Hooker, Sir Joseph Dalton
JHC459
The Camp, Sunningdale, Berkshire, United Kingdom
JDH/2/16 f.102
Thiselton-Dyer, Sir William Turner
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
26-11-1886
© Descendants of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker
Letters to Thiselton-Dyer
The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
English
Original MS
4 page letter over 1 folio
 

Letter to Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer regarding the action JDH is taking to pursue a fair pension payment for himself from the Government & the Navy, he has written a memo to Lord Salisbury [memo not present], called on Potter[?] & Fitzgerald[?] & written to Sir john Reid Director of the Medical Department of the Navy, & to the Secretary of the Admiralty. JDH has also written to Sir Hubert Maxwell about his pension complaining about the conduct of a Mr Plunket[?]. JDH also informs WTTD that he has written to Alcock & von Haast, reassuring them with platitudes. He refers to some exhibits as 'utterly demoralizing' & the ingratitude [of Alcock & von Haast] as typical of Germans who have benefited by England. He notes Gustav Mann as an 'honourable exception'. Notes that Welby will be attending a Royal Society dinner.

Transcript


THE CAMP,
SUNNINGDALE.
Nov[ember] 26 [18]/86

Dear Dyer*1
As I shall not be at Kew tomorrow I wish to say that I have written to Alcock & [Johann Franz] von Haast, to the latter I have said that I feel sure you must be mistaken. "Assured as I am by his repeated promises" that Kew is to have &c &c.
I have also expressed my disappointment[?] at his not being here at Kew.
These exhibits are utterly demoralizing. & this ingratitude is what I have often spoken to you about as so very often conspicuous in Germans who

Page 1


THE CAMP,
SUNNINGDALE.
Nov[ember] 26 [18]/86

Dear Dyer*1
As I shall not be at Kew tomorrow I wish to say that I have written to Alcock & [Johann Franz] von Haast, to the latter I have said that I feel sure you must be mistaken. "Assured as I am by his repeated promises" that Kew is to have &c &c.
I have also expressed my disappointment[?] at his not being here at Kew.
These exhibits are utterly demoralizing. & this ingratitude is what I have often spoken to you about as so very often conspicuous in Germans who

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have been specially benefitted by England. Gustav Mann is an honorable[sic] exception.
I enclose copy of my letter to L[or]d. S[alisbury]*2. & the Memorandum which please return. I called on Potter[?] on Saturday Thursday & told him my mind about the treatment of my former application by the F.Cs -- & promised to send him a copy of enclosed which I shall ask him to keep to himself & Fitzgerald[?]. -- For the rest I added that I had shaken the dust off my feet at Boards' door.
I wrote to [1 word crossed out, illeg.] Director of Medical Dept of Navy & found nothing had been done there -- Sir J[ohn]. Reid, thought it impossible.

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I then wrote to the Se[cretar]y of the Admiralty asking if what was done was with the knowledge & authority of the Lords of the Admiralty.
Welby I see is coming to the R[oyal]. S[ociety]. dinner on Tuesday.
I hope the marriage went off well.
E[ve]r aff[ectionately] | J. D. Hooker[signature]
I hope to be at Kew on Monday.
I have written an eye-opener to Sir Hubert Maxwell. -- The [1 word crossed out, illeg.] decent thing to do would be to put me back in my Naval position with £1100 as Kew Pension & the £200 Naval. & this Mr Plunket[?] ought to have been the

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man to do. -- that would give me £237 as special award. -- Not nearly what Huxley got -- but enough for my satisfaction. With no gratitude to spare -- Of course I cannot go to Plunket[?] & I know of no one in the position to do so. If Maxwell answers as he ought, I may ask him.

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. Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquis of Salisbury (1830--1903). British Conservation statesman and three-time Prime Minister.

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