JDH informs Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer that he has received a reply from the Treasury [regarding his pension]. Stanhope has asked JDH if he can propose him to North as a Commissioner in connection with a potential international exhibition that the Government of South Australia wants to hold in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the colony, & JDH must accept. [Thomas Henry] Huxley is in good health & has taken up botany, he is studying Grisebach & comparing the distribution of Gentians to Crayfish. JDH has received some Perak plants to work on from Kings, including Andas. JDH [& his wife Hyacinth] are going to Bournemouth. He comments on the Prince [Edward] starting an institute which will include a museum of trade & art etc. He has had no news from 'Brian' for a long time. William Lister & his wife visited JDH & they discussed the Widow [Charlotte Page] Hance & the likelihood of getting her a pension for the work of her deceased Consul husband [Henry Fletcher Hance]. Charlotte Hance has appealed to Alcock to help her get a pension but it is very unlikely, she will continue to live in Hong Kong with her children, who are; 'too delicate for England'. 'Young Hooker' of Egypt is going to marry, he has reported that the French are being rapidly being ousted from Egypt & also given his opinion of Wolfe 'an extraordinary fish' socially but a brilliant at managing people & business.
Transcript
The Camp,*1
Sunningdale.
Sept[ember] 20th [18]86
My dear Dyer*2
At last I have my answer from the Treasury, not a satisfactory one -- & I dislike the tone of it -- as much as I did that of the former one. There is an insufferable air of arrogance with which they "jaw" you; over & above the tortuous insincerity of the matter. However I have got as much as I ever really expected, though not so much as I hoped for! & I cannot accept it as a special award for near 50 years service beginning with the Antarctic Expedition & ending with Kew. I have not yet answered it & shall take
The Camp,*1
Sunningdale.
Sept[ember] 20th [18]86
My dear Dyer*2
At last I have my answer from the Treasury, not a satisfactory one -- & I dislike the tone of it -- as much as I did that of the former one. There is an insufferable air of arrogance with which they "jaw" you; over & above the tortuous insincerity of the matter. However I have got as much as I ever really expected, though not so much as I hoped for! & I cannot accept it as a special award for near 50 years service beginning with the Antarctic Expedition & ending with Kew. I have not yet answered it & shall take
time about it. I must contradict the statement that I "asked for more." --
I have a letter from Mr Stanhope asking if he may propose me to N[or]th as a Commissioner "in connection with the proposed International Exhibition wit which the Gov[ernmen]t of South Australia propose to hold next year in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Colony, of HMS [1 word illeg.] Of course I must accept.
I have no news except that Huxely*3 has taken up Botany! He is in rude health, & high spirits, has been examing[sic] Gentians, & studying Grisebach*4 & thinks he finds a parallel in their
distribution with that of the Cray--fish! --
A bundle of Perak*5 plants from Kings has arrived today, of Andas[?] which I am at work on.
We go to Bournemouth tomorrow for 10 days or so.
You see that the Prince has started an Institute, which is to include a Trade, Art &c Museum. The Times is very caustic about it in a leader.
I hope you have good weather, it is very cold here, & at Kew too -- the night especially.
No news from Brian -- it is long since I have heard from or of him.
William Lister & wife called the other day, & I spoke to him about Widow Hance*6, but I much
doubt the possibility of getting any pension for her -- it would open the door to applications for so many Consul's widows where husbands had done something out of the way. I have a wail from Alcock, to whom the widow has appealed to enlist his aid, & he thinks it impossible. She proposes to live in Hong Kong, as her children are too delicate for England.
Young Hooker (Egypt) came here day before yesterday, he is going to marry & take his wife out. He says we are rapidly ousting the French, & have already abolished the use of the F[rench] language in Official correspondence & books. He describes Wolfe as an extraordinary fish, personally & socially, but a marvellous hand at managing the natives of all classes, from Pashas downwards, & a first rate man of business. -- Hooker hardly knows him personally, & does not speak as a friend. With love to Harriet | Ever affe[ctionatel]y y[ou]r | J D Hooker[signature]
1. Joseph Hooker had a residence built in Sunningdale, Berkshire called 'The Camp'. Completed in 1882 he lived there full time, with his second wife Hyacinth and their family, after retiring from RBG Kew in 1885.
2. 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.
3. Thomas Henry Huxley (1825--1895). English biologist (comparative anatomist). His vigorous public support for Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection earned him the nickname "Darwin's Bulldog." His organisational efforts, public lectures and writing helped elevate the place of science in modern society.
4. August Heinrich Rudolf Grisebach (1814--1879). German botanist and phytogeographer. He graduated in medicine in 1836. Among other things he became the director of the botanical garden in Göttingen in 1847. His main fields of interest were phytogeograpy and systematics, especially Gentianaceae and Malpighiaceae.
5. Perak is a state on the West Coast of Malaysia, capital Ipoh.
6. Charlotte Hance (1846--1911). Second wife of British diplomat & expert on Chinese flora Henry Fletcher Hance. Charlotte was on Anglo-Indian descent.w
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