S&SWM PR papers L201 - L400
Here are transcriptions of some of the letters between L201-400 in Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum Pitt-Rivers papers
If you would like to see the originals of these letters then please contact Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum.
Part II
There follows transcriptions of all the letters deemed relevant to the Rethinking Pitt-Rivers research project in the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum's Pitt-Rivers papers collection. They were transcribed in May 2011. It is hoped that all the letters in the collection (relevant to this project or not) can be scanned and made available in the near future.
For letters L1-200 and from L401 on see other Parts
L201
Mr Mayall presents his compls to General Pitt-Rivers & begs to enclose him a loop [sic] proof of his portrait. Before [word illegible] of its [3 words illegible] with one or two sittings this portrait will be all that can be desired he would also like definite & full instructions as to [2 words illegible] pounds [word illegible] as to [word illegible] further loss of time as he Mr. M. is anxious to make this portrait all that can be desired & a success
164 New Bond St
29.3.86
Separate note in same plastic envelop says Mr Jamyn Brooks 7 Trafalgar Studios Manresa Road Kings Road SW
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L204
Added: H. Jamyn Brooks
7 Trafalgar Studios
Manresa Road
King’s Road SW
New Bond Street
2-4 86
Sir,
Will you kindly make an appointment on back of enclosed card & post it to Mr Brooks & he will be prepared for a sitting at any hour you may name on Saturday next 3rd inst. I remain
Sir
Yours [illegible]
HTA
Per
J.E. Mayall
General Pitt-Rivers
---
L218
2 Rupell Chambers
Bury Street, WC
May 29. 1886
Dear Sir
It has been suggested to me that you might like to acquire a collection of necklaces& strings of beads which I made last winter in Upper Egypt.
The necklaces are of various substances, from bead of amethyst, garnet, & carnelian to knots of twisted glass, and some of them are of ancient Egyptian glass beads with others of the Greek & Roman periods, exemplifying imitationsof hard stones such as plasma & lapis.
The beads represent a great variety of Egyptian forms in porcelain. In addition to those from Egypt there are 3 necklaces of amber & glass from Southern Italy.
I have also a small collection of objects of gold, - rings, armlets, pendants &c from Egypt. Should you wish to see any of these things I should be happy to send them to your address.
I am truly yours
Greville J. Chester
In order to save time I enclose lists of the two collections
Added [presumably note of reply]:
General would like to know when Mr Chester is likely to be at home as he will then call and see the objects. He does not wish them sent here.
----
L220
Oriel Coll
Oxford
Mar 1. 1886
Dear Sir
The Hebdomadal Council has allotted me the agreeable duty of inviting you to come down to Oxford at Commemoration for the purpose of receiving the Honorary degree of D.C.L.
I hope that you will be able to accept this invitation and it will give me great pleasure if you and Mrs Pitt-Rivers will stay with me when you come.
Commemoration day is June 30 but as you probably know the gaieties begin three or four days earlier.
I am Dear Sir
Yours very faithfully
D B Monro
----
L221
2 Rupell Chambers
Bury Street, WC
May 29. 1886
Dear Sir
In answer to Mr James's note, I beg to say I could be in thisafternoon from 4 to 7, * any morningbefore Wednesday next week up to 11, and at any [insert] other [end insert] time on either of those days you might like to fix, when I should be happy to show you my things.
I will ask you kindly to send me line that I may know when to expect, & to bring my catalogues [word illegible] I have no other copy. Believe me
truly yours
Greville J. Chester
Gen Pitt-Rivers
---
L224
Studio 50
Glebe Place
King’s Road SW
Miss Gwyn Jeffreys presents her compliments, she would be glad if General Pitt-Rivers was to have the statuette of day dreams which she did afresh for him, if he will send to her studio for it. Miss Gwyn Jeffreys would have written about it before, but she has been expecting to hear from General Pitt-Rivers as to the portrait statuette he talked of having done this season. Miss Gwyn Jeffreys would be happy to show General Pitt-Rivers a statuette she has lately completed if he can name a time for visiting the studio.
June 15th 186 [sic]
---
L234
[Answered]
Royal College of Surgeons
Lincolns Inn Fields
London W.C.
