WCP1798

[1]

Waldron Edge, Duppas Hill, Croydon

Dec^r. 21st. 1879

Dear D^r. Norris¹

Knowing very few people in Birmingham I write to ask you to give me some information.

I see in "Nature" a week back an advertisement for Professors for the New Science College (Sir Josiah Mason’s²) at Birmingham, to be opened in Oct^r. next. I am not myself qualified for a professorship, but I am very anxious to obtain some post which shall not require too much indoor confinement and I thought that there might be some such office as Registrar, Secretary, [2] Librarian ^{Curator of Museum} or these combined, which I could undertake, & which would be suitable for a man who has devoted all his life to some kind of scientific work with, as yet, very little reward.

Do you know anything of this New College? Can you send me a list of the Trustees who I presume make all the appointments, or can you tell me if the posts above named are already filled up? The only persons I have any acquaintance with in Birmingham, besides yourself, are Mr. William Matthews³ (Alpine Club man), [3] Mr. Henry Buckley⁴ and D^r. Ginsburg⁵ if he still lives at Birmingham.

I have just had a great disappointment in not getting a post which would exactly have suited me & for which I have been working interest in every way for more than a year- the Superintendent ship of Epping Forest.

Of course I should prefer not to leave the neighborhood of London where are all my friends, but as I see no hope of getting anything here I must go wherever I can.

I suppose you keep up your interest in Spiritualism, as I do, [4] though I do not see very much of it now. Dr. Crowell’s⁶ new book "The Spirit World"⁷— is most interesting and suggestive.

With Compliments of the Season & Best wishes.

Believe me | yours very faithfully | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

Richd Norris M.D.