My dear Hector.
I pray that this may find you unharmed amid the perils of your present vocation.1 I scan the papers eagerly in search of some intelligence regarding you, but thus far in vain.
Tom Hirst sent you some time ago a little biographical narrative written by himself2—I hope it reached you safely, I have been recently in correspondence with and paying visits to some people of our name and family3 an account of which I will now give you: it may amuse you in camp.
The Tyndall de Veer who wrote to me from Holland has written to me frequently since.4 You know he wished to learn whether we were related, and I replied that if he belonged or was related to the Irish Tyndall’s there was very little doubt of it; but on this point he knew nothing but he wrote to his uncle in the West Indies, and he, after giving a genealogy of the Tyndalls stated that he himself had gone to Dublin in 1819 to visit a relation of his, one of the Irish Tyndalls.
There is a fine gentlemanly fellow named John Warre Tyndale5 resident here in London: I have dined at his house a few times: his wife and daughters are extremely intelligent and perfect ladies in demeanour. His walls are covered with portraits of old Tyndalls including one of the Martyr.6 He and his wife believe firmly that we are related. He has a brother-in-law a barrister named Greenfield,7 an extremely intelligent and accomplished man—and in 1843 he drew out a detailed genealogy of the family of Tyndall in which he carried them by rigid links up to the line of Plantaganet. He is now at work in connexion with the martyr, and he has traced the emigration of a branch of this family into Ireland. He came to me not knowing that I was an Irish Tyndale, and pointed out the William Tyndale, residing in Dublin in 1676 as the origin of the Irish Tyndalls.
A week ago I went over to Ireland,8 in part to relieve my confused head; and while there I ran down along the eastern coast, and met some of the representants of our family now resident there. One of them is a physician in Gorey:9 a very respectable fellow, who with small means has managed to bring up a heavy family in a highly creditable manner. He has a nice house and a charming garden—altogether my visit to him pleased me much. There are some farmers of the name also in the neighbourhood, and some illegitimate children. I went on to New Ross,10 and near that town I found the biggest of the Tyndalls that I had met with. His name is Robert Tyndale, the proprietor of a beautiful place named Oaklands: He has a large estate in the Co. Kilkenny and was some years ago High Sheriff of the County. His place is beautiful and I had a delightful ramble with his wife and a most charming daughter.—she is quite a beauty—I did not care very much for her mother; she was a large strong-minded woman, and I do not feel much interest in women of this class Tyndall himself seems an exceedingly nice fellow.
And now I have told you briefly what I have recently learned. Are we never to have done with that fearful war? I wish you would write to me,—for many months I have heard nothing about you. Your name has not appeared in the papers, and hence I draw the consolation that at all events you are still alive. My brave Swiss guide Bennen was smashed a few weeks ago by an avalanche:11 he was climbing a mountain in company with two gentlemen and two local guides—when near the top the snow gave way and went down with a fearful rush carrying the party with it. Bennen and one of the gentlemen were killed.
Hirst’s health has been very unsatisfactory during the past half-year: he is now on the continent, and I hope he will return invigorated. He has a great affection for you, and like myself is very anxious to hear something about you.
And still a life of battle would be preferable to me to a life of stagnation. Our brains were never made to be stagnant—action of some kind, taxing both brain and muscle is necessary to our health, and I would sooner be fighting at your side, or rather on the other side than living a life of inaction on the fairest portion of the earth’s surface, I told the Count of Paris12 some months ago that I had had a cousin at Antietam13—“Oh said he “he was there under a fine general—that was Mc Clellan’s battle14”—the Count evidently rates Mc Clellan high.
Now sit down, if you are alone, and write to me—tell me how you spend your days—tell me what you think regarding the continuance of the war. The exponent of Federal news in the House of Commons15 is a personal friend of mine. We shall probably make a tour together this year in the Caucasus—I mean Forster the member for Bradford—He is a very able fellow and perfectly straightforward. Give my kindest regards to Mrs Tyndall16 and to your sister17—goodbye dear Hector and believe me always
Your affectionate cousin | John Tyndall
RI MS JT/1/TYP/5/1661–3
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your present vocation: Tyndale was a general in the American Civil War (1861–5).
little biographical narrative written by himself: Hirst contributed a brief life of Tyndall to L. Reeve (ed), Portraits of Men of Eminence in Literature, Science, and Art, with Biographical Memoirs. The Photographs from Life, by Ernst Edwards, BA (London: Lovell Reeve & Co., 1864), vol 2, pp. 25–32 (the portrait of Tyndall faced the first page of the memoir). Hirst noted in his journal entry of 22 March 1864 that ‘On Saturday I commenced writing a sketch of Tyndall’s life to be published in the series of lives with Portraits by Edwards. I had not the time to give it the finish I desired for I had but the two days to finish it. Nevertheless I warmed towards the work as I wrote’ (Brock and Macleod, Hirst Journals, p. 1665). It is likely that Hirst sent Tyndale a copy of what he wrote rather than a copy of the published volume.
paying visits to some people of our name and family: Tyndall left London for Ireland on 4 May 1864 and returned during the night before he wrote this letter. See also letters 2091 and 2094.
The Tyndall de Veer who wrote to me from Holland has written to me frequently since: letters missing; see letter 2019.
John Warre Tyndale: John William Warre Tyndale (1811–97), an Oxford-educated barrister and author, notably of The Island of Sardinia (1849) (E. Walford, The County Families of the United Kingdom or Royal Manual of the Titled and Untitled Aristocracy of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland (London: Chatto & Windus, 1893), p. 1022).
one of the Martyr: William Tyndale.
Greenfield: B. W. Greenfield (dates unknown), who in 1843 privately printed ‘Genealogy of the Family of Tyndale (of Hayling Island, Hants)’ (see ‘The Tyndalls of Hockwold’, in R. E. C. Waters, Genealogical Memoirs of the Extinct Family of Chester of Chicheley, their Ancestors and Descendants, 2 vols (London: Robson and Sons, 1878), vol. 1, pp. 263–77, in footnotes of p. 267).
A week ago I went over to Ireland: see n. 3. See also letter 2094.
a physician in Gorey: John Tyndall (of Gorey).
New Ross: a town in southwest County Wexford, Ireland.
was smashed a few weeks ago by an avalanche: this is well described in C. Gos, Alpine Tragedy (London: George Allen and Unwin, 1948), pp. 18–23.
the Count of Paris: Price Philippe of Orleans (1838–94), Count of Paris, grandson of King Louis Philippe I. He was Count of Paris from 1848–94.
Antietam: see letter 1946, n. 7.
Mc Clellan’s battle: shorthand for the Battle of Antietam (see note 13). General George Brinton McClellan (1826–85) stopped General Robert E. Lee’s invasion of the north at Antietam. Although this has subsequently been recognised as a decisive battle in the war, McClellan’s tactics and caution have subsequently been heavily criticized.
The exponent of Federal news in the House of Commons: William Edward Forster (1818–86), a British politician; M.P. for Bradford (ODNB).
Mrs Tyndall: Julia Tyndale.
your sister: Elizabeth Mitchell.
Please cite as “Tyndall2095,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on