Olveston ǀ 29 Mar.
My dear Sir,
You will see from the enclosed2 that we cannot have Prof. Christison.3
My only doubt about Prof. Henfrey4 arises from our having already one King’s Coll. Professor in our list of Examiners5 and must perhaps have a second. Prof Henfrey would make a third.6 As we must be above the suspicion of partiality for any particular Institution, I fear this would not do? Perhaps he does not know Zoology. I think however that would easily be learned in London.
Is the Mr Babington7 of whom you speak of St. John’s Coll Cambridge?
Yours truly | Henry Moseley.
RI MS JT/1/TYP/3/887
LT Typescript Only
[1857]: the year is given based on Tyndall being an examiner in scientific topics for commissioned officers of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers at the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, from 1856–7. See letter 1306, n. 2.
the enclosed: letter missing.
Prof. Christison: possibly Robert Christison (1797–1882), a Scottish physician and toxicologist who worked in a variety of positions at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for over half a century (ODNB).
Prof. Henfrey: Arthur Henfrey (1819–59), a botanist who succeeded naturalist Edward Forbes in the chair of botany at King's College, London in 1854. In 1857, he published An Elementary Course of Botany (London: John Van Voorst) (ODNB).
one King’s Coll. Professor in our list of Examiners: Moseley and Tyndall were both examiners for commissioned officers of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers at the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, and were tasked with recruiting other examiners. For more on Tyndall as an examiner, see letter 1306, n. 2.
Prof Henfrey would make a third: in addition to Henfrey, Robert William Browne (1809–90), professor of Classical Literature at King’s College, London, also served as an examiner for the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich in 1857. See Report on Examination for Admission to Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, June 1857, HC 196 (1857–8), xxxvii, p. 627. In 1856 the King’s College professors Richard Chenevix Trench (1807–86) and Adolphus Bernays (1794–1864) also served as examiners. See War Department, Report on the Examination for Appointments to the Royal Artillery & Practical Class of the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich (London: Harrison, 1856).
Mr Babington: Charles Cardale Babington (1808–95), a botanist and archaeologist from St. John’s College, University of Cambridge (ODNB).
Please cite as “Tyndall1364,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on