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RefNoHSF/3/1/15
LevelItem
TitleLetter from William James Herschel, Calcutta [Kolkata], to 'Dearest Akibo' [Alexander Stewart Herschel]
CreatorHerschel; Sir William James; second baronet (1833-1917); British developer of fingerprinting and judge
Date5 September 1853
DescriptionHe gives thanks for Alex's letter of 2 July and Johnny's [John Herschel] of 16 July. He describes how his syce [groom] came to him with a large bill for keeping his horse, which should have been paid by his bearer, Katik. On examination he claimed he had paid, but was contradicted by the syce. William dismissed him, having been waiting for the opportunity of some evidence. The other servants then gave narratives of Katik's dishonesty in witholding their wages, and William was obliged to reimburse them, sending threats of imprisonment to Katik if he did not honour the debts. Katik's father paid the monies to save his son from disgrace. William gives an account of the replacement servant and the loss of a 250 rupee note, which went missing but was found under suspicious circumstances; he decided to keep the new servant despite this. He has unpacked his last box of books and has discovered the photograph of his father with a letter from Mrs [Julia Margaret] Cameron. 'It is a perfect likeness...sad looking, in short grumpy!' He hopes that the family will sit as a group for daguerreotypes, requesting that his father should look sweeter and straighten his cravat. Mrs Cameron's introductions have been very useful. William has just sat an examination for high proficiency in Bengalese, but did not attain the standard. He asks the 'The Athenaeum' might be sent out to him. He has written to Mr Jones, and Alexander should request the letter as it gives an account of the butterflies he has been collecting, which one day he will have to see thought the Custom House before sending them on to Jones. William now has a buggy and horse in addition to his riding horse. He exhorts Alexander and John to work steadily.
Extent6p.
FormatManuscript
PhysicalDescriptionInk on paper
AccessStatusOpen
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