WCP6157

[1]¹

Wykeham House,

Oxford.

Nov[ember]. 24. 1914.

Dear M^r. Wallace²,

Many thanks for your kind letter & to Mrs Wallace^{3 too} for her kind congratulations⁴. Your father was the first. ^{(1890) Darwin medallist5} & I think I received the medal for him, as I did the Copley⁵, ⁽¹⁹⁰⁸⁾ and posted it. In th his reply just 24 years ago his postscript [2] was "You ought to be the next recipient". I cut this out of the copy of the letter I sent to Mr Marchant⁶ but I thought you might be interested to know of it. Personally I am glad it is thus later because it happens to coincide with the award of medals to two of my colleagues here. It is so very pleasant that three are to be awarded to Oxford resident Science men⁷.

I spent much of my time on the voyage to Australia writing notes for my obituary for the Roy[al]. Soc[iety]⁸. Can you conveniently give me a list of all your father’s brothers & sisters with the dates of birth.[?] I believe that they exist in an old prayer-book. I could not make out the family very well in the Autobiography⁹. Also it would be a help if you could kindly put to each the approximate age at which he or she died. I hope that this will not be much trouble. There is no hurry, for I cannot just now take up the work where I left it. I am sending a copy of the [1 word illeg.] fraud with a reprint of the pamphlet as an appendix. With our kindest regards to you all¹⁰[,]

I am, | Yours sincerely, | E. B. Poulton¹¹ [signature]

P[ost]. S[criptum]. Mrs Wallace may be interested to hear that our youngest daughter¹² became engaged the day after our return from Australia, to a motor cycle despatch rider in the war — an old friend¹³.E. B. P.