Telegraphic Address 'Splints, London'
18th day of July 1886
Dear Sir
Since I had a talk with you at Mr. John Evans' Conversazione regarding 'Anthropological Notes and Queries' I learn from Mr Stanford that he made a mistake regarding the number of copies in hand still. He has about 100 copies yet. I saw Mr Galton at the last Anthrop. Conference at the Exhibition last week & told him this. He said that as a new edition was wanted very much so as to bring the work up to date, he thought it would be a good plan if the [British] Association [for the Advancement of Science] were to present copies pretty freely to the officials from various places represented in the Exhibition, who take an interest in Anthropology. This he thought would be a good plan to get the book more widely known and he requested me to write to you on the subject. We have also arranged to have notices of the book published on the fly leaf of the Journal of the Anthrop. Inst. and perhaps [two words illegible] in the weekly [insert] fortnightly [end insert] notices also. These efforts at bringing the work into notice will probably hasten the sale of any copies which might be over after giving a few copies away as suggested by Mr Galton and render the need of proceeding with arrangements for a new edition imperative. This may lie [word illegible], as far as I see in action of two ways, first we may ask the British Association to place a sum of money, say £50, in the hands of a small but influential committee, whose [word illegible] would appoint a publishing Committee consisting of the authors of the various sections of the 1st edition, now alive and who care to join, and any other whom they thought it desirable to take part in editing the new Edition. The other way would be to ask all the authors of the first edition to form a Committee to which the money would be granted & they could select or add to their numbers those whom they thought desirable to have sections of the work done by. The first plan would accord with what was done when the first edition was printed and is the one which I think would perhaps be the more convenient, Mr Galton seems to prefer the latter as there being the less likely to create any difficulty about copyright. If however the Committee appointed by the Association, in forming a publishing committee, were to include all authors of sections in the 1st Edition I do not think there should be any difficulty in that respect. Were the first plan considered the better [word illegible], Mr John Evans, Prof. Flower, Mr. F. Galton, Sir John Lubbock & Dr E.B. Tylor would form a small & strong committee such as I mentioned and I would be happy to act as secretary without my name appearing in any way. Of course if one of the Members of the Committee would act as such, so much the better, but probably it is too much to expect of any of them, all being otherwise busy. If the second plan I have mentioned is preferred, the Committee appointed by the Brit. Assoc. would consist of about 14 members at least. They could meet over and form a Publishing Committee of those who were inclined to take an active part in the work, who when the work was done, would furnish material for the report to the Assoc. which of course would have to be presented by the Committee appointed by the Assoc. The feeling I have against the second plan is that the Committee would be rather cumbersome, & I think a small influential committee would do the official work (if I may so term their duties) better.
I would be glad to hear your opinion on the subject of the new Edition & how it should be proceeded with. The reason why I am moving at all in the matter is so that I may bring the subject forward, if though advisable, on the agenda of the Committee of Section H at Birmingham I being a secretary of that section. I would be glad to know what you think about distributing copies of the first edition as Mr Galton suggests. If the work is the property of the Association I presume authority for giving away copies must be got from the Association at its next meeting. I am not however certain whether the copies there remain belong to the Association or to you.
I hope you will excuse this somewhat lengthy letter.
I remain
Yours truly
J.G. Garson
Gen Pitt Rivers FRS
----
L235
Oriel Coll
Oxford
19 July 1886
Dear Sir
Can you kindly let me know in a day or two when you will be able to come down to Oxford? You probably know something of Commem. gaieties but I would mention the procession of boats on Monday the 28th as a very pretty sight.
It would suit us very well if you could come as early as Saturday. On the other hand, I am counting on seeing you on Tuesday at latest when the Tylors & the Moseleys are coming to meet you.
Yours very faithfully
DB Monro
---
L236
St Fiacre
Finistere
27 July 1886
My dear Sir
Owing to the death of the old Monsieur du Chatellier of the chateau de Kernuz, near Pont L'abbé, I was chosen as one of the experts to value his fine collection of antiquities etc etc.
I think you told me when at Huelgoat that you had visited this collection, and I recollect your showing me a portion of gold chain (found in that neighbourhood) which you had bought at Quimper.
Allow me to ask whether it has a clasp or hook to attach it by when when [sic] worn, as the silver smith you bought it from says it had.
M. du Chatellier has the other half of the same chain about a foot in length. His silversmith obtained it from a little girl, who found it in a field which had just been ploughed up, and gave the child a trumpery silver ring for it, pretending that it was not gold! since then the child has become a "domestique" in M. du C's family and retailed this circumstance etc.
He M. du C. would like to know if your portion had really a clasp or hook of any kind. also the length of your portion.
He has sent you a copy of his pamphlet on the unique menhir found in 1878 at Kervadel en Ploubannee and [insert](now set up in M. de [sic] C's grounds) [end insert] far from Pont Labbé, but it may have been returned as they last letter to you of the 22nd Many last as they [word illegible] addressed the Pengwern Road* with the words "Gone away" written on the back of the envelope.
Yesterday I heard from Mr [illegible] at Wath near Ripen & he gives me your address 4 Grosvenor Gardens, so I lose no time in writing for the above information. Hoping that I am not giving you too much trouble.
I remain yours very truly
J.W. Lukis
----
L255
Santa Catalina
Canada de Gomez
Rosario*
South America
October 19th **
Dear Papa
I have now been a month in this country so I can tell pretty well if I shall like it.
The camps are very big some 12 leagues up & others five & four. This is a very small one, only a league & a half so of course there is not as much work in job yet as the big places, but we get plenty to do what with parting cattle for vetting five to the old camp grass carpentry work, blacksmiths, pruning peach trees etc. We get up at sunrise & have coffee & breakfast at 12 o clock, dinner at seven & bed at nine.
M... [name illegible] says it wld [would] be better if I intended to stay in the country to buy a comp up north in the grasslands, at once, as land is going up in value every year it wld be of no good buying less than three leagues up as I shld be like M.... in with a league [2 word illegible] & not able to getting more & the land round here has risen tremendously in value since the proposed railway. it will cut this camp at the corner. M... will have a station on his land. he will then be able to get his maize & other stuff to Rosario in a very short time, at present he has to cart them with oxen forty five miles it takes about a week for them to get there & back. Everybody wishes to buy camps, nobody will sell round here, except for very large prices The camps here will eventually have fine stock & the northern camps will have the halfbred cattle.
