S&SWM PR papers L997

L997

Ansd. Jan 19/93

Jan'y 18th 1893 | Chalbury Rectory, | Wimborne

My dear Sir,

Would it be convenient to you to call here some day? Our youngest son is home from the Niger, & has brought with him an idol or two, some spears, arrows, [illegible], clothes, caps, He will be much pleased if you will select anything you deem acceptable for any of your Museums.

It is very probable he will shortly go to the Oil Rivers Protectorate, instead of returning to the Niger.

We shall be pleased if Mrs Pitt Rivers will do us the honour of visiting us at the same time.

Believe me
Very faithfully yours
G.H. Billington

It will be a further favour if you will kindly let us know on what day we might hope to see you, lest our Son or ourselves should be from home. He has a large amount of Photos that he took there.

Pitt-Rivers did acquire items from this collection, the son was Horace Walter Leighton Billington. The items are dated 22nd January 1893 so he must have visited very rapidly. See Add.9455vol3_p876 /3-9 for the items

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L1182

Ansd Feb 24/95

Feb. 21. 95. | Chalbury Rectory, | Wimborne

My dear Sir,

We do not know whether you have in your Museums any "Chewsticks" like the accompanying. My youngest son, the Curator of the Botanical Gardens at Old Calabar, brought them with him the end of last month: but we have all been laid up with Influenza, else you sh'd have had them earlier. He regrets he could not bring you any more valuable or interesting "curios". He will return in May, & keep a look out for you. His work is highly spoken of in a recent "Blue Book". Have you yet seen his Sister's vol. on "Women in India"? We sincerely hope the recent bitter weather has had no baneful effects on Mrs Pitt-Rivers or yourself

Believe me
Very faithfully yours
G.H. Billington

These chewsticks are Add.9455vol3_p1179 /1 and on

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L1370

Ansd Aug 24/95

Aug. 23.95 | Chalbury Rectory | Wimborne

My dear Sir,

We shall beg your acceptance of the bottle found in digging a grave here this day week.

Will any of the objects named on the opposite page be suitable for the exhibition on Sept 2nd or later days? If so, we will gladly send them as soon as we can ascertain if there is a carrier to Handley the days has gone from Wimborne

We hope it will be a successful show in all respects.

Believe me
Very faithfully yours
G.H. Billington

The bottle is Add.9455vol3_p1203 /1, see here for full details of items for exhibition

L2054

Billington | Ansd Mar. 17/98

March 4th. 1898. | Chalbury Rectory | Wimborne

My dear Sir,

Is the accompanying arrow head of any use to the Museum? My son picked it up in S. Dakota (near Edgemount) lately. When he shewed it to a neighbour, who told him he knew a cave, the floor of which was strewn with Flints: it was not quite near enough for Roland to pay it a visit & examine it. He tells me the modern (Red) Indians make something like them, by heating the Flint or Jade, & applying it gently to a lump of [illegible], which causes the little bits of Flint or Jade to chip off!

We trust Mrs Pitt Rivers & yourself are in good health & with our best respects

I remain
Yours truly
G.H. Billington

Note that this is not Add.9455vol3_p971 /4 an arrowhead from the same area given in September 1893, this is Add.9455vol9_p2347 /17

Transcribed by AP May-July 2011