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RefNoMS/123/20
LevelItem
TitleDraft letter from John George Children to the Duke of Sussex
Date16 September 1834
DescriptionDraft letter includes many crossings out and corrections.

From context and timing, the letter appears to refer to the Royal Society's move to Somerset House.

Children writes to assure the Duke of Sussex that the Council of the Society does not wish to interfere with his duties as President and that the Council's deliberations were not marked with any lack of respect for his judgement.

Children believes that there is a difference in view between the President and the Council over the status of certain rooms previously used as offices belonging to the Court of Exchequer. Council believe that only some of the offices were given by the Treasury to the Royal Society, with the remainder being given to the Astronomical Society. The Duke believes that all the rooms were placed at his disposal as President of the Society.

He states that he encloses a transcript of a copy of a letter (procured from the Treasury) from the Duke, referred to by Mr [Francis] Baily, together with plans he had received with the Treasury copy. This letter refers only to the transfer[?] of Privy Seal rooms to the Geological Society and not to the Exchequer rooms. The plans do refer to certain rooms being intended for the Astronomical Society. This letter refers to another, a copy of which Children has not been able to locate.

Children proposes that the Duke consider the document already sent to him and, if content, give it his imprimatur without prejudice to the rooms still in dispute. This would allow Mr Baily to take over those rooms on which there is no disagreement. Children reports that Mr [John William] Lubbock [Treasurer of the Society], has informed him that the doorway in Hudson's room was blocked up as soon as possession was taken and that no member of the Astronomical Society has been to look at the rooms since that time, to his knowledge.
Extent6p
FormatManuscript
AccessStatusOpen
Fellows associated with this archive
CodePersonNameDates
NA3175Children; John George (1777 - 1852); chemist1777 - 1852
NA8338Augustus Frederick (1773 - 1843); Duke of Sussex1773 - 1843
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