JDH writes to Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer about his travels in Ireland [with his wife Lady Hyacinth Hooker]. They have travelled from Dublin to Muckross in Killarney & seen the Torc Cascade with Suringar & a geologist, as well as the Gap of Dunloe & the lakes. From Muckross they went to Queenstown, Cork where they have met with [William Edward] Gumbleton & the Bagwells. JDH describes these people & their fine gardens, he particularly mentions the Fuchsias & Escallonias. At Cork JDH also met with Brady, who went to Morocco, [Archibald] Liversidege Professor of Geology at Sydney New South Wales, & the Miss Townsends with their uncle. JDH plans to see more gardens around Cork before returning to Dublin to see Glassnevin & Powerscourt & travelling on to Pendock.
Transcript
Gumbleton[']s garden contains many fine shrubs & herbs but the specimens are young & small. The general character of this vegetation you know from description -- nothing can exceed its luxuriance of its Kind -- but only of its kind. Gumbleton is a bachelor, a Bibliomaniac up to a certain point & has heaps of expensive modern China. his enthusiasm for plants is only equalled by his ignorance. He has not the remotest conception of even Genus & species -- does not know a Composite from a Grass or an Umbellifer from either & I believe could not comprehend it if pointed out. Nothing can exceed his kindness & anxiety to make us happy. He appears to be regarded by the Bagwells as a son, & they call him by his xtian name, laugh at his eccentricities & ignorance & praise his great goodness of heart, charity & love of good works in the neighbourhood.
To day Tuesday[?] Gimbleton will take
East Grove
Queenstown
16 Aug / [18]78
My dear Dyer*1,
Since writing last (from Dublin I think) we have been wandering about rather vaguely, being very much the slaves of the weather.
We left Dublin on Wednesday for Killarney -- ie Muckross where we put up at O'Sullivans, clean, cheap, civil & noisy -- very plain food & ordinary accommodation. The Thursday it blew as furious a gale as ever I saw at sea & rained in torrents; but we made out the Torc cascade at the expense of a ducking, with [William Frederick Reinier?] Suringar & a Lupine[?] geologist who turned up at the Hotel. Next day we did the orthodox round -- of Gap of Dunloe & down on the Lakes
and so back to Muckross by boat. Next day, Saturday, weather gloomy & a little rain at night & after debating between Glengariff & Cork decided on the latter, arriving about midday. Took tram to Queenstown in afternoon & car to Gumbleton*2 -- found him in his Garden & after an enthusiastic 2 hours went with him to see garden at next property, Mr Bagwell's (formerly M.P. for somewhere in Tipperary) where I now write. At Mr Bagwell[']s the inevitable Irish rivalry for our persons took place & we settled it by accepting Mr & Mrs Bagwells['] invitation for two days beginning on Sunday m[ornin]g & returning for the night to Cork. At Cork I found the Brady who went to Morocco & Liversidge*3 Prof of Geology at Sydney N[ew]. S[outh]. W[ales].
Gumbleton[']s garden contains many fine shrubs & herbs but the specimens are young & small. The general character of this vegetation you know from description -- nothing can exceed its luxuriance of its Kind -- but only of its kind. Gumbleton is a bachelor, a Bibliomaniac up to a certain point & has heaps of expensive modern China. his enthusiasm for plants is only equalled by his ignorance. He has not the remotest conception of even Genus & species -- does not know a Composite from a Grass or an Umbellifer from either & I believe could not comprehend it if pointed out. Nothing can exceed his kindness & anxiety to make us happy. He appears to be regarded by the Bagwells as a son, & they call him by his xtian name, laugh at his eccentricities & ignorance & praise his great goodness of heart, charity & love of good works in the neighbourhood.
To day Tuesday[?] Gimbleton will take
us to other Gardens about Cork, & tomorrow we return to Dublin -- see the Glassnevin & Powerscourt [gardens] & so to Pendock on Friday or Saturday I hope.
In Cork we met the 2 Miss Townsends with an Uncle who turned out to be an Uncle of Gumbleton[']s too!. Miss T. is very anxious to hear from Harriet to whom she sends her love.
I fear that you can hardly read the above, pen and ink atrocious and no room for my elbows!.
These Bagwells are very accomplished & agreeable people. They rarely leave Ireland now. Mr B. is an ardent Horticulturalist with far better taste & Mrs B. with more knowledge than Gumbleton a great deal. These Gardens are most lovely, such a profusion of herbaceous things in beds backed by shrubs, besides glorious Fuchsias[,] Escallonias etc.
With best love to Harriet from both of us & kindest regards to family.
E[ve]r affectionately Y[our]s | J.D. Hooker [signature]
1. Sir William Turner Thiselton--Dyer (1843--1928). British botanist and third Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1885--1905). He succeeded Joseph Hooker in the role after serving as his Assistant Director for ten years. He previously held professorships at the Royal Agricultural College Cirencester, Royal College of Science for Ireland and Royal Horticultural Society. He married Hooker's eldest daughter Harriet in 1877.
2. William Edward Gumbleton (1840--1911). Irish horticulturalist.
3. Archibald Liversidge (1847--1927). English-born chemist and founder of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science.
Please note that work on this transcript is ongoing. Users are advised to study electronic image(s) of this document where possible.
Powered by Aetopia