Dear Tyndall
If I was writing to any other man but you on the subject which here follows, my letter would commence with the strictest conjurations to secrecy. I suppose you can guess all now.
The flame of opposition and revenge has been kindling in my bosom this last week – and I think I may properly say that at present it deserves the name of conflagration. I have taken it into my head since ‘Veritas’ sounded a false alarm3 – that I will at least ‘raise the wind’. To come to the point, I think the subject of the Tithe Survey as carried on by R.E.,4 influence is a home-thrust, a death-wound – We all know that Tucker or the Govt.5 have been at a considerable loss by his undertaking to execute it at 4d per acre.6 This in my opinion will take well, when we consider how much Tucker’s proposal annoyed the Civil Engrs.7 and Surveyors of this Co.8 And in the 2nd I dont think it will interfere with what you may intend to lay before the public. Of course if it is even an atom of your subject matter I renounce it altogether, willingly – proud of leaving it to a man of more discernment and ability.
I waited on and obtained an interview with the Editor of the Mercury9 this evening. I laid the whole circumstance before him, told him all about the jeopardy of survey affairs. – reminded him of the death-blow that was made at the professional rights of the Lancashire Engrs. & Surveyors,10 and then and there asked his advice and opinion on the matter – He seemed to relish the idea much – advised me (altho’ unnecessary) to assert, or rather state nothing but facts. So now you see how the matter stands, and will favour me with your opinion, and also make a kind of a rough calculation of what the Tithe Plans cost the Capt. or the Govt. I have made such and find that it exceeds the 4d. an acre considerably.11 Are you quite certain that it was 4d. an acre he proposed to do (and done) them for? I heard the principal Draftsman here say last week that the Exn.12 & Computation alone cost more than 5d in this district. I asked the Editor about ‘Veritas’, he says that a person signing himself such13 sent him a letter all about the young mens pay – but in his opinion it would do them more harm than good, it was so outrageous in its finding fault with officers &c.&c. And so he said he would not insert it until he favoured him with a call and made him completely write it over again – it is in all probability a good job that it never met the public eyes. I suppose it would have as much effect as a cannon loaded with feathers. The Editor promised me that he never would give up my name unless forced to it by law. I told him of course that dismissal was inevitable if ever a whisper of it came to the ears of the Engs14 officers. And now, Father John, what say you? Let me have your opinion, as soon as possible, and dont forget if you have e’er a good hint be sure and let me have it. Sinnett is under orders for Hull to Perambulate. I suppose you have heard of Nelson’s desertion.15 He is missing since the 9th Inst.,16 and the sappers here are ordered to keep a close eye to the out-bound American vessels. Tell Geo. Latimer I had a letter from my brother and that Harrison17 and him are still enjoying their synecure.18 As I write this in the office you will excuse its carelessness – it is now breakfast time.
Yours &c. | Ginty.
Thursday evening
Since I wrote the above I had a letter from Sinnett, he knows nothing yet of the route he is about to get. Jack19 got a letter from you. So you got the valentine. Did my forgery deceive you for any time? If you had to pay only 1d., I have at all events deceived the postmaster. Turner told Hamley yesterday that Latimer and I were the two best Surveyors in his party – a lie of course – and one I’m afraid that will hunt us out to the field again. So Cupid20 got a valentine with: How I would like to be along side of him when it met his view. We sent one to Joe Collins. Dick21 forwarded the direction – and enclosed was a drawing of an old soldier cut out of the ‘Gallery of Comicalities’22 with the sentence ‘A Private Still’23 under it – but he was match enough for us – he crosses out his own name and address and without breaking the seal addressed it back to me with 3d on it. I of course was not ass enough to release it. all I wonder at is how he could guess I had a hand in it.
Yours | Ginty.
RI MS JT 1/11/3595
LT Transcript Only
O.S.O.: Ordnance Survey Office.
Windsor Street: in Toxteth Park, Liverpool.
‘Veritas’ sounded a false alarm: see letter 0185.
R.E.: Royal Engineer.
Govt.: Government.
his undertaking to execute it at 4d per acre: to produce maps for the Tithe Survey, which, at the required scale of 1 inch to 3 chains, the equivalent of 26⅔ inches to 1 mile, would be likely to cost much more than 4d. per acre; see n. 11.
Civil Engrs.: Civil Engineers.
this Co.: the county of Lancashire. On the annoyance of Lancashire’s private surveyors, see letter 0195, n. 16.
Editor of the Mercury: John Smith.
the death-blow that was made …Lancashire Engrs. & Surveyors: The proposal that the work done by private surveyors for the Tithe Survey be taken over by the Royal Engineers on the English Ordnance Survey.
it exceeds the 4d. an acre considerably: Colonel Thomas Colby’s proposed cost had actually been 1s. 6d. per acre; see letter 0195, n. 15. It is not known whether Captain Henry Tucker was proposing to undercut this, or whether Tyndall’s information was erroneous, although the latter seems most likely.
Exn.: Examination.
a person signing himself such: Tyndall later rebuffed the claims of ‘some evidently unauthorized person, who styles himself “Veritas”’ when the latter wrote to the Liverpool Mercury criticizing Tyndall’s analysis of the ills of the Survey (‘Ordnance Survey. Letter III’, Liverpool Mercury, 27 October 1843, p. 359).
Engs: Royal Engineers.
Nelson’s desertion: James Nelson, a Private in the 13th Company of the Royal Sappers and Miners, seems to have already had disciplinary problems while working on the Irish Ordnance Survey, as his pay was reduced from 9d. to 4d. in September 1839. He was transferred to the English Survey in April 1842 (NAI OS/1/16–19).
inst.: abbreviation for Instante mense, Latin for this month.
Harrison: not identified.
synecure: a position that requires hardly any work but which provides a salary (OED).
Jack: John Tidmarsh.
Cupid: Phillip Evans.
Dick: Richard Hunter.
‘Gallery of Comicalities’: a comic newspaper founded in 1832 and costing 3d. which reproduced caricatures already published in Bell’s Life in London.
‘A Private Still’: Despite having enlisted in 1822, Joseph Collins remained a Private in the Royal Sappers and Miners. His lack of promotion was perhaps attributable to disciplinary action taken over his absenting from duties in the 1830s (NAI OS/2/12).
Please cite as “Tyndall0188,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on 24 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/tyndall/letters/Tyndall0188