WCP4796

Letter (WCP4796.5189)

[1]

9, St Mark’s Crescent

Regents’ Park NW.

Nov[embe]r. 27th. 1868

My Dear Cousin

I have to inform you of the death of my Mother1, which took place on the 15th. of this month at my sisters’ at Ifield — in Sussex.2 She was in her 81st year.

For some months she had been very weak and feeble and about a month before her death had a slight paralytic stroke. Soon after this she became weaker & had long fits of insensibility, and finally passed away without pain. [2] I was very sorry to hear by your last, that you feared you would be obliged to give up the Linnean Society. I hope a favourable change may have occurred & that may be able to continue it. Please let me know as soon as you can decide, — as I must return the Journals I am now receiving for you, if absolutely determine[d] on ceasing to be a member.

My own prospects are still uncertain. The "East London Museum" affairs are not yet settled.3 If I get the Curatorship then I shall perhaps [3] join the Linn[ean]. Soc[iety]. myself; though perhaps I may then go in for the F[ellowship]. [of the] R[oyal]. S[ociety]. as the Royal Society have this year granted me one of their Royal Medals which I am to receive next Monday.4

I am now printing my book of Malay Travels5 which would have been out by this time, but for delays with Artists & wood cutters.

I hear that your uncle Edward Wilson6 is in London. Have you his address, & shall I send the letters you send me for him, to him or burn them?

With best wishes | Believe me | Your affectionate cousin | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

1
Wallace (née Greenell), Mary Ann (1792-1868). Mother of ARW.
2
Sims (née Wallace), Frances ("Fanny") (1812-1893). Sister of ARW; teacher.
3
ARW applied for the directorship of the newly built Bethnal Green Museum with the support and influence of Charles Lyell. Henry Cole later informed Lyell that the funds allowed by the Treasury for the managment of the Bethnal Green Museum were insufficient to pay for any director position. (Raby, P. 2002. Alfred Russel Wallace: A Life. London: Chatto & Windus. pp.206-22).
4
ARW received the Royal Society Medal of London on 30 November 1868 in recognition of his many contributions to theoretical and practical zoology. (Sabine, E. 1868. President's Address, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, 18(106) 135-151 [p.148]).
5

Wallace, A. R. 1869. The Malay Archipelago; the Land of the Orang-utan and the Bird of Paradise, 2 vols. London: Macmillan.

6. Unidentified person.

Editorial information

Status: Edited (but not proofed) transcription [Letter (WCP4796.5189)]

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

Revision history

Transcribed by Cooper, Rod [2013-09-26] Transcription checked by Catchpole, Caroline [2013-09-26] Transcription checked by Beros, Matt [2021-01-08]

Please cite as “WCP4796,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 1 May 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP4796