Transcript
The Camp
Dec 2/[18]99
My dear Dyer*1
Though I fear I must not congratulate you on the honor[sic] that you have received, I must express my sincere pleasure : feeling that you deserved it. I[?] own to it's touching my pride, that it should go down down as an honor[sic] to my family, both on your own account[?] & on Harriet's.*2 Also I am proud of it in view of the lustre it reflects on Kew. Happily it need not carry with it, in your case, as it does & ever will in mine, the keen sense of the neglects my father's [1 deleted word illeg.] services met with at the hands of the gov[ernmen]t.
The Camp
Dec 2/[18]99
My dear Dyer*1
Though I fear I must not congratulate you on the honor[sic] that you have received, I must express my sincere pleasure : feeling that you deserved it. I[?] own to it's touching my pride, that it should go down down as an honor[sic] to my family, both on your own account[?] & on Harriet's.*2 Also I am proud of it in view of the lustre it reflects on Kew. Happily it need not carry with it, in your case, as it does & ever will in mine, the keen sense of the neglects my father's [1 deleted word illeg.] services met with at the hands of the gov[ernmen]t.
Thanks for letting me see the enclosed -- I think we are entirely of one mind in the matters & I am really glad that Oliver*3 behaves nicely. I am sure that he would not countenance his son's*4 conduct. The latter is no doubt quite "out of hand" & his ingratitude to you is really abominable. You may care to see the enclosed from William. I hope that [Henry Harold Welch] Pearson will not attempt too much in discussing on[?] the geog[raphical]. districts of Ceylon [Sri Lanka] plants.
Ever aff[ectionatel]y y[our]s | Jos 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 the Royal Horticultural Society. He married Hooker's eldest daughter Harriet in 1877.
2. Harriet Anne Thiselton-Dyer née Hooker (1854--1945). Oldest child of Joseph Hooker and his first wife Frances Henslow. Harriet was a Botanical illustrator and wife of William Turner Thiselton-Dyer. Her husband was Assistant Director of RBG Kew (1875--1885) and later Director (1885--1905), succeeding her father.
3. Daniel Oliver (1830--1916). British botanist. In 1858 he was invited to Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to classify and elaborate the herbarium and library, working for a pittance he supplemented his income by becoming Professor of Botany at University College, London (1861--1888). Official Librarian of the herbarium at Kew from 1860--1890 and keeper of the herbarium from 1864--1890.
4. Likely refers to Francis Wall Oliver (1864--1951). Botanist and son of Daniel Oliver. Quain Professor of Botany at University College, London (1890--1925) and Professor of Botany at the University of Cairo (1929--1935).
5. Likely refers to Henry Harold Welch Pearson (1870--1916). British-born botanist who founded Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town in 1913. In 1899 he had been appointed Assistant for India in the Herbarium at Kew. He moved to South Africa in 1903.
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