fully realized the anticipations therein expressed at the end of the first.

I cannot but hope that my exertions for the promotion of public Education may be felt by you as strengthening my other claims upon the appointment. I have never spared either time or labour, where any path of usefulness has been opened to me. Since I had last the pleasure of meeting you, I conducted the Examination for Lord Ashburton’s Schoolmaster’s prizes for a knowledge of “Common Things”; which altogether took me at least a week’s work; and I have given up a great deal of time in obtaining for the Society of Arts the cheap and good Microscope now to be had of them.—I feel sure that you will not forget all this, if the case should happen that you feel yourself at liberty to serve me

Believe me to be, dear Prof Henslow

yours faithfully | William B. Carpenter