Hooker, Sir Joseph Dalton
JHC421
Alderley Grange, Wotton Under Edge, [Gloucestershire, United Kingdom]
JDH/2/16 f.66
Thiselton-Dyer, Sir William Turner
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
1-1-1880
© 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
 

JDH asks Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer [WTTD] about the schemes of [Sir George Christopher Molesworth] Birdwood and the India Office. He mentiosn Baddely. He advises WTTD on how to manage [John Reader] Jackson. JDH speculates on the amount of work it will take to accession the India Museum collections into the RBG Kew museums including the constrcution of new buildings: museum number 1 & museum number 2. He appreciates WTTD's zeal on the matter but warns him that these things usually move slowly thanks to 'indifferent masters'. JDH will take some work off WTD's hands when he returns, JDH cannot spend all his time working on the GENERA PLANTARUM & FLORA OF BRITISH INDIA, he must take on some of the less pleasant duties as well. He reminds WTTD that the fruit of all his labours can be seen in the [Annual Kew] Report. JDH has written to [John] Smith about RBG Kew staff changes & reassignment of gardening duties, specifically regarding Martin, Trueman, Sharpe & the latter's dereliction of number 4 greenhouse. JDH's health has deteriorated again but he will return to RBG Kew any way.

Transcript

built in a day, & whilst I cannot too highly appreciate your zeal & the astonishing amount of work you have gone through, & the energy you are prepared to throw into the continuance of it all, I cannot but feel that you may overdo it. I am more accustomed to the delays[,] disappointments &c that attend all great work under indifferent masters than you are. I had plenty of it in the Navy & during the first five years of my Directorship. I had the same fights about alterations & repairs, the same struggles to get more buildings, additions to old, & above all to get the increased staff for Gardens Herbarium & Library. Happily I was well seconded by

Page 1


Royal Gardens Kew Alldeyly [Alderley] Grange, Wotton
Jan 1 1880*1a
Dear Dyer,*1
I am sorry about the contretemps with Birdwood,*2 though upon the which perhaps it is well not to push the I[ndia] O[ffice] too far -- what were his schemes? -- You must tell me when I return. If we can get on with Baddely without asking for money so much the better -- after all he must be content to begin small if we are to do with the money we have. As to Jackson,*3 you must

Page 2

my dear Dyer lead where you cannot drive! & I fear that you will fare in the same position that I am with Smith.*4 We must get off the Donkey & pull them along. Now that we see how vast the accumulations from India are, & what a time it must take Ehey every exertion, to clear them off*5. I cannot but think that closing up one or two or even all Museums throughout the summer will be imperative. Remember too the trouble we shall have in supervising the building of No 1 -- & if No 2 building is to go on at the same time that will add very much to our burthens*6 of supervision. Rome was not

Page 3

built in a day, & whilst I cannot too highly appreciate your zeal & the astonishing amount of work you have gone through, & the energy you are prepared to throw into the continuance of it all, I cannot but feel that you may overdo it. I am more accustomed to the delays[,] disappointments &c that attend all great work under indifferent masters than you are. I had plenty of it in the Navy & during the first five years of my Directorship. I had the same fights about alterations & repairs, the same struggles to get more buildings, additions to old, & above all to get the increased staff for Gardens Herbarium & Library. Happily I was well seconded by

Page 4

Smith -- but on the other hand I had far less consideration with the Board than I now have. So my dear Dyer, do calm yourself "Servate aninuam[?] leguam" -- & believe me, that though all will not turn out exactly as we want, it will be better than you expect.
You must give me more to do when I return. I quite & I warmly appreciate your sparing me for the Genera Plantarum & Flora B[ritish] I[ndia] but when stress of work comes, such things must give place to less pleasant duties. Remember too that unsatisfactory as much of your labors are, the turn out of satisfactory work as you show yourself in the Report, is very great indeed:

Page 5

I have written to Smith about Martin & Sharpe. Have told him that the rearrangement of Sharpe's duties &c should free money to enable as to get a good man in Martin's place who like Trueman could be trusted to prune flowering-shrubs & make & mend gravel paths &c &c without his (Smith's) supervision &c &c.
As to Sharpe I told him that I had had hints that the state of No 4 might attract public attention, that Sharpe was not realizing his (Smith's) expectations, that I did not see in his house even the commonest flowers

Page 6

of the season that I saw in any ordinary conservatory. I wonder how he will take it all.
I am still quite laid up, having been worse again -- the cough very troublesome indeed with weakness & loss of appetite. I shall not wait longer than over Sunday under any circumstances for I am utterly sick of this life of illness in another house.
With best love to Harriet [Anne Thiselton-Dyer, née Hooker] & all the good wishes of the sea[son] | Ev[er] Y[ou]r Aff[ectionate | J D Hooker [signature]

ENDNOTES


1a. The date has been added as a pencil annotation, written in another hand.
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 the Royal Horticultural Society. He married Hooker's eldest daughter Harriet in 1877.
2. Sir George Christopher Molesworth Birdwood (1832--1917). Anglo-Indian official, naturalist and writer. He entered the Bombay Medical Service in 1854 and held various posts until returning to England in 1868 due to ill-health. He entered the revenue and statistics department of the Indian Office 1871--1902. His name became identified with the representation of India at all the principal International Exhibitions from 1857--1901.
3. John Reader Jackson (1873--1920). Curator, then Keeper of the Museum of Botany at Kew, 1858--1901. He was appointed by Sir William Hooker in succession to Alexander Smith, son of William Smith.
4. 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.
5. The India Museum was first housed in the premises of the East India Company on Leadenhall Street, London. When the East India Company was dissolved in 1858 the Secretary of State for India took over the Museum, which was moved to the India Office. In 1879 the collections were divided between the South Kensington Museum (now The Victoria and Albert Museum), the British Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
6. 'burthens' is an archaic spelling of burdens.

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