WCP3899

Letter (WCP3899.3819)

[1]1

Parkstone, Dorset.

June 14th. 18922

My dear Hooker3

I write to ask you to do a kindness which I hope & think it will be a pleasure for you to do. It is to head a memorial to the Prime Minister asking him to grant a Civil List Pension to my father-in-law William Mitten4. I think his life-long work in botany, though in an obscure & little recognised department, [2] deserve such a recognition. He has had a life of hardwork[sic] in his business, & having three unmarried daughters has I am sure been able to save very little, and a moderate pension for the few remaining years of his life, — he will enter his 74th year in November next — will enable hum to obtain some much-needed relocation, as well as adding to his mental repose.

I feel sure that if you head [3] such a memorial, and that it is supported by Mr. Thiselton Dyer5, Mr. Carrerthen6 (an old friend of Mitten's) and any other botanists of eminence who know his work that it will have every chance of being successful.

No doubt you know all the necessary forms to be gone through, but if you w[oul]d instruct me I shall be happy to do what I can to save you any trouble in the matter.

[4]7 I am glad to be able to inform you that our friend Allman8 is wonderfully well, & seems to have suffered no permanent ill effect from his serious illness in the winter.

Hoping you yourself and Lady Hooker are quite well

Believe me | Yours very truly | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

Sir Jos.[eph] Hooker K.C.S.J. &c.

P.S. Mitten knows nothing of this application.

A.R.W. [signature]

1
In the upper left corner is written by a different hand in pencil, likely markings made for a collection.
2
Under the date is a stamp that reads, "6".
3
Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (30 June 1817 — 10 December 1911), English botanist and second director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew after his father, William Hooker.
4
William Mitten (1819 — 1906), English bryologist.
5
William Turner Thiselton-Dyer, English botanist and director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew after succeeding Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker.
6
William Carruthers (29 May 1830 — 2 June 1922), Scottish botanist.
7
In the upper left corner is a small "6" written in red.
8
Dr. George James Allman (1812 — 24 November 1898), Irish naturalist, member of the Royal Society and President of the Linnean Society.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP3899.3819)]

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

Revision history

Transcribed by Seo, Veri [2013-08-13] Transcription checked by Catchpole, Caroline [2013-08-13]

Transcription (WCP3899.4268)

[1]

PARKSTONE, DORSET.

June 14th, 1892.

To Sir J.Hooker1

My dear Hooker

I write to ask you to do a kindness which I hope and think it will be a pleasure for you to do. It is to head a memorial to the Prime Minister asking him to grant a Civil List Pension to my father-in-law, William Mitten. I think his life-long work in botany, though in an obscure and little recognised department, deserves such a recognition. He has had a life of hard work in his business, and having three un-married daughters has I am sure been able to save very little, and a moderate pension for the few remaining years of his life,— he will enter his 74th year in November next — will enable him to obtain some much needed relaxation as well as adding to his mental repose.

I fell sure that if you head such a memorial, and that it is supported by Mr Thistleton Dyer, Mr Carruthers (an old friend of Mitten's) and any other botanists of eminence who know his work, that it will have every chance of being successful.

No doubt you all know all the necessary forms to be gone through, but if you will instruct me I shall be happy to do what I can to save you any trouble in the matter.

I am glad to be able to inform you that our friend Allman is wonderfully well, and seems to have suffered no permanent ill effects from his serious illness in the winter.

Believe me, Yours very truly | ALFRED R. WALLACE.

P.S. Mitten knows nothing of this application. A.R.W.

1
This is handwritten. The rest of the transcript is typed.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Transcription (WCP3899.4268)]

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

Revision history

Transcribed by Congerton, John [2019-12-17]

Please cite as “WCP3899,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 28 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP3899