[The following from the Natal Colonist will, interest some of our readers:—"Mrs M'Ken1 has received a most kind letter from the Rev. James Patten,2 formerly of Durban, sympathising with her on her loss, and transmitting the sum of £13 8s collected by him in Melbourne and Adelaide, and including his own donation. Among the contributors are Baron von Mueller, Director of the Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, £5 5s, and an amount of £2 2s, from Dr Schomburgk, of the gardens, Adelaide, both of whom sent Mr Patten letters expressive of their warm esteem and regard for our late curator."]
Margaret McKen (née Wood), widow of M. J. McKen who died on 20 April 1872 and 'left his wife and six children destitute' (S2A3, accessed 14 June 2022).
James Patten (1834-1905) Minister, Hawthorn Vic. Presbyterian Church in the 1870s and 1880s ('The late Rev. Jas. Patten, M.A', Reporter (Box Hill, Vic.), 9 March 1905, p. 4).
Letter not found. The text given here is from Ballarat Star, 29 April 1873, p. 2. The letter is dated to early March 1873 as the latest date a contribution could have been sent by M to Patten and be transmitted to Natal, and the acknowledgement be reprinted in the Australian press. However, M had promised the donation by July 1872 ('The Horticultural Society', Australasian (Melbourne), 27 July 1872, p. 122).
Please cite as “FVM-73-03-00,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on