Land in the grasslands is selling at about 2000£ a sq. league, if a railway is made through it, it will probably go up to 4000£ a sq. league.
Men have made money just buying the land & having managers they given them 100£ a year, the owner visits his camp once a year. Of course that is a wretched way of doing it. I of course wld have to work the land myself. its very beautiful scenery in the Chaco well watered & wooded unlike here, which can't boast of a [word illegible] tree except clos & the horses where they have been plentiful [word illegible] its not quite so flat as round Winnipeg, but its quite as dreary.
I am learning the language as quick as I can. I read a little when I get time I ought to know it in a year. Without a perfect knowledge of the language nothing can be done I cant visit the Chaco or go anywhere alone. Did Mama tell you the best way of letting me have my allowance viz. through the River English River Plate Bank in London, who has a branch in Rosario. [Name illegible] has his money sent by the same bank. I have bought a couple of good horses & want to busy some more & get up a troup or heard I can easily sell them if I want to clear out.
I can get you native carpets and saddles very peculiar things, these saddles they wld be a great acquisition to the Rushmore Museum & cost about 20 dollars. There are several cloths belonging to the saddles
yrs affect'nate son
Douglas Fox Pitt
----
L259
[Answrd]
Nash Mills,
Hemel Hempstead
Nov 2 1886
My dear Pitt Rivers
Many thanks for your handsome subscription to the Scientific Relief Fund. Mr Rix will send you a formal receipt. Is the enclosed the sort of letter you want as to the Rothwell Cross? I have brought back from Stockholm one of the large padlocks from a Church door in the neighbourhood which I hope some day soon to exhibit to the Soc. Ants - Afterwards I shall have much pleasure in presenting it to your collection. Or would you prefer my doing so at once and letting you purpose the note for the Ants. I make no doubt that you would do it better than I could. It is quite complete key and all, but not very easy to unlock. Do you know the padlock on our iron chest at the R.S.? With kind regards
Yours sincerely
John Evans
----
L270
Colonial and Indian Exhibition
Royal Commission for Victoria, Australia
Victoria Court
Exhibition Buildings
South Kensington
Dec 7th 1886
Dear Sir
We have been exhibiting in this court some very fine photographs of the natives of New Guinea taken by Mr Lindt * of Melbourne wh. would be of extreme value to any one interested in Ethnology. I am informed by Mr C.H. Read of the British Museum that probably you might entertain the idea of purchasing them. The photographs are probably the only ones in existence & are remarkable not only for their size but also for the splendid way in which they have [insert] been [end insert] produced & finished. The price put upon them by Mr Lindt is £25 for the 5 photographs (framed), but should you entertain the idea & would call upon me here I should happily show you the photographs & to consider any offer that you might make.
I am
Dear Sir
Yours faithfully
James Thomson [illegible]
Gen. Pitt-Rivers F.R.S.
---
L275
Station, Orpington
High Elms,
Beckenham,
Kent.
24 Dec. 86
My dear General
I am sending you one of the Agino [sic, illegible] original tortoise coins which I got at Athens, thinking you might like one as the origin of an European coinage. If you have one already, it will not take up too much room. I also send an opium pipe*, which Amy [sic, illegible] has brought in & which I thought might possibly do for the Museum.
Will you kindly let Mrs Pitt Rivers have the accompanying knife, which we brought back for her from Athens.
With all good wishes for Xmas
believe me
Yours most truly
John Lubbock
----
L277
at F Marryat G
Santa Catalina
Canada de Gomez
Rosario*
South America
Dec. 27th /86
Dear Papa
Mr Marryat has just told me yr. future intentions with regard to my settling in this country. He seems rather anxious that information of that kind shd come [words illegible] from a comparative stranger, but I suppose you did tell him yr, intentions respecting me. Well to come to the point. He told me you cld only advance me 1000£ after two years tuition here. In the first place I'm afraid I cld do very little in the way of buying land with that amount, land up in the Gran Chaco is selling at 1500£ a sq league, that is land where there is a probability of a railway being made. Of course I cld get land in the Chaco for a good deal less, but it wld be in some out of the way place where there is no chance of a railway coming for at least 50 years, then you must bear in mind that the land you buy in the Chaco, is in its rough prairie state with no fending of any kind. Now fencing in a camp of [word illegible]] one square league wld come to a lot of money - as it costs about 3/6 per 6 or 7 yds. that wld make [insert] the fencing [end insert] a camp of one sq league come to about 500£. That alone raises the capital requirement to about 2000£. Then there is the stocking which of course wld be done by degrees. Cattle cost about fr 8 to 12 dollars or 24 st 1.16
Then there are machines, as ploughs, mowers, rakes, etc I shld have to plough for lucerne to fatten cattle on in the winter or for sale although one cld sell cows in [words illegible] to butchers to fatten, but one wld naturally get a better price for fat cattle. therefore it is an advantage to have some lucerne. Mowers wld be required for cutting the hay, as it is necessary to have some hay in the winter. I shd also require bullock carts and harness for carting goods to market. Building again is very expensive in this country. The bricks are made from mud in the old fashioned style viz, treading it with horses, the difficulty expense lies in finding brickmakers & masons in out of the way parts like the Gran Chaco. Then there are wells to be made etc if I had a camp in the Chaco I shd have natural water but round here everybody has to make wells, which is to price various according to depth to water & width required. so I calculate that it wld cost to start a camp more or less 3500£ well the point of all this is, can you advance me that amount of money because if you can't it wld be useless to try & start a camp on my own [word illegible] [insert] with less [end insert] I have this on Marryats & several other mens authority, when I have consulted.
