References relating to William Jackson Hooker

This material is held atRoyal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Archives

  • Reference
    • GB 235 WJH
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1824 - 1935
  • Name of Creator
  • Language of Material
    • English
  • Physical Description
    • 1 folder

Scope and Content

small range of letters, photocopies of letters and references relating to William Jackson Hooker as follows:
- "For the Edinburgh Museum" - A selection of plants from the Arctic Herbarium put into Dr Hooker's hands by Captain Parry for publication in the Appendix to Captain Parry's second voyage - a considerable number of the cryptogamic plants mentioned in that Appendix only afforded specimens to identify the species by, and were not worth preserving in any of the collections being much injured or mixed with mosses and Jungermannia. Of several others, particularly amongst the Ph[illegible] Plants, there were only unique specimens which are deposited in the British Museum, dated April 5th 1825, W.J. Hooker, Glasgow
- letter from W.J. Hooker, Glasgow to Dr Gillies, Mendoza, South America, 18 September 1825 (Rec'd 19 February 1826, answered 7 April 1826) Beginning of letter missing, only last page here: "The Dr, however, works hard at Indian Botany, and is going on with his Commentary on Rheede and on Rumphius, the [illegible] printed in the Linnean, the other in the Wernerian Society Transaction. I beseech you to write to me when you have leisure. I take a great interest in all your pursuits and in the prosperity and welfare of your adopted country, of which your journal have conveyed to me much information. Continue your exertions too in favour of Botany. Collect all you can in the neighbourhood of Mendoza as well as at a distance from it and be assured what you so get together will prove valuable. I am, my dear Sir, with very sincere regard, your very faithful and obliged, W. J. Hooker - letter sent to RBGE by Mr David H. Peffers in 1935, see below.
- Photocopy of letter from John MacQueen Cowan, Assistant Keeper at RBGE to Mr David H. Peffers, Coldstream on Tweed, 10 January 1935 (original filed under Peffers in W.W. Smith correspondence; expressing gratitude for letter of 8 January 1935 with enclosures, including portrait of David Tod and thanking him for page of Hooker's correspondence to Dr Gillies.
- 2 letters - part of a gift to RBGE of letters (mostly to W.H. Campbell, Secretary of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh) by Dr David Mann, Secretary of the Bot Soc for safekeeping in the Archives. Letters originally came from Mr Edward Aglen - as follows- first is an original letter, dated 30 March 1836, from William Jackson Hooker, Glasgow to W.H. Campbell, agreeing to insert the notice of the new Botanical Society into the earliest number of the Companion to the Botanical Magazine: "I could have wished that you or Dr. Greville had drawn up any further semantic upon the subject that it is desirable to [illegible] because you are so much better acquainted with the nature of the Institution than I can [sensibly?] be. However, I shall very willingly say a few words in its favour. I could not myself undertake to perform the duties of a Local Secretary, nor do I know a single creature in all the west of Scotland who deserves the name of Botanist or who is fit to be charged with the Office in question, save Mr Gardner and he is going off in a few weeks to South America.... The other letter is a photocopy - W.J. Hooker to H.C. Campbell (but same address as W.H. Campbell - intended for him?) dated January 1837 - mention of announcing discovery of Erica vagrans in Ireland in his Companion - letter needs to be properly read.

Administrative / Biographical History

Professor of Botany at Glasgow University and Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Access Information

Collection is open to researchers by appointment, see (right click, open link in new tab:) https://www.rbge.org.uk/science-and-conservation/library-and-archives/visiting-the-library/

Acquisition Information

folder was found amongst Walker Arnott mss papers - returned to Archives, August 2023

Note

Professor of Botany at Glasgow University and Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission required from RBGE.

Related Material

W.J. Hooker correspondence can also be found amongst the Thomas Anderson collection, items 23-28, 115 and 182

Additional Information

published

WJH

GB 235