WCP3159

Letter (WCP3159.3127)

[1]1

16 Lower Cathedral Road,

'Cardiff'

July 5. / [18]95.2

A.R. Wallace Esq[uire]. DCL. &c

Respected and -

Dear Sir,

Having your most interesting works "Island Life"3 southern "Archipelagos"4 and "Australasia"5, I am anxious to know if you were the same Mr Alfred Wallace that taught in Science Classes — Evenings — to the working engineers and Artificers of "Neath" Abbey and 'Neath' in South Wales Glamorgan [2] with Mr Jevons6 who with other gentlemen built the Institute7 about the years — 1845 to 1850 1848.

I have often while reading "Spiritualism"8 had a desire to know as I benefited more while in your Class — if you are the same — Mr A Wallace — in practical [3]9 Mechanics Thermo Dynamics Statics &c &c than I ever was taught at School and I have often wished I knew how to thank you or the teachers of the Neath Mechanics — Institute for the Good I and others received from them[.] I suppose Mr Jevons and the Elder promoters of the [4] work are dead[.] Mr Alfred Curtis10 who was afterwards Town Clerk of Neath who was an Earnest worker and Arithmetician is dead with many others[.] Will you be pleased to pardon Me for asking if you were tutor of my youth as I wish so much to thank if so and trust you may be preserved many years[.]

I am dear Sir | Your obedient and Grateful Servant | Matthew Jones11 [signature]

1
Page numbered 148 in pencil in top RH corner and "Answ[ere]d" written in ink across top LH corner.
2
Year deduced from birth and death dates of ARW (1813-1923).
3
Wallace, A. R. (1880) Island Life: Or, The Phenomena and Causes of Insular Faunas and Floras, Including a Revision and Attempted Solution of the Problem of Geological Climates. Macmillan & Co. London.
4
Wallace A. R. (1869) The Malay Archipelago; The Land of the Orang-utan and the Bird of Paradise; A Narrative of Travel With Studies of Man and Nature. 2 volumes. Macmillan & Co., London. (The book chronicles his scientific exploration, during the eight-year period 1854 to 1862, of the southern portion of the Malay Archipelago including Malaysia, Singapore, the islands of Indonesia (Dutch East Indies) and the island of New Guinea.
5
Wallace, A. R. (1893) Australasia. Vol. 1 Australia and New Zealand. Stanford's Compendium of Geography and Travel (New Issue): Edward Stanford, London. (A complete revision of one-half of: Wallace, A. R. (Edited and extended by, with Ethnological Appendix by A. H. Keane) (1883) Australasia. Third Edition. (other half revised by another author)).
6
Jevons, William (no dates available). Local industrialist who owned the Cwmgwarch Venallt Iron Works and a co-founder of the Mechanics' Institute in Neath, South Wales. He held a substantial private library of books which Wallace would occasionally borrow.
7
Neath Mechanics' Institute, Church Place, Neath, South Wales. ARW lived in Neath from 1841 to 1848 during which period he worked as a surveyor and studied natural history. He was persuaded by William Jevons (see Endnote 5) to lecture on the subjects of Geology, Geography, Astronomy and Science.
8
Wallace, A. R. (1875) On Miracles and Modern Spiritualism: Three Essays, James Burns, London.
9
Page numbered 149 in pencil in top RH corner.
10
Curtis, Alfred (no dates available). Town Clerk of Neath, South Wales.
11
British Museum stamp.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP3159.3127)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by O'Dell, Sandra [2015-04-23] Transcription checked by Benny, Ruth [2015-04-23] Transcription checked by Sherwood, Danni [2020-08-10]

Published letter (WCP3159.6911)

[1] [p. 135]

In 1895 I received a letter from Cardiff, from one of the workmen who attended the Neath Mechanics' Institution,1 asking if the author of "Island Life,"2 the "Malay Archipelago,"3 and other books is the same Mr. Alfred Wallace who taught in the evening science classes to the Neath Abbey artificers. He writes — "I have often had a desire to know, as I benefited more while in your class — if you are the same Mr. A. Wallace — than I ever was taught at school. I have often wished I knew how to thank you for the good I and others received from your teaching. — (Signed) MATTHEW JONES."

1
South Wales institution formed in 1843 to provide education and reading materials for local people. ARW lectured there and designed its building in 1847.
2
Wallace, A. R. (1880) 'Island Life: Or, The Phenomena and Causes of Insular Faunas and Floras, Including a Revision and Attempted Solution of the Problem of Geological Climates' London, UK: Macmillan & Co.
3
Wallace, A.R. (1869) 'The Malay Archipelago: The land of the orang-utan, and the bird of paradise. A narrative of travel, with studies of man and nature' 2 Vols. London, UK: Macmillan

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Published letter (WCP3159.6911)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Paterson, Gavin [2020-03-23]

Please cite as “WCP3159,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 28 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP3159