To Henry Holland [20 October 1871]1
My dear Sir H.
I beg you to grant me the favour to read over the enclosed long letter from Dr Hooker, the best & oldest friend I have in the world.2
I heard months ago how shamefully Mr Ayrton had been treating him, & now it seems that things have come to such a pass that Hooker will resign his place rather than remain under his command.3 This, considering what H. has done for science, wd be almost a disgrace to the country.
Your name & position must have great influence in the Deputation;4 so I beg you to consider this application, as favourably as your judgment will permit; & [because], I think [perfectly clear] that a gt scientific establishment ought not to be under the control of one man who may know nothing whatever of any branch of science—
I hope under all the circumstances that you will excuse me for drawing your attention to this subject,— as I can see that Dr H. is most anxious for your support.—
Footnotes
Summary
Seeks HH’s support for Hooker in JDH’s difficulties with A. S. Ayrton and the Ministry of Works [see Nature 6 (1872): 211–16].
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-8025
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Henry Holland, 1st baronet
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- DAR 96: 97
- Physical description
- ADraft 2pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 8025,” accessed on 17 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-8025.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 19