| RefNo | MM/9/2 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Letter from Charles Lyell, Kinnordy, to Susan Horner |
| Date | 5 September 1849 |
| Description | Giving an account of a recent holiday at Balmoral. Susan Horner was Lyell's Sister-in-Law.
The letter includes Lyell recounting his conversations alone with Prince Albert ("whose mind is in full activity on a variety of subjects").
Lyell describes one of the younger members of the Royal Family recounting a recent performance by "The Wizard of the North" (the magician John Henry Anderson). Judging by the internal evidence the performance is being recounted by a young Prince Albert Edward (later King Edward VII).
Lyell ends the letter by trusting his correspondent will not pass on any of the "Balmoral Gossip" he has written about (particularly as he has seen a letter from Darwin recounting his conversation with Prince Albert). |
| Extent | 12 sides |
| Format | Manuscript |
| Notes | The description of John Henry Anderson's performance runs as follows: "He (the Wizard) had cut to pieces Mamma's pocket handkerchief then darned it and ironed it so that it was as entire as ever, he had fired a pistol and caused 5 or so watches to go thro' Gibbes's (one of the footmen's) head and all were tied to a chair on Gibb's other side', and so forth; 'but Papa (Prince Albert) knows how all these things are done and had the watches really gone thro' Gibb's head he could hardly have looked so well, tho' he was confounded". |
| AccessStatus | Open |
| RelatedMaterial | Letter reprinted in <i>Life Letters and Journals of Sir Charles Lyell, Bart</i>, edited by his sister-in-law Mrs Lyell, 1881 (reissued 1970), Volume 2, pp156-158 |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA8255 | Lyell; Sir; Charles (1797 - 1875) | 1797 - 1875 |
| NA6295 | Albert (1819 - 1861); Prince Consort of Queen Victoria | 1819 - 1861 |
| NA5894 | Edward VII (1841 - 1910); King of Great Britain and Ireland | 1841 - 1910 |