JDH discusses the displeasure of John Smith, Curator of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, at his proposed removal from the Curator's House to a more manageable dwelling, such as Baker or Taylor's house, owing to Smith's illness. JDH has explained to Smith that the plan is to keep him on as Curator, even if he cannot walk, but hire an Assistant Curator to help him, & that these measures are being taken in the hope of prolonging Smith's life. JDH reports that Smith blamed one Mr Curndale for being deceitful about the matter & claimed he had heard rumours the job had been offered to Dunne or someone else whose legs worked, through the Duke of Buccleugh [Buccleuch]. JDH suggests this rumour may have arisen if the Duke spoke to Noel or Mitford [of the Office of Works] about the post on Dunne's behalf. JDH suspects Smith's wife is causing trouble over the matter & it has appeared in the Richmond papers. JDH has just received an invitation to the funeral of his niece, Willielma Campbell née Hooker at St George's Church, close to the Hotel JDH will be staying at [Royal Hotel].
Transcript
Kew
Saturday 4pm
July 19. [18]79
My dear Dyer*1
I write to let you know that I have had another sad scene with Mr Smith*2 -- whose wife told him that night that I had spoken to her about his removal from his present home after his illness. After upbraiding me, to his heart's content, I explained to him, as best as I could, for I was very agitated, that this was done at [The] Board's suggestion with my hearty approval, & with the view of removing him him from 16 hours worry of the curator's present home. That the idea
Kew
Saturday 4pm
July 19. [18]79
My dear Dyer*1
I write to let you know that I have had another sad scene with Mr Smith*2 -- whose wife told him that night that I had spoken to her about his removal from his present home after his illness. After upbraiding me, to his heart's content, I explained to him, as best as I could, for I was very agitated, that this was done at [The] Board's suggestion with my hearty approval, & with the view of removing him him from 16 hours worry of the curator's present home. That the idea
was to keep him as curator & put some one[sic] in as assistant -- that it appeared to me, to Mr Curndale[?] & to others (I did not mention your name) as the only possible prospect of prolonging his life. That we thought of Taylor's[?] or Baker's house for him, & that there was no idea at all of removing him him from the curatorship. In that I & the Board considered that his value in head-ship-ship alone, would justify us in keeping him on, even supposing he could not walk. He then opened out on Curndale more violently than ever, who he blamed for deceiving us & so
forth. He declares himself positively informed that the Curatorship was offered to Dunne[?] & talked of some one[sic] "whose legs had been made by mahogany" that was authority for my having (I suppose) offered it to him through the D[uke] of Buccleugh [Buccleuch]! I informed him that I had never had any communication with the D[uke] of B[uccleugh] in my life but once, at Norwich in 1868 I heard his name mentioned in connection with the garden. It is very likely that that Dunne hearing of the illness of Smith had the Duke[']s promise of getting the place for him and the D[uke] may have spoken to Noel or Mitford.
Smith went away mollified if not satisfied. Owing that he was
irritable. He acknowledged the worry of the house, & could not but own that it was a great aggravation of his work; & that a quieter residence would be better for him.
Of course a great deal more passed of which we can talk when we meet. No doubt his wife is actively making the mischief, through stupidity, & he is worried with letters about it.
He brought me the Richmond papers with the quotation from the Garden, and the statement appended "on good authority" that there was no truth in it.
I have just got the printed invitation to Willielma[']s*3 funeral on Tuesday at 2pm at St George[']s X [church] -- close to our Hotel.
With best love to Harriet | yours aff[ectionat]ely | 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. John Smith (1821--1888). Curator or 'head gardener' of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew from 1864--1886. His predecessor as Curator was also named John Smith.
3. Willielma Campbell née Hooker (1840--1879). Joseph Hooker's niece. Daughter of Isabella Whitehead Hooker and Joseph's older brother William Dawson Hooker. Her father died in Jamaica before she was born. Married James Campbell in 1862, they had seven children before her death in 1879 giving birth to a still born child.
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