WCP1318

[1]

[in pencil in ARW’s hand] Answd

39 Grosvenor Park

Tunbridge Wells

March 7th 1904.

Dear Mr. Wallace,

In answer to yours of the 4th inst. I have first of all to thank you for kind letter enclosing 24 Postage stamps[.]

Ever since the receipt of the same I have been busy looking through all the old letters and scrapbooks I have to find any written by your brother W.G. W.¹ but all in vain. I now forward all [2] I can find of what were in W.G.W. rough scrapbook when Fanny transferred the best to the Green Velvet scrapbook. What I saved were intended for the dust hole.

With regard to your qy. relating to Mr Greenell's² trade or profession. I have it on the authority of Mrs Roberts of Epsom,³ Mrs Wallace⁴ & Fanny⁵that he was a corn chandler & Miller. Mrs Roberts used to speak much of the long family connection — naming the Grand-[3]father Sutherton Roberts & her husband John. She gave me to understand the Wills of the above would benefit the Wallace fam. & I took for granted that the late Miss Roberts pecuniary help to Fanny was intended as a quid pro quo. at the same time I doubt whether Miss R. had the power legally to transfer the Epsom property. Much of this may be the effect of my wrong construction of what Mrs. R. said. However this may be it is quite clear [4] that as soon as Gorringe⁶ found himself in possession than [sic] he began even in Miss Rs. lifetime to decorate the House — the first thing I noticed was the Gallery railings in white enamel picked out with gold. He sold the property as quickly as he could — I have often asked myself what about Mrs Roberts information and what about the Deeds of conveyance. Fanny said that Miss R. was killed with brandy & chloral. She wanted milk & eggs & could not get any. Rather romantic [5] and tragic the mere outline (of the King Lear discription [sic]) [.] The widow O'Hara & her 9 children, Hungry for money & social prestege [sic]. Gorringe afraid lest he should find his grasp of the situation undermined by the number of claiments. He tells Fanny in one of his letters to her that it is quite preposterous for her to suppose that he would entertain & satesfy ^satisfy her demands. You will get [6] out of all patience with such gosip [sic] — all the same it has given me many hours of amusement. This may seem difficult to you, but to me who has spent some hours several times amongst the whole tribe, it is merely the result of phrenological stock taking, and although all detail is gone to mist — there still remains a little nucleus of [illeg.] matter.

I remain | yours sincerely | Tho^s. Sims⁷ [signature]

Dr. A. R. Wallace

[7]

P.S.

I just remember that there used to be about the house as late as Lillie Rd several Bank & pocket books of Mr Greenell's some blank some vellum ranging in dates as⁸ far as I remember from 1763 to —96 I can't find one[.]