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After I leave Cambridge my address for a week or two will be Dent near Kendal

Cambridge Oct 7 [1847]

My dear Mary

Many letters require speedy answers so in the first place I acknowledge your Mamma's kind note and send her my thanks for it. If an honest man be the noblest work of God, why should not an honest woman be put on as high a pinnacle of glory? I ment to write to you a letter of congratulation to reach you on the 13th, your birthday. But after the 10th I shall be on the wing for several days and have perhaps no time for writing. It is therefore best for me now to write to you tho' I am up to the ears in Examination papers; and [verily?] out of temper having not yet received one of my Norwich boxes which contained the whole series of my Welsh Geological Journals and ought to have come on Monday. My servant is going off to town to look for it and as soon as I am at liberty I shall come back to Norwich should the stray box not have come. But I beg your pardon for [bothering?] you with my own private troubles. On the 13th your Mamma will give you from me a small remembrance of your Norwich visit, wear it for my sake and accept my heart's best wishes with it. May your life be a life of happiness and may every step you take be a step nearer to heaven! May the blessings of health and romantic love be your [?] [?] [?] I trust that you will have many happy years after the writer of this note is under the sod and that you will continue to think kindly of one who loved your Father and Mother and loved you as a friend - tho' he is now jogging on in the season of the [?] and [leaf?] while you are [?] away the verdant blossom of early Spring. I do not mean to be poetical but plain truth you know is sometimes good poetry - therefore plain words honestly spoken. May God bless you and make you happy! Give my kind regards to your Father and Mother and believe me
Ever your affectionate friend

A Sedgewick

P.S. Isabella is here and we leave Cambridge for Yorkshire at the end of the week. Did she know that I was writing to you I am sure she would send her love.

N.B. You must shut this note up and read it on the morning of the 13th - which will do as well, you may put on the [?] of [it's time?] a day or two and appear you [?] it on the 13th

To Revd. Dr Buckland
Christ Church
Oxford

For[warde]d by Mr Audubon

My dear [Prof?]

The bearer of this note, Mr Audubon, is a very extraordinary person who has spent almost one half of his life in the forests of America - he is I dare say already known to you by reputation and if you can in any way recommend him to your Librarians so as to promote the publication of his great work on ornithology you will render a service to the scientific world as well as to an excellent individual. He came here from Edinburgh and had excellent introductions and I should rejoice to hear he was well [started?] at Oxford. He has lived so much out of the society of intellectual [?] that he does not say much in company, but his account of the Forest Life is highly interesting - when am I to have the pleasure of seeing you and Mrs Buckland here? Mr. and Mrs Murchison proposed to come but they have given me the slip and are off to Paris. I have not been in Town since our anniversary dinner. Have you any news from [?] by the way you will be happy to hear that Babbage is elevated to Newton's chair.

Yours most truly
A Segdwick

Trin. Coll
March 14

Revd. Dr. Buckland
Christchurch
Oxford

My dear Buckland

I yesterday sent a little present to my God Son I hope it has come safe. I intended that you would have been the Carrier but it was not procured in time. I saw Hudson Gurney. he gives an excellent acct. of the lad [?] he ordered. Lonsdale is willing to take him on trial for the long vacation (three months) and then to give up the [Museum?] [?]. If all turns out well, he may then become a permanent officer I think this plan excellent. Lonsdale will work him well and I will soon phophesy again if the lad do not fully answer to their [?] and turn out an admirable workman. I have just written to Hudson Gurney for his preliminary consent. The boy is at his disposal and so is now in a great manner supported by him if I am not much mistaken, should no difficulties therefore arise we can at the next council discuss the matter. You can if you see good prefer an employment of the boy doing the [?] under Lonsdale will [?] it his permanent appointment as C [etc. etc.?]

My remembrances to Mrs B. and my love to your children

Yours always

A. Sedgewick

My Dear Buckland

I am very much out of sorts; and I have a large party of strangers on my hands who after seeing the lions are to dine with me. But I have just time to say that I shall be happy to subscribe to the work you mention and that I will show your elegant Epistle among my friends. I hope you had my note of yesterday about [Ansted?]
My best regards to Mrs Buckland and my love to all the young ones

Yours ever

A Sedgewick
Cambridge
March 3rd 1840

London
Thursday Morng

My dear Buckland

I am passing thro Town on my way to Cambridge and have just stumbled on a park. If my Servant passed thro' Oxford and remembered to call for my Hat good - But if not pray send the said Hat to the office of the Cambridge [?] in order that it may be conveyed with the least delay to my head quarters in Trin. Coll. An old white Beaver is the present covering of my unacademical nob. and it will cut a sorry figure with a gown My coat is out of elbows and my [?] (made by the way by the fair hands of Mrs. B) is without any lining so I have need to call in all my reserves. My love to Eva and the rest of your squadron, my best regards to Madame

Yours ever

A Sedgewick

Postmark Cambridge
Nov 24 1833
Sunday Evening

Revd Dr Buckland
Christ Church
Oxford

Dear Buckland

I have just time before the Post shuts to tell you that a Professorship of Ecology at Dublin is vacant and that Phillips of York is in the field. Can you contrive to write to any of your Dublin friends to give him a [shove?] It will be an admirable thing to get so good an English ecologist at Dublin. It is impossible to find in the British Isles another candidate who is half so good. How are you all at Oxford - Madam, Frank, my daughter Eve etc etc

Yours always

A Sedgewick

Can you make a party to suggest a motion?

