Hooker, Sir Joseph Dalton
JHC581
McKay Hotel, Prince's Street, [Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom]
JDH/2/8 f.48-49
Hooker, Sir William Jackson
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
© Descendants of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker
Letters during a tour in Paris and Leyden
The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
English
Original MS
4 page letter over 2 folios
 

JDH informs his father, Sir William Jackson Hooker, about developments in his candidature for the Chair of Botany at Edinburgh University, usually held by one person unifying the posts of College Professor, Regius Professor, & Curator of the Botanic Garden. He reports that [John Hutton] Balfour had previously refused to take the post of Chair without the garden curatorship leaving only JDH & Leller[?] as candidates. JDH is Crown nominated & has the support of the University Provost but needs approval from the Town Council. The Natural History Chair also needs dual approval, the Provost plans to petition Sir James Graham [Home Secretary] to relinquish all Government, or 'Crown', control over 1 chair in return for total control of the other, plus his guaranteed support for JDH's candidature. JDH does not think this will be well received as the government has put a lot of money into the college & botanic garden. JDH adds that Balfour has since revoked his conditional refusal of the post of Chair of Botany without the garden curatorship, & the Town Council is inclined to appoint him if only to demonstrate their influence to government. They also want someone with lecturing, not just botanical, credentials. JDH is dismissive of their opposition, if he got the posts of Regius Professor & Garden Curator the faculty would have to accept him. Only the College Professorship is in the gift of the Town Council, it would be the post devalued & JDH would be happy to free of it & the Council's oversight in exchange for the reduced salary. He concludes that it has all become a matter of politics. One Councillor suggested that JDH take Balfour's current position at Glasgow claiming it was of equal value, JDH disabused him. JDH mentions some people he has seen, or expects to soon, in Edinburgh: Nicoll, the Gibson Craigs, Deucher[?], Muir, Henderson & Smith, the Sands & Lord Falnor[?]. He also has invitations to Kilmun, Riccarton, the Smiths at Coulston, E. Hendersons & the Gardens.

Transcript


McKay Hotel Prince's Street [Edinburgh]
[c.Nov 1845]
My dear father [William Jackson Hooker]
There is a desperate row in the house, & I have been working away to get things set to rights in vain. The Govt[ernmen]t: told the Provost, that they would have me, the P[rovost]. told this to the C[ouncil]., at the same time recommending me most strongly as candidate. This suits well with the feelings of some, but not all of my friends, but & with none of my enemies so that the almost universal feeling of the T[own].C[ouncil] (Account included), is that the gov[ernmen]t have behaved very ill to them, & there was no cause for gov[ernmen]t to do so, as they were all but sure going to vote for me at any rate. You will wonder how I gained this large majority, it was thus when Provost was told by gov[ernmen]t that they would have me for Garden, he, the P[rovost]. wrote to Balfour*1, asking if he would take the chair without the Garden, Balf[our]. refused distinctly, so that Leller[?] & I were the two candidates. On Friday a stormy meeting was held, called a "Provost council", where only two vowed they would not have me, because the Crown had accepted me, so matters stood yesterday on Saturday when I saw Provost.

Page 1


McKay Hotel Prince's Street [Edinburgh]
[c.Nov 1845]
My dear father [William Jackson Hooker]
There is a desperate row in the house, & I have been working away to get things set to rights in vain. The Govt[ernmen]t: told the Provost, that they would have me, the P[rovost]. told this to the C[ouncil]., at the same time recommending me most strongly as candidate. This suits well with the feelings of some, but not all of my friends, but & with none of my enemies so that the almost universal feeling of the T[own].C[ouncil] (Account included), is that the gov[ernmen]t have behaved very ill to them, & there was no cause for gov[ernmen]t to do so, as they were all but sure going to vote for me at any rate. You will wonder how I gained this large majority, it was thus when Provost was told by gov[ernmen]t that they would have me for Garden, he, the P[rovost]. wrote to Balfour*1, asking if he would take the chair without the Garden, Balf[our]. refused distinctly, so that Leller[?] & I were the two candidates. On Friday a stormy meeting was held, called a "Provost council", where only two vowed they would not have me, because the Crown had accepted me, so matters stood yesterday on Saturday when I saw Provost.

