Hooker, Sir Joseph Dalton
JHC413
Craigflower, Torryburn, Dunfermline, [Scotland, United Kingdom]
JDH/2/16 f.58
Thiselton-Dyer, Sir William Turner
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
24-8-1879
© Descendants of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker
Letters to Thiselton-Dyer
The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
English
Original MS
6 page letter over 2 folios
 
Transcript

Monday
I have toiled at the enclosed document concerning the £200 & Cooke & am so little satisfied with it that I send it to you all rough to criticize & replace with something better you might sign. I am sorry to trouble you, but it is a matter of great importance & there are several points as to which I should have your opinion. If you like to correct & return it I will have it copied.
Fergusson writes objecting most strongly to go into Miss [Marianne] North's affair at all till better when he can give his whole mind to it. I have left it to Miss N[orth]. to say whether she still wishes for me[?]. I suppose she will not, & thus save her a journey. I am tremendously busy here with Colvile's grounds.
Weather so so, showery & cool.

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Craigflower[,] Dunfermline
Sunday
Aug 24 / [18]79
Dear Dyer*1,
I received your despatch after this forenoon at Dunfermline.
I am very glad that you have answered Mitford's*2 letter so well. It is useless hoping to disentangle him from Lessells. Your's[sic] (herewith returned) of Aug 22, in which you speak well of the energy & resource of Board's officers must have crossed his, & will show him that your are not "down on" the Works Dept. where they deserve praise.

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When next I see him I shall tell him (for the hundredth time) that I shall never be satisfied till the glass houses are repaired &c by Horticultural builders, & the machinery is put under competent engineers, nor then till either Wilkes or Taylor & their subordinates are replaced by efficient men.
The worst of it is, in the last mentioned matter I am stranded by Smith. On my return I will take the matter in hand with him, go over every item of the plans that were agreed to at the office & which he was to have put in black & white for me, &

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see what middle course I can strike out. I cannot blame Mitford in this matter of the changes wanted in the C[ommissioner]. of W[orks]. Dept. He, Hunt, Potter, Smith & self had three busy discussions on it, (with Lessells when we required him) & every thing was arranged & is in writing in the office (Potter has it all) -- all was settled, who to keep, who to discharge, who to replace, who to pension. & Mitford positively assured him he would go into it as soon as I sent in an official letter calling attention to necessity of reform & encrodging[sic] the views arrived at; together with Smith's estimates of the materials for maintenance & repairs wh[ich] he would require annually. This letter

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was to have shown an immense saving & set off against the higher wages of the very superior workmen we proposed to get. Smith’s subsequent dread of the responsibility, & the wide difference between his & Mr River's[?] (on new P[alm]. H[ouse]. Boiler mains) estimate of the moneys required for maintenance & repairs has no doubt thrown Smith him over, & he has ever since been reluctant to go into the matter at all! This I must explain to Mitford, & we must propose what modifications we can. These must however include dismissals & replacements, & I cannot expect the Board to go into the matter of the removal of Taylor if the rubbishy subordinates are not to be disposed of at the same time.

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Monday
I have toiled at the enclosed document concerning the £200 & Cooke & am so little satisfied with it that I send it to you all rough to criticize & replace with something better you might sign. I am sorry to trouble you, but it is a matter of great importance & there are several points as to which I should have your opinion. If you like to correct & return it I will have it copied.
Fergusson writes objecting most strongly to go into Miss [Marianne] North's affair at all till better when he can give his whole mind to it. I have left it to Miss N[orth]. to say whether she still wishes for me[?]. I suppose she will not, & thus save her a journey. I am tremendously busy here with Colvile's grounds.
Weather so so, showery & cool.

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We have been nowhere.
Ev[er] aff[ectionate]ly Y[our]s | J.D. Hooker [signature]

ENDNOTES


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. Algernon Freeman-Mitford, 1st Baron Redesdale (1837--1916). British diplomat and writer. Secretary to the Office of Works from 1874--1886. The Office of Works was the Government body that oversaw the running of RBG Kew & during his tenure as secretary Mitford supported Joseph Hooker's improvement plans.

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