Feb. 21st 1855
My dear Tom.
I said to Francis today that I was thinking of taking a trip to Broughton on Saturday. He said to me that if I would wait till the beginning of next month he would accompany me – this I agreed to do – so that if nothing inopportune occurs you may expect to see us both on Saturday week.1
Your last note2 is at Chadwell Street3 and I am at the R.I. and have but a dim recollection of its contents. I remember a leg of mutton, and must ask you to thank Anna for her hospitable intentions towards me – Your account of Queenwood too made a pleasant impression on me which still continues – The Saturday evening meeting – provided it does not degenerate (as there is always a danger) into boiled onions and apple patties cannot but be conducive to the welfare of the establishment. I hope its meeting will be conducted with calmness and patience to the exclusion of the feeling that it is in any way irksome. The duties which your new position4 imposes on you are far from being heavy ones – I should enact them with great content under the circumstances. – I appreciate Bevington’s generous disposition and sweet kind heart – nevertheless that 10 guinea affair5 does not suit me – It is all right on his part, but I should have been perfectly content had you left the choice of a suitable gift to himself – If however both you and he feel that it has no effect whatever upon the relationship between you the matter is allright.
Since I wrote to you6 I accompanied Col. Wynne to Swindon to examine a boiler7 which exploded there some time ago. According to my explanation the whole boiler formed a galvanic element, against the positive electrode (the plates of the boiler) of which oxygen was liberated, causing corrosion so deep as to eat the plate quite thin and render it unable to sustain the inward pressure.
I also gave a lecture at the London Institution8 at the conclusion of which one of the managers told me that he had never seen the audience so delighted before – My lectures at the R.I. appear to give great satisfaction and my audience at present is a very large one – Yesterday, was about the poorest lecture9 I delivered except the first and the cause of it was that my brains were parboiled by a hot fire in the vicinity of which I was compelled to stand.
I think I told you that I had made Professor Owen’s acquaintance10 – not by my pushing towards him but by his drawing towards me.
On Monday night I was in the midst of a large assemblage in Hyde Park Gardens11 – Among the throng were one or two maidens shining resplendent12 as the young May moon – The majority however were things of clay, with here and there the sparkle of a parasol to irradicate its dullness.–
Frances was about sending you some translations, but he will now probably let them stand over until he comes to see you – My paper in the Phil Trans13 is not yet in the Phil. Trans. but I expect it soon will be – As soon as I lay hold of it I will send you a copy – Kind remembrance to Anna
as usual yours | John
RI MS JT/1/T/594
Saturday week: Tyndall and Francis went to Queenwood on Saturday, 3 March 1855 (Journal: RI MS JT/2/13c/731).
Your last note: letter missing.
Chadwell Street: Tyndall was lodging at 9 Chadwell Street, his landlady being Mrs Whitehouse.
your new position: as husband to Anna.
that 10 guinea affair: Hirst recorded in his Journal (18 February 1855: RI MS JT/2/32c/1161) that he had received 10 guineas as a wedding present from John Bevington. This gift had been delayed because, although Bevington had written a letter enclosing the cheque on 20 November 1854, he had forgotten to post it.
I wrote to you: letter missing.
to examine a boiler: see letter 1045.
a lecture at the London Institution: on 14 February; see letter 1040, n. 4.
the poorest lecture: On 20 February Tyndall delivered the sixth of his series of lectures on ‘Electricity and Magnetism’. He recorded his dissatisfaction in his Journal: ‘Too much work in the presence of a strong fire muddled me at length and I could not shake off the muddle during lecture. The consequence was that whatever satisfaction it may have given the others it was far from satisfactory to myself’ (RI MS JT/2/13c/730).
Professor Owen’s acquaintance: see letter 1044, n. 6.
a large assemblage in Hyde Park Gardens: presumably at the home of Maria Drummond, 18 Hyde Park Gardens, widow of Thomas Drummond (1797–1840), the Scottish engineer and surveyor.
one or two maidens shining resplendent: one or both of the Drummond’s younger daughters – Mary (‘May’, b. 1837) and Emily (‘Pussey’, 1838–1930).
My paper in the Phil Trans: Tyndall was waiting for pre-prints of his Bakerian Lecture (see letter 1029, n. 1) which would later be published in the Phil. Trans.
Please cite as “Tyndall1047,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on