Dear Mr Galbraith
This letter will be handed to you by my friend Col. Wynne of the Royal Engineers. He has a son preparing for our next examination and as I have reason to think that under the auspices of yourself and Mr Haughton Trinity College is well [regarded? organised?] with reference to the wants of your candidate[s]. I have recommended it to Col. Wynne as the place most likely to forward the objects which his son has in view. I should take it as a favour impressed upon myself if you would kindly afford Col Wynne your advice & assistance in this matter. His son has already made considerable progress [word illeg] his four subjects of study which are Mathematics – English – French Expressions [ words illeg] 2
If he has the opportunity of [word illeg] this you will soon learn that young Mr Wynne possesses a most estimable character.
RI MS JT/3/1/-
Draft of an undated letter scribbled into Tyndall’s pocket book for 1856 (RI MS JT/3/1). The notebook otherwise contained pencilled scraps on apparatus, trips and expenses. When Hirst left Queenwood College abruptly on 11 June 1856 he was still coaching Eddy Wynne for the Royal Artillery examinations which Wynne wished to take the following month. When the results were published in September 1856 he had failed. Eddy’s father, Col. George Wynne, must then have sought Tyndall’s advice on how his son could be coached for the entrance examinations in July 1857. Because Haughton and Galbraith had enjoyed success in passing Trinity College students through the Royal Artillery examinations, Tyndall evidently approached Galbraith for advice. This would date the draft letter to between June and no later than October 1856. Wynne passed and entered Woolwich in September 1857 and graduated as a Cadet in the summer of 1858.
French Expressions: The words here should refer to Eddy’s fourth examination paper.
Please cite as “Tyndall1251,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on