WCP7132

Letter (WCP7132.8260)

[1]1

Waldron Edge, Duppas Hill, Croydon.

Decr. 9th. 1879

Dear Mr. Mongredien

The Epping Forest Committee2 will not have me at any price. They want a practical man and have appointed (yesterday) Mr. McKenzie3 — a landscape gardener, who I am told laid out the Alexandra Park &c. He looks an intelligent man; — but as a landscape gardener, & with such a Committee, I feel afraid the Forest will be cut up into winding roads, & formal avenues & its wildness and natural aspect modified or lost.

My testimonials were strong enough [2]4 but I could point to no important work done, & the Committee could not see that this was a matter of delicate taste & judgement. They laid great stress on draining & road-making, rather than on planting, — and though I thoroughly understand the principles of both, & have seen them done many times, I never have had the opportunity of executing either myself — & this was against me.

So now I can only thank [3]5 friends like yourself who did what they could to help me. Six of the Committee were absent, among them two who I had calculated on as sure to support me.

Hoping yourself and all your circle are quite well this seasonal but unpleasant weather.

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

1
A pencil annotation "ans[were]d" is written on the upper left-hand corner of page 1.
2
The Epping Forest Committe was a statutory committee constituted under the Epping Forest Act of 1878 with the charge that they should "at all times as far as possible preserve the natural aspect of the forest." The committe was comprised of twelve members and four Verderers. (Raby, P. 2002. Alfred Russel Wallace: A Life. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. [pp.218-219])
3
McKenzie, Alexander (c. 1830-1893). Scottish landscape gardener; Superintendent of Epping Forest 1879-93.
4
A pen annotation "deep [2 illeg. words]" is written at the bottom right-hand corner of page 2.
5
"A. Mongredien Esq." is written in ARW's hand at the bottom of page 3.

Editorial information

Status: Edited (but not proofed) transcription [Letter (WCP7132.8260)]

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

Revision history

Transcribed by Beros, Matt [2020-07-09]

Please cite as “WCP7132,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP7132