Trinity Coll.
Sunday
May 2

Postmarked J June 1835

My dear Buckland

Next Thursday will suit me very well, and I shall be happy to meet you and Lyell at the ordnance office at any hour that may be finally fixed on. On Wednesday I hope to have a paper on the Whitehaven Coalfield with some general remarks on the relations of the [Parton-Linston?] belt wh. runs to Egremont [?] foot of Staverson. The paper cannot be finished in the [?] but we can give the general ]?] and can have a page of details for the meeting of the October [?]. I shall rejoice to see Mrs Buckland and your children. I think it is about two years since I have shaken her by the hand. The Yorkshire [election?], a law suit and a bad cold has plagued me almost to death. The cold is [?] now that the wind blows from a quarter within two points of South. I heard from Langham a day or two since. William is doing very well [?] as and if God spare his health will work his way [?] to a Fellowship at Trin. Coll. Prey excuse this scrap of paper. It is the best I have.

Yours ever

A. Sedgewick

To Dr. Buckland
Salopian Coffee House
Charing Cross
London

30 Ap 1830

My dear Buckland

I have two Germans on my hands, and the university inspectors in my Museum [?] my hands wh. are as full as they will can be but I have just time to say that I shall endeavour to be in Town and that I shall be most happy to meet you at the Salopian. Of course our Oxford plan is knocked on the head or rather it never came to a head. We do not however give up hope of visiting you and I shall mention to my friends your most hospitable intentions but I don't think it will do for us to quarter our hungry corps upon you. But enough of this at present.

Yours ever

A. Sedgewick

Dear Buckland

The bearer Mr Rifaud has been spending about ? Days in Cambridge among other things seeking subscriptions for his great work on the natural history of [the] Antiquities of Egypt and Nubia. I dare say to have seen a few [?] of his work and [?] [rapport?] of it by [?] Of the [Parisien?] [?]. His collection of drawings is truly astonishing, they are the wealth of twenty two years almost [?] labour. His very body is no small [curiosity] as it bears the mark of about 17 wounds from the spears of [Arabs?]. Which seem to have been stuck in his body to [?] as arrow heads seen in the thighs of the [?] [?]. I have taken the liberty of giving him a letter to you believing that you will be delighted to [?] his drawings, be happy to make his signature, to put him on the [?] of knowing some of your librarians and other book buying people. Pray what are you doing at Oxford about Carrier's monument [?] me a letter from [Pentland?] on the subject but the stupid Irishman then gives me no address. Pray do you know if I am [?] to him?
Pray excuse writing and believe me
Yours Ever
Sedgewick

[?] Coll Nov 13 18-

P.S. Mr Rifaud is accompanied by Mr [Dorling?] and Mrs [?] Who acts as interpreter for Mr. R speaks English no better than a creaking door.

Ch Ch [18]27

To be returned

My dear Bull

Mr Johnson was here yesterday and having verified the delivery of more than £1,200 of Granite I signed an order to pay him £1000 in addition to the £200.
The Slate on the margin of the Library cornice will I believe do its work until the Roman cement decays and if the cement be good it will last many years.
I have heard nothing from the Dean about Torrington nor has [Jeff?] He will have told you of my intention to be at Torrington tomorrow, which is now postponed another week by a letter just rec'd announcing a visit on Saturday from 3 [Prussian?] Generals who were staying at Blaise Castle with me during the Bristol meeting and whom I have invited to my house here. My motive for going to Torrington is that I think I see a prospect of carrying into effect with advantage to myself and the college the improvements suggested in the observations in Knight's Survey 1812 of which I inclose a copy.

1. I assume the truth of this report
2. I know from a recent journey 1821 through Torrington that much of the land in that region is susceptible of great improvements by a large outlay of Capital and the New Systems of Husbandry
3. The Natives will adopt neither of these improvement system for 1/2 a Century.
4. I think I could turn my recent information acquired in Agriculture to good account thus if the lands on inspection shd appear capable of Improvement.
   A. Supposing I were to purchase the 21 years lease of the glebes of [Prestacott] and the Glebe of St Giles at a price a little exceeding what can be got from any native non-improving farmer or West Country Gentleman, I assume that the College would at the [?] not change anything for the improvements made; in the 1st 7 years.
   B. Supposing the lease [?] and 2nd be justified in laying out a very large sum of money in drainage to be repaired during my term by improved Rents.
   C. It will be essential to introduce The Scotch and East of England System of Husbandry and a Scotch Tenant with Capital, or a Scotch Bailiff without Capital will be indispensable. I have acquaintance enough with many of the first [practical?] agriculturalists to make it easy for me to find either of these Personages I have also knowledge of what is required to be done if the quality of the land and the climate warrant a large expenditure; for Torrington is on the margin of a bleak and elevated [plain?] I think the plan adopted by Lord Spencer and Lord de Manley wd. be more advantageous than letting to a Scotch Tenant to establish a Partnership with an intelligent Scotch Bailiff on the Plan following
5. The Landlord to find Capital from Stock [implements] etc.
6. The Bailiff to find Management of the entire concern at no Salary
7. The Proceeds to pay all Expenses including the Rent of land at its present value. Proceeds also to pay me 5 or 6 per cent on the Money sunk in the drainage or other permanent improvements and also repay the sunk Capital in 21 years.
8. The [?] of Profit i.e. of [?] Profit after the above deductions to be divided equally between my Bailiff or Partner and myself