As for staying two years, it wld be [word illegible] waste of time, as I said in my other letter to you the only think [sic] I must learn to be able to start a camp at once is the language. no for the plain working of a camp, any fool can pick it up in a couple of months therefore the only thing that prevents me being fit to have a camp of my own is the language what I no doubt shall pick up in a year though its not a language but jumps down ones throat & it will require hard application on my part to pick it up in a year. another reason for not staying here longer than I can help is I dont care for the place. I don't mind Marryat but I can't stand his wife who says the camp wld be unbearable if there was no quarrelling I assure you [word illegible] she makes it very bearable as far as Tindall & I are concerned so much for that Tindall contemplates going home, he also can't stand the climate & I must say it is a very unpleasant one. The heat sometimes is quite tropical
yrs affect son
Douglas Fox Pitt
----
L277
[NB there are 2 L277s, the other is from Douglas Fox-Pitt]
Dorchester Feb 24th 1887
Sir
I take the liberty of sending you a sketch of a very choice old silver porringer date 1666 Charles II I have just purchased this privately [insert] FROM [end insert] a resident in this county. I am sure this is worthy of your attention and shall be pleased to send it on approbation if desired
Your [salutation illegible except for obliged]
F. Jacob
To: Gen'l Pitt Rivers Rushmore
Drawing on reverse captioned Date 1666 Charles II £12 cash Sketch exact size of porringer. On other end of sheet are two rough sketches of ?monograms it is not known if these relate to this
Stamped Saunders & Jacob Goldsmiths Dorchester
----
L278
Holyhead
Jan'y 5. 1889
Sir
I send you by desire of Lord Stanley of Alderley by parcels post a box containing a skeleton and fragments of bones, teeth, and a piece of charcoal; they were found about 300 yards to the East of the excavations at Porthdafarch which are described in Mr Hanleys book; the place where they were found was covered with about 6 feet in depth of sand; the sand was carried away for building purposes about 10 or 12 years since, and underneath the sand was a circular layer of charcoal powder of about 30 feet in diameter, Mr Stanley had this bed of charcoal carefully examined and several fragments of bone, teeth &c were found; at the extreme Southern end of this charcoal layer, the tenant was digging for a foundation for a wall, when he found the skeleton, the fragments of bones, teeth &c which I have sent. the skeleton was [insert] in the subsoil a little [end insert] below the level of the charcoal bed: the piece of charcoal is the only piece found, the remainder of the layer being in powder.
I have the honor to be
Sir
Your most obed ser
Thos S Elliott
To Gen'l Pitt-Rivers
----
L280
Station, Orpington
High Elms,
Beckenham,
Kent.
9 Jan. 1887
My dear General
You may remember that last year I was obliged to apply to you with reference to some of the Bills for Alice's trousseau which Mrs Pitt-Rivers had not paid.
To my great surprise the enclosed has been sent in again, & I have paid it as it was impossible to let Mrs Russell lose th money.
Mrs Pitt Rivers admitted in the spring that she had authorised the dress being bought & took away the Bill, which of course we supposed was paid long ago.
I wrote to her some days ago, but she has taken no notice of my letter, so I am obliged to apply to you, as I cannot suppose you wish me to pay for Alice's trousseau.
I am
Yours most truly
John Lubbock
---
L280 [there are 2 with same number]
[Answered]
Wellesley Studio: Sutton: Surrey
March 4: 1887
Dr. Sir
I think you will kindly excuse the liberty I take in addressing you when I say that I am engaged in the preparation of a very large work on the origins of ornamental forms, & that I am indebted to your most interesting collection of savage-tribe objects for some most important facts. When I first had the advantage of seeing your collection at South Kensington I think a diagram was exhibited showing how the form of a man had degenerated into a mere ornament. In one of my own founds [sic] from central Africa occur these two figures [2 Drawings] and if my memory serves me rightly these were on your diagram. If you could assist me by completing the series I should feel deeply indebted to you.
You may possibly know my work on the arts & industries of Japan (Longman).*
Trusting that you will pardon the liberty that I take in addressing you
I am
Yours faithfully
C.W. Dresser
To Gen. Pitt Rivers &c &c
---
L281
14 King St
Aberdeen
Jany 13/ 87
Genl. Pitt Rivers
Sir
I have sent the old sun dial per rail to day as you directed.
As stated in my last note, the dial was found some years ago at the old estate of Pitsligo, and was in the hands of the man who found it up till the time of his death, and I bought it from the person who bought it at the sale of the finders assets.
It is supposed that the dial had belonged to the family who owned Pitsligo at the date which appears upon the dial, owing to its having been found there, but of course it cannot be said for certain, that it did. Pitsligo is in the north east corner of Aberdeenshire.
