Sir James Edward Smith, 43 Upper Seymour Street, [London], to Pleasance Smith, Lowestoft, Suffolk

Summary

Pleasance's "long bullace" curious, though the specimens now too dry to examine. Attended the theatre to see Miss O'Neil as Juliet [in "Romeo and Juliet"]; "not extravagantly delighted". His last lecture was on 14 June with plants from Kew, seemed well liked. Dined with Richard Kindersley [Smith's cousin] at Mrs Wiggin's, delighted with Miss Nicolay's singing; dined at C Scott's. Pleasance's writing box in "great honour, & much admired". Dined with the Hudson Gurneys, Mr and Mrs Hanbury alone; Jemima Kindersley [Smith's cousin]; saw Richard Westall [(1765-1836), painter], whose property all to be sold; dined at Mr Stracey's; Dr [Martin] Davy of Caius [College, Cambridge], who is interesting the Duke of Gloucester [Prince William (1776-1834), chancellor of Cambridge University] in his Cambridge concerns; attended Stephen Weston's "long promised" lecture on Chinese porcelain. His mother has departed for Liverpool, [Lancashire]. He has heard too many new waltzes to decide which to dance with Pleasance's mother._x000D_

Anxiety about politics; the engagement they had [Battle of Waterloo, 18 June 1815] a "serious one" and it is in vain the ministerial papers "make a triumph of it"; [Alexander] Macleay says the Belgian troops ran away. Plans for his return to Norwich, [Norfolk].

Letter details

Record number

LINNEAN1675

From

Sir James Edward Smith

To

Pleasance Smith

Date

21 Jun 1815

Sent from

London

Sent to

Lowestoft, Suffolk

Source of text

GB-110/JES/COR/19/94, The Linnean Society of London

Language

English

Contributor

The Linnean Society of London[View Ɛpsilon collection]

Also published in The Correspondence of Sir James Edward Smith, The Linnean Society's Archive Catalogue.