Neckinger Mills Bermondsey.1 | London 26 Novbr 1852.
Dear Tyndall
I had a happy evening yesterday after the business of the day was over. You can fancy me coming out of the dark night into a well lit yet snug room; first the wife’s welcome, then Geoffreys2 bright eye lighting up at the sight of a little work on Photography3 that I had bought for him; there was a pleasant sound from the kettle on the hearth; the good provender & the news of the day discussed, I had placed in my hands a packet with well known post mark & already familiar subscription. here I found material for thought & sympathy & many pleasant pictures were conjured up while with foot on the fender I perused more than once the various enclosures.4 First the big printed document; here was professor Doctor & eminent scholar in full tilt, praising my friends by which I received a slight shade of reflected glory, there was a dash of kindliness & freedom about the set which gave them more than usual value, but then thought I what have I in common with so learned a set. Well for me that I know nothing of these honors when I shook you by the hand for I have a natural antipathy to Doctors of all sorts whether Clerical, Medical or Legal. I love them for their knowledge but I detest them for assumption & in my ignorance I fancy they have more of the latter than the former. What I like better is the wild freedom of the eratic Nazarene5 who loved to dispute with the Doctors & to confute their systematized laws… Truly there are some Doctors of a nondescript genus. Ah! these I can look at ascance for a time & if they dont repel by their learned looks can perhaps fraternize with them. Thou my good friend hast no hard look for me therefore I will not disclaim the kindred which near thoughts entwine with jasamine flowers.6 & let the flowers fade as they will, to the end of time they retain some fragrance.
It was a kind & generous thought of you to send me those confidential letters7 which I have read over more than once & now return to you.
It is a vulgar thought to be ever offering money help; but little Booth has often occupied my thought during the last month & if my brotherhood with such spirits be sufficient I should be indeed glad to contribute £20 – towards his comfort in any way most consonant with his feeling or rather with the feelings of his friends – For one year I shall hold this sum at your disposal for this object & at the end of the period I shall consider it sacred for some similar purpose if in the mean time you do not dispose of it. Mind you dont mention this subject to me – except it be in this phrase – Bevington I want £20 – for our young friend, send me a cheque for it.
I was pleased to hear that with the stump of cigar in your mouth under shelter of some old tree you could still find pleasure in the wild moaning of the wind, I also have had pleasure in being wind rocked but unfortunately once upon a time I ventured my little wealth on a stormy sea, night after night the wind blew; it was too late to effect insurance & altho I had no loss I had the torture of 20 wrecks & the picture of property worked to worthlessness on the rocky shore. Since this event my love of the wild wind has abated but now & then the old passion revives.
Geoffrey I am glad to say is cheerful & nearly as well as usual except a paleness of complection & thinness of limb which tells the past illness –
The Doctors say that from the sounds of the chest they infer that the heart has a chronic disease which will require much care to mitigate they dont give much hope of any cure & if this be confirmed by others whom I intend to consult I must bring him up accordingly.
I cant bear to have him far away from me: last week when I left him at Bournemouth8 & had rather unfavourable accounts: my bright thoughts ran so far into the dismal abodes, that fancying him already dead, I arranged how his little property was to be distributed among his playmates & where his little tomb was to be placed. But thank God he lives & gives us daily pleasure.
I have some thought of asking his school fellow – Le Quesne9 to spend a fortnight with him during the Xmas holidays if the said youth does not go home. Geoffrey & he appear to have had some pursuits in common – would there be any thing inappropriate think you?
I have scarcely left room to say that I shall be glad to see you if time permits when you come to London.10
believe me affectionately yours | James B Bevington
RI MS JT/1/B/93
Neckinger Mills Bermondsey: the Bevingtons opened a leather-manufacturing firm on the Neckinger River, London, in 1800.
Geoffreys: Geoffrey Bevington (1838–72), the son of James; he died at the age of 34.
little work on Photography: not identified. Geoffrey became a keen amateur photographer. He was awarded the Silver Cup of the Amateur Photographic Society for a series of photographs, depicting his family’s Neckinger Mills, displayed at the International Exhibition of 1862.
enclosures: Tyndall’s letter and all of the enclosures are missing (see n. 7 below). Tyndall probably wrote to Bevington on either 23 November, when he received a letter from Bevington (Journal, 23 November, JT/2/13b/590), or the following day.
the eratic Nazarene: Jesus, sometimes known as a Nazarene because he came from the town of Nazareth, disputed with the religious authorities of his day.
jasamine flowers: jasmine flowers were often regarded as symbols of warm sentiment and attachment.
confidential letters: probably concerned with the ailing health of Booth (see letter 0686, nn. 7 and 8).
Bournemouth: a coastal resort town that during the 19th century became a place of recuperation.
Le Quesne: not identified, but perhaps the same student later involved in what for Hirst was a difficult incident at Queenwood, leading to the student’s expulsion (see Hirst, ‘Journals’, 4 May 1856).
when you come to London: perhaps referring to Tyndall’s visit to London on 30 November to attend the anniversary meeting of the RS. Tyndall does not mention seeing Bevington in his account of the trip (Journal, 12 December 1852, JT/2/13b/591).
Please cite as “Tyndall0690,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/tyndall/letters/Tyndall0690