Board of Trade1 | 28 Nov. 1853.
My dear Tyndall,
I only received your letter2 on Saturday evening when I returned from the North – Every one must approve of the independent attitude you have assumed and it will raise you in the esteem of those who do not know you otherwise than by your attainments but it will make no difference to those who have the pleasure of knowing you personally as they could have told beforehand that you would not accept any doubtful mark of distinction or I should rather say a distinction on which a doubt was cast from a quarter commanding respect – I have not acquaintance myself with the subject to form an opinion on the originality of your views which have been questioned, but I am inclined to attach a great deal more importance to the decision of the majority of the Council3 almost twice expressed than to the querulous objections of some disappointed philosopher who was perhaps anxious to show the society the loss they had in not having him of the Council to keep them straight – You have however all the distinction of the medal4 with the additional one of shewing that you can afford to do without it.5 I would go down to the Institution and have a talk with you over the matter but that I have to start to-morrow on a rather prolonged tour of inspection which will occupy me some ten days and I am necessarily very busy. Ginty has sent me a Manchester Guardian6 with the announcement of his election to the Honorary Secretaryship of the Manchester Athenaeum7 I send you the paragraph.8 In making the selection I am sure the society has but studied their own interest. I shall look out for a visit from you the Sunday after next but I cannot offer a bed as my Mother in law9 and another lady10 are staying with me and Harry11 will be at home for the holidays, but you will meet a very jolly party
farewell | Most truly yours | Geo. Wynne.
RI MS JT/1/TYP/5/1852
LT Typescript Only
Board of Trade: see letter 0784, n. 9.
your letter: letter missing.
the Council: the Council of the Royal Society (see letter 0816, n. 7).
the medal: the Royal Medal (see letter 0815, n. 3).
afford to do without it: Tyndall declined the Royal Medal (see letter 0837).
Manchester Guardian: a British newspaper founded by John Edward Taylor (1791–1844) in 1821, published weekly, and then daily from 1855 (W. H. Mills, The Manchester Guardian: A Century of History [New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1922]).
Manchester Athenaeum: see letter 0819, n. 12.
the paragraph: not identified.
my Mother in law: Harriette Trench (1785–1855), mother of Anne Wynne (see letter 0834, n. 4).
another lady: not identified.
Harry: George Wynne’s son Henry (see letter 0716, n. 2).
Please cite as “Tyndall0843,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on