Letter from Theodor Hartweg to the secretary of Horticultural Society [George Bentham], 21 Regent Street, London

Title

Letter from Theodor Hartweg to the secretary of Horticultural Society [George Bentham], 21 Regent Street, London

Record type

Archive

Original Reference

RHS/Col/7/1/1/29

Date

17 Sep 1838

Scope & content

Written from Angangueo [Mexico]

Postmarked ('London 4 Dec 1838'). The letter includes an impression of an opened seal

Letter No 22'

He arrived at Angangueo on 24 Aug; the mountains were covered with pines, including the 'remarkable' oyamel (Abies religiosa), but as the cones are not yet ripe, he has decided to return at the end of the year to collect them; his herbarium is 'rapidly increasing' and now contains 1,450 specimens; Messrs Byrns & Co [Messrs Byrns, Hooton & Co, merchants in Mexico] said that the four boxes of plants from Morelia [Mexico] arrived safely in Mexico [Mexico City, Mexico] and will be forwarded to Veracruz [Mexico] with Hartweg's instructions; they said that the commander of the Linnet, despite Mr Ashburnham's [Charles Ashburnham, British secretary of the legation in Mexico] letter requesting him to take Hartweg's packages, refused to take the boxes; it seems unlikely they can be sent whilst the blockage continues; they suggested that Hartweg send a parcel of seeds as a present to the commanders with each dispatch: 'it would facilitate the transmission of my packages very much, but to this I cannot consent'; they said they had been told by Mr Edgar [Thomas Edgar, treasurer of the Horticultural Society of London] to open a 'fresh credit' for £500 for Hartweg, which they would use to cover the money paid to Hartweg until 30 Nov 1837, amounting to $869, or £161 5s

Hartweg's accounts for 17 Aug-16 Sep 1838 comprise 'monthly allowance' $50, 'wages of mozo [servant]' $18 and 'keeping of 3 beasts' $12.4. Written from Angangueo [Mexico]

Postmarked ('London 4 Dec 1838'). The letter includes an impression of an opened seal

Letter No 22'

He arrived at Angangueo on 24 Aug; the mountains were covered with pines, including the 'remarkable' oyamel (Abies religiosa), but as the cones are not yet ripe, he has decided to return at the end of the year to collect them; his herbarium is 'rapidly increasing' and now contains 1,450 specimens; Messrs Byrns & Co [Messrs Byrns, Hooton & Co, merchants in Mexico] said that the four boxes of plants from Morelia [Mexico] arrived safely in Mexico [Mexico City, Mexico] and will be forwarded to Veracruz [Mexico] with Hartweg's instructions; they said that the commander of the Linnet, despite Mr Ashburnham's [Charles Ashburnham, British secretary of the legation in Mexico] letter requesting him to take Hartweg's packages, refused to take the boxes; it seems unlikely they can be sent whilst the blockage continues; they suggested that Hartweg send a parcel of seeds as a present to the commanders with each dispatch: 'it would facilitate the transmission of my packages very much, but to this I cannot consent'; they said they had been told by Mr Edgar [Thomas Edgar, treasurer of the Horticultural Society of London] to open a 'fresh credit' for £500 for Hartweg, which they would use to cover the money paid to Hartweg until 30 Nov 1837, amounting to $869, or £161 5s

Hartweg's accounts for 17 Aug-16 Sep 1838 comprise 'monthly allowance' $50, 'wages of mozo [servant]' $18 and 'keeping of 3 beasts' $12.4

Level

Item

Extent

4 page letter (1 sheet)

Is part of

RHS archive: plant collector papers

Repository

Royal Horticultural Society Lindley Library

Copyright

Royal Horticultural Society

Credit Line

RHS Lindley Collections

Usage terms

Non-commercial use with attribution permitted (CC BY-NC 4.0)