Letter from Theodor Hartweg to the secretary of Horticultural Society [George Bentham], 21 Regent Street, London
Information
Title - Letter from Theodor Hartweg to the secretary of Horticultural Society [George Bentham], 21 Regent Street, London
Record type - Archive
Original Reference - RHS/Col/7/1/1/4
Date - 17 Jan 1837
Scope & content - Written from Silao [Mexico]
Postmarked ('Lon[London] 1 Apr 1837'). Annotated on the reverse in another hand: 'Recd [received] 30 Jan 1837. For'd [forwarded] 8 Feb by YOS [your obedient servants] West, Staines & Co [merchants in Mexico], Tampico [Mexico]'. Part of an opened seal is attached to the letter
Letter No 2. Annotated in pencil: '1837'
He left Zacuapan [Zacualpan, Mexico] on 27 Dec; he was treated hospitably by Mr and Mrs Lavater [Karl Lavater, also spelled Carl Lavater, Swiss consul in Mexico] and their partner Mr Sartorius [Carl Christian Sartorius, German botanist in Mexico]; he travelled on horseback to Jalapa [Xalapa, Mexico] where he had planned to spend a few days collecting, but was unable to do so as it was too dangerous with robberies occurring almost daily; he travelled by diligence [stagecoach] to Mexico [Mexico City, Mexico], where he arrived on 2 Jan; he delivered his letters of introduction and obtained new ones with the help of the British consul, Mr O'Gorman [Charles O'Gorman, British consul in Mexico], as well as Messrs Byrns & Hooton [merchants in Mexico], Messrs Manning and Marshall [Robert Manning and William Marshall, British financial agents of Barclay and Company in Mexico] and Mr Chabot [Charles and George Chabot, British merchants in Mexico]; he left for Guanaxuato [Guanajuato, Mexico] on 9 Jan by diligence and horseback, arriving on 13 Jan; he found nothing in flower there, but a few Mammillaria, so he accepted the invitation of Mr O'Gorman (the consul's brother) [George O'Gorman] to stay for a few days in Silao, which appears to be a more 'promising' place than the Guanaxuato hills; he attaches a copy of expenses incurred to date [added in a P.S. written on the first page: 'Dr Schiede [Christian Julius Wilhelm Schiede, German botanist in Mexico] died a few days previous to my arrival in Mexico of a typhus fever, and merely through his own folly in refusing to take medicine']; letters for him should be directed to Messrs Byrns, Hooton & Co
Hartweg's accounts for 22 Sep-14 Dec 1836 include 'bleeding tape & plaister [plaster]' 5s, 'map of Mexico' 9s, 'sabre' 18s, 'bedding' £2 14s 6d and 'passport from the Mexican consul' 9s [here the list includes 8 more items], with the sum total £50. He received $154.1 in cash from Messrs Byrns, Hooton & Co on 8 Jan 1837. Disbursements made by Messrs Munoz, Matfield & Co [merchants in Mexico] 2-9 Jan 1837 include 'a horse hired to Mr Lavater's rancho' $25, 'signing the passport' $2, 'freight of 2 boxes of plants' $8, '6% premium for placing this amt [amount] to Vera Cruz' $3 and 'license to carry arms & passport' $2.4 [here the list includes 5 more items]. Written from Silao [Mexico]
Postmarked ('Lon[London] 1 Apr 1837'). Annotated on the reverse in another hand: 'Recd [received] 30 Jan 1837. For'd [forwarded] 8 Feb by YOS [your obedient servants] West, Staines & Co [merchants in Mexico], Tampico [Mexico]'. Part of an opened seal is attached to the letter
Letter No 2. Annotated in pencil: '1837'
He left Zacuapan [Zacualpan, Mexico] on 27 Dec; he was treated hospitably by Mr and Mrs Lavater [Karl Lavater, also spelled Carl Lavater, Swiss consul in Mexico] and their partner Mr Sartorius [Carl Christian Sartorius, German botanist in Mexico]; he travelled on horseback to Jalapa [Xalapa, Mexico] where he had planned to spend a few days collecting, but was unable to do so as it was too dangerous with robberies occurring almost daily; he travelled by diligence [stagecoach] to Mexico [Mexico City, Mexico], where he arrived on 2 Jan; he delivered his letters of introduction and obtained new ones with the help of the British consul, Mr O'Gorman [Charles O'Gorman, British consul in Mexico], as well as Messrs Byrns & Hooton [merchants in Mexico], Messrs Manning and Marshall [Robert Manning and William Marshall, British financial agents of Barclay and Company in Mexico] and Mr Chabot [Charles and George Chabot, British merchants in Mexico]; he left for Guanaxuato [Guanajuato, Mexico] on 9 Jan by diligence and horseback, arriving on 13 Jan; he found nothing in flower there, but a few Mammillaria, so he accepted the invitation of Mr O'Gorman (the consul's brother) [George O'Gorman] to stay for a few days in Silao, which appears to be a more 'promising' place than the Guanaxuato hills; he attaches a copy of expenses incurred to date [added in a P.S. written on the first page: 'Dr Schiede [Christian Julius Wilhelm Schiede, German botanist in Mexico] died a few days previous to my arrival in Mexico of a typhus fever, and merely through his own folly in refusing to take medicine']; letters for him should be directed to Messrs Byrns, Hooton & Co
Hartweg's accounts for 22 Sep-14 Dec 1836 include 'bleeding tape & plaister [plaster]' 5s, 'map of Mexico' 9s, 'sabre' 18s, 'bedding' £2 14s 6d and 'passport from the Mexican consul' 9s [here the list includes 8 more items], with the sum total £50. He received $154.1 in cash from Messrs Byrns, Hooton & Co on 8 Jan 1837. Disbursements made by Messrs Munoz, Matfield & Co [merchants in Mexico] 2-9 Jan 1837 include 'a horse hired to Mr Lavater's rancho' $25, 'signing the passport' $2, 'freight of 2 boxes of plants' $8, '6% premium for placing this amt [amount] to Vera Cruz' $3 and 'license to carry arms & passport' $2.4 [here the list includes 5 more items]
Level - Item
Extent - 4 page letter (1 sheet)
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)