Page 2

He, the P[rovost]. promised me his support, provided gov[ernmen]t agreed to a proposal he had to make w[hic]h w[ou]ld save all future contention. As there are two chairs in like predicament, the Nat[ural]. Hist[ory]. when C[rown]. gives Museum & T[own]. Professorship, & the Botany, he wished Sir Ja[me]s G[raham]*2 to take one altogether & give the other altogether up & then, he has promised me the chair if they agree but will not if they don't & has told Sir Ja[me]s G[raham]. so now my humble opinion is, that Sir Ja[me]s G[raham]. will like neither the offer nor the reward or threat. The garden has cost full £20,000 & the College more & Town has done nothing for either. Now all this civility of the pawky provost & me, arose from Balfour having resigned virtually, by throwing at the chair without the garden, which I did not know, as I am badly off for friends at that moment. Still matters would be well if Balf[our]. had not this day written to revoke his former letter -- he now will take the chair without the garden & the T. C who are put in their mettle are inclined to show the Crown that they have a power; they truly say, we want a lecturer not a Botanist. Except for the sake of conciliating the council, & thus saving credit with Gov[ernmen]t. to whom I feel deeply & truly grateful I do not care much about it for the T. C. must come in to the C[rown]. in the long run, though perhaps not for years if they differ from the .C[rown]. Suppose me appointed with £150 to the garden, as Regius Professor, all faculties must accept my ticket & would the College Professorship be dished. I wish they would

Page 3

be separate, & first make the garden salary £300, I would prefer that to 400 & college trouble with T. C. advice too. I have been slaving about from morning to night & seen a good many, of the T. C they are of all complexions, but as matters now stand I have not the majority, said majority being split up between Dickie Balfour & Leller. It is now wholly a matter of politics, even with the Provost, who said that the town must not be left out of the question by the Crown. The meeting today was a most violent one, the sober men still vote for me, but think themselves ill treated. I cannot think they are so, as they do nothing or next to nothing for the Botanical Professor. We now wait Sir Jas G[raham]'s answer to the Ld. Provost's letter. In the mean time the rumour is afloat that the Crown have given me the garden. One Councillor proposed to me that B[alfour]. should have this & I Glasgow, as they were of equal & value & B[alfour]. only wished this because it was his native town. He said that he & others wished this so they were most anxious to retain both our services in Scotland. I told him the only way to do so was to give me this! & undeceived him about the relative value of the two. B[alfour]. has been behaving shamefully, but say nothing about it. I almost wish that the Town appointment was separated from the Town, that Balf[our]. had the Town Professorship here I the Crown here & some body else Glasgow, would he not then look like a certain animal between two panniers. I find this most detestable work. I am nowhere but at Nicoll's[?] & breakfast there.

Page 4

Dickie tomorrow -- he offers to give up if it will avail me, but I think not. My 3d series came out last night corrected copies shall go to you tomorrow by steam. What's wrong with d'emblee[?] I shall of course print Herschell's & all that come, but they are now wholly useless, no one doubts my merit as a Botanist Balfour is as good as a lecturer! That's all the College Baillies want. I have seen no one but the Gibson Craigs & I never saw people as delighted that I had the gov[ernmen]t interest, one & all welcomed me with more kindness than I can well express. Deucher I have not seen yet, but he will be in Town tomorrow. Muir is a man of a little influence, but very strong rocks, Henderson & Smith, only come to town tomorrow. I have no idea when I shall be able to get away, not till this fire burns out a bit. I am staying here & have very nice rooms. The Sands are exceedingly kind & useful & of the first people here. Lord Falnor[?] & Miss F are in Town & would help me if they could but are wholly unable now. Nothing can be done till Sir Ja[me]s Graham's answer is known. You may please direct to me here & send the proof sheet of Fl[ora]. Ant[arctica]. I have a great many invitations for next Saturday & Sunday to Kilmun, Riccarton, the Smiths at Coulston, E. Henderson's, the Sands, the Gardens & other places but have accepted none hoping to get away on Monday.
Best love to all & best regards & [1 word illeg.]to Arnott.
Your most aff[ectionate] son | Jos D Hooker [signature]

ENDNOTES


1. John Hutton Balfour (1808--1884). Scottish botanist and Professor of Botany, at the University of Glasgow, 1841. In 1845, Balfour moved to Edinburgh University and also became the Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
2. Sir James Robert George Graham, 2nd Baronet (1792--1861), British statesman and Home Secretary between 1841 and 1846.

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