Description

Description: British scholar and Doctor of Divinity, Robinson Duckworth (1834-1911), was part of the 1862 boating expedition during which Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) first told of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and the character of Duck is named for him. He was also quite involved with the royal family, acting as tutor and governor to Queen Victoria’s youngest son, Prince Leopold, and Chaplain-in-Ordinary to both Queen Victoria and King Edward VII.

This lengthy and interesting autograph letter signed is addressed to Duckworth’s friend Dr. Dawson Turner, who was Headmaster at the Royal Institution School in Liverpool, which Duckworth attended. In the letter, Duckworth reacts to a "chart" sent to him by Turner, and praises "the excellent rules of hygiene… the good you may do in merchant vessels and among those who are cut off from living practitioners will no doubt be very great." He goes on to write of Turner’s family, to discuss Christopher Wordsworth and his work "Responsio," retells a couple of stories he heard recently with regard to American linguistics, and expresses dismay at not being able to take a vacation abroad in the coming year. He signs the letter "Ever Affectionately," R. Duckworth, then adds a post-script in the course of which he mentions that Prince [Leopold’s] autograph collection is becoming a valuable one."

The letter is written on  three 7 3/8" x 9 1/4" full sheets of Balmoral Castle (a residence of the British Royal Family) stationery, each folded in half, so the letter covers 11 ‘pages’. Item #A00312

Condition: There are a couple of tiny, light stains scattered through the pages, and some toning/soil on the blank last page, particularly at the fold lines. Otherwise in excellent condition.