15th Jan. 1856
My dear Tom
I have I suppose about 10 or 15 pounds in the hands of the people at Red Lion Court who are my virtual Bankers.1 On this I intended to live until I should make a haul from the London Institution2 where I commenced lecturing yesterday this ‘haul’ will however not reach me for 6 weeks.
So much to account to you why I did not send you the money by return of post.3 If I had it of course I would, and now for further shifts.
I have written off to Hughes4 asking him to send me 30 pounds. If it comes, which I hope, I will send it to you immediately.
Meanwhile to facilitate matters I will try whether I cannot borrow 30 pounds from somebody. It is hard if ones credit cannot reach beyond this. I will write to you more at length tomorrow & send you a long ragged account of my visit to Lord Ashburton, and all I saw there – in fact I threw the thing while there into the form of a letter to you5 which I will complete & send to you – hoping that you may have sight & patience to read it.
Your affectionate | John.
RI MS JT/1/T/865
Red Lion Court who are my virtual Bankers: Tyndall was referring to money held for him by Taylor & Francis for his translation work.
The London Institution: Tyndall began his series of second lectures on light at the London Institution in Finsbury Square on 14 January 1856. He continued to deliver these annual courses until 1860. Janet C. Cutler, The London Institution 1805-1933 (PhD thesis, University of Leicester, 1976).
By return of post: Tyndall still owed Hirst money he had borrowed to complete his studies in Germany.
Hughes: see letter 1046, n. 3 and n. 5 for Tyndall’s contribution to Edward Hughes (ed.), Reading Lessons (1855).
a letter to you: see letter 1187.
Please cite as “Tyndall1183,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on