To Annie Krefft   10 November 1881

Private.

10/11/81.

 

It is with much sympathy, dear Madame, that I hear of your distress and difficulties. It is very sorrowful, to loose such a genial consort as Mr Krefft was, but still sadder that you with your young family should be unprovided. 1 Unfortunately in Melbourne are no institutions, — so far as I am aware — to relieve sufferings like yours, and whether the English Society for literary men in distress has also a widow-fund, I am not aware. I thought Mr Krefft had insured his life, and that a sum of £1000 was due to him on resignation. As death ended his career, that sum would morally be due to you, though perhaps not legally, but I feel quite sure, that the N.S.W. Government would recognize all fair claims of yours, and the Gentleman, after whom your lamented husband named the wonderful fish Ceratodus,2 which alone raises to him a permanent monument in Zoology, would doubtless aid you with his advise and influence to obtain for you some recognition & help from the authorities in Sydney.

I am myself quite without property, beyond my library and a very small cottage, in which I do my office-work; and since I left the bot Garden I am so out of all Society, that I do not know anyone, to whom I could appeal in a case of yours. I sunk all, I had, in my travels, my researches and my books, and am in fluctuating health after 34 years incessant work in Australia. The friends of the family of the late Mr Blandowski applied also to me from Breslau on their behalf, and all I could do, was to advise them to ask through the German Consulate your Government, to purchase his drawings and manuscripts, in the elaboration of which more than 25 years ago your husband gave gr[eat]3 help. If a subscription list was opened on your behalf, I would willingly contribute a little out of my slender means, but do not know any one here, to whom I could submit it for reasons explained. Dr Bennett4 was always a generous supporter of Mr Krefft, and I feel sure he would be willing to give you his counsels. The photogram of Mr Krefft5 I shall treasure much as a sad souvenir.

With sympathy, dear Madam,

yours

Ferd. von Mueller

1
Gerard Krefft died on 19 February 1881. Shortly before this his estate was sequestered with liabilities of £1131 (ADB).
2
Krefft named Ceratodus forsteri after its discoverer, the NSW politician William Forster, MLA (SMH, 18 January 1870).
3
editorial addition — Text obscured by binding tape.
4
George Bennett.
5
Photgram not found.

Please cite as “FVM-81-11-10,” 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 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/81-11-10