From Edward Charlesworth   28 July 1859

Dear Sir

I sent to the Ipswich Museum about 3 months a small box addressed to you containing a few choice fossils from the main Crag— also a piece of indurated London Clay from the Crag District with specimens upon its surface of Vermetus Bognoriensis, a species new to me in theas a Suffolk Fossil. There is standing to your credit an old Sub ⁿ of 24£ to the Brit. Nat. Histy Collecting Fund— This was given for the Lewisham London Fossils, but as I have never been very successful in m obtaining good specimens from this formation you would perhaps be willing to receive the value of your Sub. ⁿ in other Fossils, when of which what I have sent in this case may be considered part— I was greatly interested in giving over the Collection in the Ipswich Museum, but I think it is much to be regretted that there is not a larger series of Crag Shells— you have some fine and rare species, but the total no. of species is so small— only about 100 I think one of the 500 figd by M ^r Wood—

It would be the work of a life time to get all these, but a very fine collection might be got together at a moderate expense—

I am very anxious to work again at my early hunting ground, and perhaps a sum of money might be raised in the County for the special purpose of providing the Ipswich Museum with an extensive & carefully named series of Crag Shells— If this idea meets with your approval, I think I should meet with cooperation in the attempt to set a Sub. ⁿ on 100£, and I could undertake the Mounting as well as to Collecting the Specimens—

Not long since I had spent a very pleasant visit at Stanway in company the Society of my old friend John Brown upon whom the weight of years now begins to tell— It is a happy thing that he feels as keen as relish as I do in the pursuit of Science—

I was read when in Suffolk about 4 months since the Report of a Lecture given by you in which I was greatly interested—

yours dear Sir | very truly |Edw Charlesworth