Trusting the package may reach you safely I am
Your obedient servant
Geo Sim
---
L281
14 King St
Aberdeen
Jany 13/ 87
Genl. Pitt Rivers
Sir
I have sent the old sun dial per rail to day as you directed.
As stated in my last note, the dial was found some years ago at the old estate of Pitsligo, and was in the hands of the man who found it up till the time of his death, and I bought it from the person who bought it at the sale of the finders assets.
It is supposed that the dial had belonged to the family who owned Pitsligo at the date which appears upon the dial, owing to its having been found there, but of course it cannot be said for certain, that it did. Pitsligo is in the north east corner of Aberdeenshire.
Trusting the package may reach you safely I am
Your obedient servant
Geo Sim
[With the letter are three pencil drawings on a long sheet of paper, presumably of the sundial shown here]
----
L282
[To be ans[wered]?
Old Charlton
Kent S.E.
21 Jany 1887
Dear Sir
Enclosed is the reply which I received by last mail from Sierra Leone respecting the Loom will you kindly let me know if you want it. the Loom is with me it seems a very high price to me. Still it is a great curiosity in this Country. I am leaving for the Sherbro in Sierra Leone next week 29th Inst. on a flying visit. I hope to be back within two months would you like me to collect any curios for you if I get the chance of doing so while there.
Yours faithfully
J.G. Alldridge
General A. Pitt-Rivers
Enclosed letter
R. 17.1.86
Grafton
Sierra Leone W.C. Africa
December 17/ 86
J.G. Alldridge Esqr
Dear Sir
I beg respectfully to render my most sincere thanks for your very kind letter of Nov. 19th in reference to my exhibits at the late Indian and Colonial Exhibition.
I have no objection to sell you the "country loom"; it cost me £3-15. But if you would give me £5, (five pound) I will be content. It was with great difficulty I obtained it from the weaver who was of belief that I was about putting the instrument of his living into European hands and spoil his trade; it took me several days to convince him to sell off.
If this price suit you, you would therefore hand my letter to the committee of Indian & Colonial Exhibition for Sierra Leone, and pay the same to the committee who would forward it to me in Sierra Leone.
Believe to be
Yours faithfully
A.B.C. Sipthorpe
P.S. You shall receive another letter from me concerning other matters in your letter soon after this A.B.C.S
----
L286
Copy [in Pitt-Rivers' hand] the original sent to Creeche
Rushmore
Salisbury
West St
Bridport
March 22 87
Sir
I taken the liberty of writing to inform you that I believe the remains of an interesting Roman settlement or place of cremation are situated on your property near Burton Bradstock for many years a quarry has been worked at Green Hill near Cogden & I found there repeatedly urns, bronze ornaments had been found by the men at work there [sic] I have a collection of Roman & English coins & on enquiry at the Quarry I received a [2 words illegible] of Constantine & on another visit have received many pieces of pottery bulk [?] of various animals human bone & in the bottom of some of the urns remains of the cremations [word illegible] some of the large stones near have been subject to fire only one perfect urn has been got out I believe & I did not get it Most of them fale [sic] to [word illegible] or are already broken [3 words illegible] There is some two feet of dark [5 words illegible] then the natural rock nothing has been opened up but gradually uncovered as the stone is [rest of sentence illegible] Would you not deem it worth your notice would you kindly allow me to carefully uncover some of the turf etc that may be present being subject to [2 words illegible] at any time I have mentioned the matters to William Colford Esq JP & he has wished me to lay it before you I may say that Roman coin & all found in [word illegible] plains around here I have a silver f... [illegible] about BC 150 found on searching [word illegible] land near villas nr Burton cliffs I Should you wish it to [word illegible] as at present I shall be glad to state your wishes to the Tenant as as yet I have not mentioned it to him. Trusting you will not [word illegible] the liberty I have taken in writing
[Salutation illegible]
James Ralls
----
L296
42 Rutland Gate
April 19/ 87
My dear General
Is there any chance of your being at the Anthropol: on the 21st? It will be interesting, on New Guinea & cognate topics & we shall have 3 N. Queensland aborigines of strangely characteristic type who will be exhibited & be put through its paces
I should like to talk over with you, if you came, about the Auth: Notes & Queries
Yours faithfully
Francis Galton
General Pitt-Rivers
----
L297
Dorchester, Apr. 23 1887
My dear Sir,
Your letter of Apr. 21 has just arrived & I hasten to thank you for it, & for the enclosed medal.* It is an admirable idea to record your excavations for the information of possible future researchers. This specimen of the medal used for the purpose shall be carefully placed in the Museum ** and labelled.
The persistent survival nowadays of small remnants of formerly prevailing races (the Bushmen e.g.) seems to give probability to your supposition that the Rushmore tribe may have been of Neolithic blood.
I am
Yours truly
HJ Moule
Maj: Gen'l Pitt Rivers R.A. F.R.S.
----
L299
Dorchester. Easter Monday. 1887
Dear Sir,
Pray accept my best thanks for your most kind invitation. It is very tantalizing to be quite unable to accept it, for I have heard so much of your discoveries at Rushmore that it would be no common pleasure to me to see the villages and to hear the opinions of the two anthropologists respecting the small race of men who dwelt therein. But at the best of times it is very difficult for me to leave home, and just now it is impossible for me to go to Rushmore. The reason simply is that I am seeing off one of my sons who sails for Canada in a day or two.
