[[1]]
Monty's Court
Taunton
Wednesday
April 1880 *1
Dearest H[yacinth] *2
I hope you got the P[ost]. Card.
I had a horrid fright on arriving at the station when I found that the train did not
leave till 10:57 -- but the time of arrival made was all right & the train was
punctual.
Bentham was there. We had a Carriage to ourselves. It was very cold with a
little rain at Bristol.
Miss Munro is here[,] the General[']s*3 sister, a nice person very
[[2]] intelligent & agreeable. Mrs Munro is very dolorous, & the son is a
nonentity.
Bentham & I have had a hard days work, & very dirty one. The Herbarium
being in awful confusion & I do not envy Oliver the task before him -- The
worst of it is that there is a sad mixture of grasses[?] for various continental
Herbaria: (which were best), with our own Kew Herb[arium], & his own!
This is a gloomy day but not
[[3]] so cold. We go on to Torquay on Friday at 3 PM.
I suppose you feel the quiet of Pendock as I do of this place -- we really must
get a cottage somewhere within reach of Kew. I am sure I shall not be able to
stand the constant racket for ever.
I hope you find your father better, I shall be anxious to hear. Your postcard is
not yet come (4:30pm) -- with love to your parents & kisses to Joey [Joseph
Symonds Hooker].
Y[our] Affect[ionate] | J D Hooker [signature]
ENDNOTES
1. Text in the centre of the page in a hand not that of the original author
2. Lady Hyacinth Hooker née Symonds later Jardine (1843--1921). Joseph
Hooker's second wife, they married in 1876.
2. General William Munro (1818-1880), Soldier and amateur Botanist,
bequeathed his herbarium and botanical papers to Kew on his death.
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