Queenwood College | near Stockbridge Hants | 1st September 1851
Dear Sir
Circumstances have conspired to place me in the attitude of a petitioner to your kindness.1
I intend to become a candidate for the professorship of natural philosophy now vacant in the university of Toronto, and feeling assured as I do that a name so high as yours in the scientific world must have great influence in such a case I am induced to make an effort to secure your support.
I beg to lay before you the accompanying scientific memoirs;2 should your leisure permit, and should your opinion of my labours justify the act on your part you would place me under a great obligation to you by granting me a testimonial. If you feel a desire to ascertain the opinion of a philosopher who has specially occupied himself with these subjects. I have much pleasure in referring you to Professor Faraday.3
I remain dear Sir | most respectfully yours | John Tyndall
Prof. Airy | &c &c
RGO MS.RGO 6/373.402–403
Circumstances . . . to your kindness: one of the set phrases Tyndall used when requesting testimonials from people whom he did not know (compare letters 0522 and 0523). See letter 0527 for Airy’s reply.
the accompanying scientific memoirs: probably (compare letter 0524 from Joule) the English version of his first memoir with Knoblauch (cited letter 0403, n. 2), his water-jet paper (letter 0456, n. 1), the important memoir on magnetism (letter 0464, n. 2), and his most recent paper on diamagnetism (letter 0498, n. 6).
referring you to Professor Faraday: see letter 0506.
Please cite as “Tyndall0518,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on 3 May 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/tyndall/letters/Tyndall0518