Hooker, Sir Joseph Dalton
JHC332
HMS 'Erebus', Simon's Bay, Cape of Good Hope, [South Africa],South Africa
JDH/1/2 f.194
Turner (nee Palgrave), Mary
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
18-4-1843
© Descendants of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker
Correspondence from Antarctic Expedition
The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
English
Contemporary MS copy
3 page letter over 1 folio
 

JDH thanks his Grandmother, Mary Turner, for the letters she has sent him during his time with the Ross Antarctic Expedition. He reports that he saw Mr Clowes at Port Jackson, he was first introduced to Clowes by the McLeays. Miss McLeay was the first to tell JDH that his father, William Jackson Hooker, had been appointed Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. From what his GRandmother says JDH thinks the job & residence at Kew will suit his father. Mentions the situations of his aunts, Mary's daughters: Harriet Gunn, Mary Anne Turner & Hannah Brightwen, the latter now married to Thomas Brightwen & living in Southtown near Gorleston. Mary's sons, Gurney Turner & Dawson Turner, JDH's uncles, are doing well in their professions. Aunt Elizabeth has informed JDH that his cousin Inglis will go into the family bank [Gurney's Bank] & her older children Francis & William Gifford are going to college. Mentions a report of Mr Jacobson being given a lectureship. JDH recalls how Mary used to sing at the bank , he wonders if her daughters carry this on. He writes of how he has missed music whilst at sea & relished opportunities to hear any band play whilst on his travels, he especially recalls a band playing Rule Britannia at a ball in Hobart, New Zealand. JDH & the expedition are now returning home. JDH would like to travel more but will likely take up a job at Kew Gardens, an opportunity to pursue the study of his favourite science: botany. Discusses their family friends Mr & Mrs Brightwen, JDH recalls riding to Caistor with Mr Brightwen during harvest.

Transcript

aunts Harriett & Hannah sometimes wake up your old associations. Very often indeed do I think of you & the Meteor Flag of England, & never so fondly as when a Band or simple whistler strikes up Rule Britannia. Once at Hobarton, the townspeople gave us a splendid Ball & supper, where upwards of 300 persons attended. As soon as the officers from ships were announced, two Bands burst out into that beautiful Air. You cannot conceive how music thrills through us, when we are the subjects who call it forth; but I would rather, even then, have heard your single voice singing it; and, I do assure you, I thought so at the very time. Very little music comes in our way, of course, at the remote & desolater stations we lay at, & thus we doubly appreciate it.
Of my situation you will hear enough from my nearest relatives. Our Voyage is now drawing to a close, without having diminished my passion for travelling. That, however, can never be fully gratified & indeed such a pleasant prospect lies before me of prosecuting my favourite science at Kew, that it were foolish to hope to indulge it, at the expense of my friends' comfort. I am truly glad to hear that your more than friends, Mr & Mrs Brightwen, continue well & as of old. How much I shall relish to ride with Mr B to Caistor! Does he recollect the Harvestmen calling out to him for largesse (I think), & my surprise & total ignorance of the custom. Orion[?], I hope, is still in existence with Norman to carry him down.
You will, I am sure, excuse me making this letter any longer as I have many others to write,-- one to aunt Mary, if possible. Kindest love to all from y[ou]r most aff[ectiona]te Grandson
J.D. Hooker.

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Copy*1
HMS 'Erebus'. Cape of Good Hope
April 18 1843
(rec[eive]d 14 July)
To Mrs [Mary] Dawson Turner My dear grandmother,
For the many & kind letters which you have addressed to me at various periods since the sailing of this Expedition, I have never failed to thank you in my heart, though I have not yet had grace enough to transmit my thanks in writing. Albeit small in form & late in the day, you will not refuse to accept of this acknowledgement.
Having lately sent many letters home, there is very little news which I can now add, so that this can only be a short gossip about distant friends, nearer to you than me. Soon after our arrival in Port Jackson I saw young Mr Clowes, who came on board our ship. He was not strong but seemed fairly well & said he liked the climate much. The McLeay's were the first to tell me of him; they were most kind friends to me. It was Mrs (Miss) Clowes who, in a note conveyed to me the earliest information of my father's having obtained the Kew Appointment. As you may suppose this gratified me & all his other friends highly; me, the more especially, as it was the first & last piece of good tidings that has greeted me about our own family, since the time of my leaving them all. From all that you say, Kew appears to me a most delightful situation; whether as regards residence or employment, it suits so well my father's taste & means.

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I am very glad to hear that Aunt [Harriet] Gunn has at length got a trustworthy house over her head, not that the equilateral building can look so pretty in my eyes as the gables & brick walls of her former dwelling. Does the Vinery yet exist? Aunt Hannah's house is, I think, in Southtown, near Gorleston. I often wonder how many she has in it now. You will please to remember me very kindly to Tom Brightwen in his new character (to me) of Uncle Tom! Aunt Mary, who most kindly writes me a long letter, says they are comfortably & happily settled near you.
Gurney & Dawson appear to get on very well in their respective employments. The former, seemingly, likes his position exceedingly; &, to be fond of one's profession, is the surest way of shining in it. The latter has written me 3 long & kind letters, to which I have returned but one, & I fear he will think me shabby. Aunt Elizabeth informs me that my cousin Inglis is destined for the Bank*2 & his two elder brothers for College, I can only wish them health & happiness in their several occupations. Mr Jacobson's name was in a paper that I have seen, & mentioned as having been unanimously voted to some Lectureship, what I do not know; but hope it will be good for himself & for those who made the appointment.
Having now discussed my friends, you will allow me to say a few words touching myself, & in the first place, I am most glad to hear that your health continues fairly good, so that I may hope to see you as happy to welcome me, as you ever want to be. The Music of the Bank is, I fear, all gone; unless

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aunts Harriett & Hannah sometimes wake up your old associations. Very often indeed do I think of you & the Meteor Flag of England, & never so fondly as when a Band or simple whistler strikes up Rule Britannia. Once at Hobarton, the townspeople gave us a splendid Ball & supper, where upwards of 300 persons attended. As soon as the officers from ships were announced, two Bands burst out into that beautiful Air. You cannot conceive how music thrills through us, when we are the subjects who call it forth; but I would rather, even then, have heard your single voice singing it; and, I do assure you, I thought so at the very time. Very little music comes in our way, of course, at the remote & desolater stations we lay at, & thus we doubly appreciate it.
Of my situation you will hear enough from my nearest relatives. Our Voyage is now drawing to a close, without having diminished my passion for travelling. That, however, can never be fully gratified & indeed such a pleasant prospect lies before me of prosecuting my favourite science at Kew, that it were foolish to hope to indulge it, at the expense of my friends' comfort. I am truly glad to hear that your more than friends, Mr & Mrs Brightwen, continue well & as of old. How much I shall relish to ride with Mr B to Caistor! Does he recollect the Harvestmen calling out to him for largesse (I think), & my surprise & total ignorance of the custom. Orion[?], I hope, is still in existence with Norman to carry him down.
You will, I am sure, excuse me making this letter any longer as I have many others to write,-- one to aunt Mary, if possible. Kindest love to all from y[ou]r most aff[ectiona]te Grandson
J.D. Hooker.

ENDNOTES


1. This letter is a contemporary 19th century copy, not written in the hand of the original author Joseph Dalton Hooker, and not signed by him. The copy was probably made by Hooker's Mother or one of his sisters to be circulated amongst family and friends.
2. Gurney's Bank. Founded by members of the Gurney Family in 1770. Joseph Hooker's Great Grandfather, James Turner, was head of the Great Yarmouth branch and the Turner family remained involved with the bank for several generations.

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