If I understand you rightly that this small race of men was contemporary with the Romans here, the phenomenon is surely very strange. In my limited reading I do not remember to have noticed anything similar. Belgs I suppose were large men, Kelts middle-sized & Iberes also.
I have often wondered whether you have come to any conclusions about that most curious Moot Hill at Downton. Again thanking you for your most obliging invitation,
I am
yours truly
H.J. Moule
Major Gen'l Pitt Rivers R.A.
---
L302
Nash Mills,
Hemel Hempstead
May 11 1887
My dear Pitt Rivers
If ever you are at Burlington House call on Mr Hope at the Soc Ants. and you will "find something to your advantage" with kind regards
Yours sincerely
John Evans
---
L304
British Museum, W.C. May 12 1887
My dear Pitt-Rivers
I owe you many apologies for never writing to thank you for your medalet which is an excellent idea & much further than Colt Hoare's [word illegible]. I deposited it with your note in the Medal Room **** & consequently (as well as from my mind & body being offuscated by a very bad cold) I never wrote to you.
It is an age since I have seen you. I have been this year very much of prisoner. [sic] I contrived to sleep in a damp bed last autumn in Germany & contracted a cold which has constantly returned, helped by the East Winds, so I haves eschewed all evening dissipations.
Ever yours truly
Augustus W. Franks
Note that L307 is a formal letter from the BM confirming the donation of the medal described as 'A small bronze medal struck by General Pitt Rivers to be placed in excavations made by himself before filling them up again'.
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L306
Nash Mills,
Hemel Hempstead
May 17 1887
My dear Pitt Rivers
What I have left for you at Burlington House one a large Swedish lock (figured in the Proceedings that are about to come out) and a smaller Chinese lock ** You will I think like the former but perhaps you may not want the latter - I shall be glad to have a copy of your Excavation medal. I saw one at the Brit Assoc. on Saturday Your Romano British discoveries are very interesting. Cannot you give us some account of them at the Soc. Ants & let us have the paper for the Archaeologia. What a Zacchaeus like race you seem to have found!
With kind regards from most truly
John Evans
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L332
Bow House
Christchurch
Hants.
July 5, 1887
Sir,
I am on my return in receipt of your letter of June 18 last -
Re Great Bustard I had not thought of parting with it as it would be a pity to break up my collection which now amounts to 1500 British killed specimen.
If I did anything I should dispose of them as a whole about 340 cases - but this I suppose would be to [sic] great a number for you to entertain.
I am Sir
Yours very [word illegible]
Edward Hart F.Z.S.
To Lt Genl Pitt Rivers
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L346
14 Suffolk Street
Pall Mall S.W.
7th Aug't 1887
Dear General Pitt Rivers
I enclose a dft [draft] report of the Committee of the Brit Assoc. for the purpose of sorting a new Edition of 'Anthrop. Notes & Queries". I have given, I hope accurately, the history of the 1st edition and the proceedings of the two Committee meetings we have held during the year since we were appointed. I will be glad if you will revise & correct & improve upon it as you like. On your returning it to me I will send it to the Secretary of the Association & have it printed & distributed amongst the members of the Committee for final approval before presenting it to the Association.
I have read with interest the accounts as published of the meeting of the Archaeological meeting and regret very much that it was not possible for me to be present at it particularly today with you at Rushmore. I am however fixed in town with work till the end of the month when I hope to go to Manchester.
Are you coming to the Brit. Assoc.? I should like very much to have some report to place before the Anthropological Section of your splendid 'finds' this spring, which I am sure would be of great interest. Should you not be able to come I would be happy to make a communication to the section for you of any account you may wish to send to us.
We have not got many good papers in hand yet. I hope we will get an Anthropological Laboratory [insert] arranged [end insert] in connection with the section
I am
Yours very truly
J.G. Garson
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L359
Gussage St Michael
by Cranborne
August 18 1887
Dear Sir,
I am obliged to you for your letter of the 15th inst.
I have communicated with Mr. T.J. Turnbull the Agent of the Earl of Shaftesbury. He says "if the Secretary for General Pitt Rivers will write to me I will give him the name of the owner of the flint celt recently found at Woodlands from whom it may be obtained."
I have no doubt that it will find its way to the Farnham Museum and I shall be glad to see it there. It is an unusually perfect one. I measured it with a tape I had in my pocket. It is 6 3/4 inches long and 2 1/4 inches wide at the broad end.
All the relics that have been found in this Parish for the last 20 yrs, have been found without exception, I believe, on Lord Angleseys property. Some 10 yrs ago the half of a Roman quern, in a perfect state of preservation, was found at Harley. I remember seeing it at the time, but cannot ascertain what has become of it.
A small axe head of iron (no the Saxon type) was also ploughed up there. A piece of worked bone flat on one side was also picked up. My children have repeatedly brought from the neighbourhood pieces of pottery, apparently fragments of amphorae, in which possibly wine and oil had been imported. The coin 1st 2nd and 3rd brass ranged from Hadrian to Constantine the 2nd. They [2 words illegible] value to a collector, but locally interesting, as indicating Roman occupation.
