WCP3795

Letter (WCP3795.3709)

[1]

51 South St

6/9/63

Dearest Mother1

Your letter was excellent but both Edmund2 & myself thought it would be better not to allude to Wallace's 'conversation'3 as it might get him into a scrape. Please write to Miss Coutts4 as if you were writing to Mrs Hyde5 or Mrs Allan.6 You are quite as good if not a [2] deal better than she.

She is keeping that unhappy Abel Smith7 running about everywhere to counteract my doings. He has been to Stirling8 and to Henderson9 asking the former not to interfere and the latter to recognize only Sir J.B.10 Stirling has offered to revise the Statements if I like. I think he will [3] be staunch. I have been cloistered with Edmund[']s Solicitor11 who I found had already read my statement. He will look over the lease and in a few days give me an opinion — I am very glad indeed that you are coming to Wotton. it is a great nuisance that we can't be more together in haste to save post

[4] Y[ou]r loving son | J Brooke Brooke [signature]

I have found a former carriage for Uncle Willes12 price £16

1
Johnson (née Brooke), Emma Frances (fl.1820s-1860s), British wife of the Rev. Francis Charles Johnson. She was a sister of James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak.
2
Evelyn, Edmund Boscawen (1828-1904) British cleric. Brother-in-law of John Brooke Johnson-Brooke; husband of John Brooke Johnson-Brooke's sister Lucy Emma (née Johnson).
3
[Wallace's 'conversation' — I do not know to what this refers]
4
Burdett-Coutts, Angela (1814-1906). British philanthropist. Friend of James Brooke.
5
Not identified.
6
Not identified.
7
Smith, John Abel (1802-1871). Financier and politician. Associate of Angela Burdett-Coutts.
8
Stirling-Maxwell, William (1818-1878). British historian and MP. Known as William Stirling until 1864 when he succeeded to a baronetcy.
9
Henderson, Robert ( — ). British businessman and chairman of the Borneo Company.
10
Brooke, James (1803-1868). British-born Rajah of Sarawak. Was in a dispute with John Brooke Johnson-Brooke, his heir apparent, which resulted in his being disinherited.
11
Not identified.
12
Johnson, John Samuel Willes (1793-1863). British naval officer and Member of Parliament.

Editorial information

Status: Edited (but not proofed) transcription [Letter (WCP3795.3709)]

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

Revision history

Transcribed by Laverty, Martin [2013-03-26] Transcription checked by Barton, Michael [2019-12-20]

Please cite as “WCP3795,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 28 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP3795