[[1]]
ROYAL GARDENS KEW
Kew
Feb[ruary] 20th [18]64
Dear Uncle *1
Many thanks for your capital Geology of Norfolk, which is much the best & clearest
account which I have seen.
I send you Franklands *2 hypothesis to explain the Glacial Epoch, of which you might
have heard -- pray keep it.
Poor old Horner *3 is dying, he is in his 80th year.
I saw Lyell *4 yesterday looking well & all agog about bone --
[[2]] caves in Borneo.
There is a great subscription raising for Bishop Colenso *5, with lots of clergymens[']
names down!
My father is wonderfully well, in spite of the bad weather. I am going tonight to hear
Prestwich's *6 lecture on Flint implements &c.
When are you coming to London? You must let me know & we will have some fun.
[[3]] There will be R[oyal] S[ociety] Soirées on the 12th ApMarch & 30th April.
I am going ahead still with Wedgwoods, & got the most beautiful cameo head (of
L[or]d Keppell *7) that Woolner *8 or Frank *9 ever saw for 5/- it is about as large as
your finger nail & worked like an ancient gem. Frank has bought a Jardinière like
yours, but of the most lovely green for £6. A very good bargain.
Woolner has made a capital medallion of Giffy *10 -- who has been talking these over
at the Geograph[ical] Soc[iety] & getting
[[4]] Murchison's *11 whole "Butter boats" poured over him.
With best love to Aunt | Ever your affec[tionate] | J D Hooker
ENDNOTES
1. Reverend John Gunn (1801--1890). Amateur naturalist especially interested in
geology with great knowledge of the geology of East Anglia. Founder and first
President of the Norwich Geological Society. Joseph Hooker's Uncle: husband of
Harriet Gunn née Turner, Joseph Hooker's maternal aunt.
2. Sir Edward Frankland KCB, FRS (1895 --1899). British chemist and an expert in
water quality and analysis. He was one of the originators of organometallic
chemistry and discovered the existence of Helium. He was a keen mountaineer
which led to his glacial observations.
3. Leonard Horner FRSE FRS FGS (1785 --1864). Scottish merchant, geologist and
educational reformer. He was a co--founder of the School of Arts of Edinburgh, now
Heriot--Watt University, and President of the Geographical Society in 1846 and
1860.
4. Sir Charles Lyell (1797-- 1875). British lawyer and the foremost geologist of his
day. He is best known as the author of Principles of Geology.
5. John William Colenso (1814-- 1883). Mathematician, theologian, Biblical scholar
and social activist. The first Church of England Bishop of Natal, he was a
controversial liberal. He made numerous converts among the Zulus, who caused
him to abandon certain religious tenets and thus be subject to trial for heresy.
6. Sir Joseph Prestwich FRS (1812--1896). British geologist and businessman,
known as an expert on the Tertiary Period and for having confirmed the findings of
Boucher de Perthes of ancient flint tools in the Somme valley gravel beds. It is
claimed by some authorities that his reports published in the Proceedings of the
Royal Society for 1859 -- 1860 mark the birth of modern scientific archaeology.
7. William Coutts Keppell, 7th Earl of Albermarle (1832--1894). A British soldier and
politician.
8. Thomas Woolner (1848--1925). An English sculptor, poet and Art dealer. He was
a founder member of the Pre--Raphaelite Society and the only sculptor.
9. Sir Francis Darwin FRS (1848--1925).Son of Charles Darwin, followed his father
into botany. He was closely related to the Wedgwood family.
10. William Gifford "Giffy" Palgrave (1826--1888), was a traveller and Arabic scholar.
He was the son of English archivist and historian Sir Francis Palgrave and was
Joseph Hooker's maternal cousin.
11. Sir Roderick Impey Murchison, Bt. KCB DCL FRS FRSE FLS PBA MRIA
(1792--1871). Scottish geologist who first described and investigated the Silurian
System.
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