Two & perhaps 3, had been exposed to the [word[s] illegible] of fire. Some were so oxidised as to be scarcely decipherable.
Fibulae have been found on ploughed ground in the occupation of T H Kendell and H. Ford. Worked flints what Mr Evans would I suppose call duck bill scrapers are found on or by the supposed British trackway where it crosses the road to Wyke Farm, and [3 words illegible] There a celt of polished flint was found.
I am
yrs truly
J.H. Ward
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L360
14 Suffolk Street
Pall Mall S.W.
18th Aug't 1887
Dear Gen. Pitt Rivers
As time is rather short before the meeting of the British Association meeting, I would be glad to receive back again the dft. Report of the Committee for the publication of the new Edition of "Anthropological Notes & Queries" which I sent to you as Chairman of Committee for correction & alteration at your earliest convenience. I am sorry to hurry you as I know your time is so much taken up with other matters but I am being pressed for it myself as the secretary wishes to have it set up in type before the meeting.
I enclose you the answer which I have received from the Post Office regarding the letter which [insert] I sent to you & was [end insert] returned to me through the 'Dead Letter Office'.
I am
yours very truly
J.G. Garson
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L362
[Ans'd]
27, New Canal,
Salisbury
Aug't 22, 1887
Dear Sir
I am sending you some of the old tobacco pipes, found here, in making the drains & in gardens.
I hardly know whether they will be worth your acceptance for your very interesting Museum at Farnham.
There is a nice paper on the pipes by my late friend Edward Stevens in his Jottings for the Salisbury Meeting of the W.A.&N.H. Society in August 1876. It has been reissued by his son. I think last year. May I thank you for the very pleasant & enjoyable day at Rushmore on the 19th. I hardly know when I have had such a delightful day.
faithfully yours
W.D Wilkes
Gen'l Pitt-Rivers
----
L364
2 Rupell Chambers
Bury Street WC
Aug. 24. 1887
My dear Sir
Allow me to thank you very heartily for the beautiful volume on Your Excavations w'ch I received yesterday. It will not only be very useful, but a pleasant memorial of your kindness & hospitality when we visited Rushmore.
I was much interested by seeing the coral necklace in your collection at Farnham,* for I once procured a very similar one from Umrît (Marathus) on the Phenician Coast. It is curious that the other recorded specimen found in England should have been found in Cornwall, w'ch is supposed to have been under Phonician [sic] influence. I am
very faithfully yours
Greville J. Chester
----
L367
Gussage St. Michael
Near Cranborne
Dorsetshire
Aug 29th 1887
To General Pitt-Rivers
Sir,
I hope you will excuse the trespassing upon your time, but knowing that you have been kind enough to open a museum for the benefit and pleasure of the public I beg to bring under your notice one of the most interesting specimens of Assyrian art now in the British Museum viz Assur-bani-pal and his Queen, which I have reproduced in the finest parian. The price of the Bas relief is £1.10.0.
I have also modelled one of the Nineveh Bulls [insert] in plaster [end insert] size 16 in. square. The price of this is 10/-
Should you be pleased to favour me with your name as a subscriber, I think the works would prove a valuable addition to your present collection.
I remain Sir
Your obedient servant
A. Hays
----
L368
[Ans'd]
14 & 15 Charing Cross Road, Leicester Square
London W.C. Sept 19th 1887
Sir,
It is with great regret that I have to inform you that my father-in-law, Mr William Wareham, was drowned in the yachting catastrophe at Ilfracombe on the 26th August last.
Under his Will, I have succeeded to the business, and I hope soon to be able to communicate further on the subject.
Your obedient Servant
Geo: R. Harding
----
L375
[British Museum]
17 Sept 1887
Dear Sir
I was speaking about the results of your excavations at Rushmore to my friend Mr Soden Smith, the Keeper of the Art Library at S. Kensington and he told me that he had not seen your book.
It is possible that you may already have given a copy to that Library - but if not it would be much appreciated.
I feel some warrant in making this suggestion from your having asked Mr Franks to tell you of any one whom he considered worthy to possess your book.
The more I look at the New Ireland paddleclubs [insert] from Fenton [end insert] the more I am convinced that they are more or less modern - that is to say the ornament has been added to what mayhave been an old implement.
Yours faithfully
Charles H. Read
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L382
33 Seastone Road
Boscombe
Bournemouth
Sep. 27. 1887
Dr Sir,
In reply to yours of yesterday, herewith I have forwarded to you the Purbeck papers, and am sorry I cannot send you the complete set, as in the first (1855) issue there is some interesting discoveries made in the opening of Barrow at St Adhelms Head, also an account of Danish remains (found Jan 21. 1767) found at Moorborough in the road to [illegible] Hollow trunk of Tree (oak). 10 ft long outside dia 4 ft rudely decorated etc. I believe you have made some like discoveries. I was fortunate enough to set the loom of this No from one of the Members of the Society dwelling near Wareham.
I also in the same parcel send you a sundial, which if not possessing any antiquarian value is still interesting as regards its close associations with Cranborne Chase, as it was purchased at the Sale of the Property of the Late W.W. Farr, If one House only divided from the Chase by its outer boundary line, the River Stour, I should not wonder if previously to the Farr family moving to Iford in 18-- it was not more closely associated with the C. Chase as I think at one time they dwelt on the other side of the River at Maccleshell higher up, so taht was within the bounds.
If you have a history of the C. Chase with a map date 1618 afterwards revised by Hambidge of Blandford son of the first [illegible] I should esteem it a great favour if you would loan it me for a time, I have tried at many places to get a copy, but have been unsuccessful up to the present.
Believe me
Yours most respectfully
Chas.M.Bennett
[Copy of Cranborne Chase sent 29/Sept/87]
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L383
Ratcliffe College
Leicester
27 Sept 1887
Dear General Pitt Rivers
Absence from home, & the getting my school under way at the beginning of the year, must be my excuses for not sending sooner the specimens of Grecian pottery I promised for your Museum. They were all found by me in the ground, mostly 8 ft deep in the valley between the Museion & Puyx, the seat of rock built or pre-historic Athens This part, being without the walls, & not in sight of the Acropolis, though distant from it only 1/2 a mile, has not been inhabited since the days of Pericles. The remains of hundreds f dwellings, now [insert] unearthed to be [end insert] seen these are all cut in the rock, with sometimes stairs cut in the rock leading to an upper storey, into a house higher up. The narrow alley, between the house & rut-cut road before them, is still traceable. For some account of how and when I found these specimens see "Archaeological Journal" vol XCII at page 8 of my art. on 'Archaeology at Athens".
I shall deem it a great favour if you will let me know whether the pieces of pottery I have found are worthy of any observation. Almost all are [illegible], slightly glazed. Any light you can throw upon them will be very welcome & I have as yet but no opinion of any expert upon them. Mr [name illegible] Count de [illegible] an eminent [disciple illegible] at Vanus, gave me three small specimens of Jade from the veins discovered by him at "Roquedos", Morbihan 9 years ago (see my act. of the time in "Athenaeum" of Sept 3rd, top of page [insert] last vol. [end insert] [illegible] end) He thinks the jade hatchets found in tumuli not Orientalbut identical with those [illegible] from jadeite. If you [illegible] specimen I shall be glad to give [2 words illegible] Believe [3 words illegible]
Joseph Hirst
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L385
Crescent Hotel
Filey
Sep 30 1887
My dear Pitt-Rivers
I do not know if you are aware that the collection of barrow things from the wolds, made by Mortimer of Driffield, is for sale. *
It contains a very large number of sepulchres vessels and other articles the results of the opening of above 200 barrows. No such collection will ever be made again and you might, perhaps, feel inclined to become the possessor. The price asked is, I think, much above its value, (£3000) but I should think if an offer was made a more reasonable sum would be taken.
My examination of [word illegible] Howe proved most unsatisfactory, a grave 12 1/2 ft deep at the centre was found to contain no burial, nor could one ever have been made from some small pieces [illegible] bone was quite [2 words illegible]
Two other mounds have proved to be non sepulchral, so I have had a very unsuccessful fortnights work. I have started on another mound & this does not promise well
Believe me
Yours sincerely
W Greenwell
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L393
Shere Guildford
Oct 8 1887
My dear General
It has been a great relief to my mind to hear that you have consented to place the British fetish I ventured to send you in your Museum. My wife thought you could not possibly think my intentions honourable, but I maintained that an ethnologist's mind can see merits in the rudest productions which are not seen by the ignorant.
There is a very old man hereabouts, who makes these scarecrows & when he dies there will be no more demand for them. Encouraged by your reception I send you now a little Madonnafrom the great pilgrimage place of Eurisiedeln- there you know exactly whom & what the figure represents, but if it were the symbol of a lost religion, could any Ethnologist explain it or reconstruct it? This is I not expensive to make. There is a great manufactory at Munich, but these productions are too artistic - in the streets near St Sulpice at Paris there are shops full of saints & at Cöln also I have seen many, but they must be rudely carved to be instructive & interesting - one might pick up many in a tour through Southern Germany - If you appreciate my little Madonna, I think I can offer you some other little objects.
Yrs sincerely
Arthur Russell
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L397
[Ansd]
Hilmartin Vicarage
Calne, Wilts
Oct 24/ 87
My dear Sir
I am sending you a crate by rail to Tisbury the things from Teneriffe that you thought might be of use in the museum. They are all labelled. I have added a few other things: but if any are unsuitable pray return them.
The glass beads & bangles from Palestine & Syria I cannot give, but if you allow of loans, it will be a pleasure to me to leave them for exhibition in yr museum for the present.
Truly yrs
C.V. Goddard
List
Hammock of grass from Mexico
Wicker strainer for Cassava
2 cakes cassava bread
2 boxes Teneriffe "Gofio' meal
Canary knife
Canary musical instrument
Canary drinking cup
Canary water jars (unfortunately cracked lately but mended)
Box containing 2 strings of beads, bangles & rings of glass
Fire fan from Mexico
You said when I saw you at Miss Groves that you would like me to get a thrashing sledgefrom Teneriffe.
I have not yet done anything in the matter, as I have been waiting for my own probable return to the island; but in view of that am I to understand that you desire a sledge to be sent? if so should the pole & peculiar yoke be included? You do not want a primitive plough as well, I suppose?
C.V.G.
Transcribed by AP May 2011 as part of the Rethinking Pitt-Rivers project.
