Catalogue of the papers of George John Romanes, 1867-1927

Bodleian Library, University of Oxford

Victoria Sloyan

2010

Department of Special Collections and Western Manuscripts
Bodleian Library
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Papers of George John Romanes, 1867-1927

Abstract:
Papers of George John Romanes, 1867-93, mainly relating to his work in evolutionary biology. Also includes papers of his wife, Ethel Romanes, 1882-1927.

Shelfmarks: MSS. Eng. c. 7558, d. 3823-6

Extent: 5 shelfmarks

Biographical History

George John Romanes (1848-94) was an evolutionary biologist. Ethel Romanes (1856-1927) was a writer and religious activist. For further details see Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

Scope and Content

Personal letters to George John Romanes, and to his wife Ethel Romanes.

Bibliographical References

Related correspondence of G. J. Romanes is published in Romanes, Ethel (ed), The Life and Letters of George John Romanes (London; Longmans, Green and Co. 1896)

Separated Material

Loose materials removed from the volumes are in guard-book MS Eng. c. 7284, fols. 71-86

Acquisition

The papers were given by Mrs. Joan Westmacott née Romanes, grand-daughter of George Romanes, in October 2009.

Preferred Form of Citation

Oxford, Bodleian Library [followed by shelfmark and folio or page reference, e.g. MS. Eng. d. 3823, fols. 1-2].

Personal names (NCA Rules)

Romanes | Ethel | 1856–1927 | née Duncan | writer and religious activist
Romanes | George John | 1848-1894 | Scientist

Subjects (LCSH)

Evolutionary (Biology) -- Europe

Descriptive List


Album containing letters mainly to George Romanes, 1867-88
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 3823
Extent: 311 leaves

Scope and Content:

There is a contemporary index to the correspondents on fols. 1-3. Comprises letters from

  • (fols. 6-7, 11) Charles Darwin, 13 Dec. 1881 with (fol. 4) photograph, n.d. [1882]
  • (fols. 8-9, 154-5) Sir Francis Darwin, n.d. [1882], 7 June 1877
  • (fols. 12-13) Asa Gray, 15 Jan. 1887
  • (fols. 15-16) Sir John Burdon-Sanderson, 26 June n.y.
  • (fols. 17-18, 78) Sir Richard Owen, 18 Nov. 1882, 4 Oct. 1881
  • (fol. 19) George Busk, 1882
  • (fol. 23) Lord Rosebery, 5 Jan. 1886
  • (fols. 25-6) Lady Rosebery, 25 Nov. 1885
  • (fols. 27-8) James Cotter Morison, 29 Dec. 1882
  • (fols. 30-1) William Hudson, 4 Apr. 1887
  • (fols. 34-5) Warren de la Rue, 17 Dec. 1880, with (fol. 32) a sample of platinum wire 'deflagrated by condensers'
  • (fol. 36) Benjamin Jowett, 16 Oct. 1883
  • (fols. 38-9) Sir Francis Galton, 16 Oct. 1885
  • (fol. 40) Sir John MacDonald, 24 Dec. 1885
  • (fols. 42-3) Alfred Wallace, 8 May 1881
  • (fol. 44) Campbell de Morgan, 17 Dec. n.y.
  • (fol. 45) Sir Frederick Bramwell, 4 Nov. 1886
  • (fols. 47-8) Sir Joseph Hooker, 2 July 1876
  • (fols. 49-50) William Dallinger, 11 July 1883
  • (fols. 51-3) Herbert Spencer, 8 June 1881
  • (fols. 55-6) Sir James Paget, 10 Jan. 1877
  • (fol. 57) Robert Browning, 24 Apr. 1887
  • (fols. 59-60) Ray Lankester, 8 July n.y.
  • (fols. 61-2) Joseph Lister, 24 Oct. 1887
  • (fols. 64-5) A. Gunther, 13 Apr. 1875
  • (fol. 69) Isaac Bayley Balfour, 30 Jan. 1888
  • (fol. 70) W. Boyd Dawkins, 14 Mar. 1881
  • (fols. 72-3) John Lubbock, 4 Dec. 1880
  • (fol. 74) P. L. Sclater, 19 June 1882
  • (fols. 76-7) John G. M'Kendrick, 21 Aug. 1876
  • (fols. 80-3) Alexander Bain, 7 Feb. 1883
  • (fols. 84-5) W. Spottiswoode, 4 Feb. 1876
  • (fols. 88-9) W. T. Thiselton Dyer, 15 Dec. 1877
  • (fol. 90) Sir William F. Pollock, 7 Apr. 1884
  • (fols. 92-5) Arthur Gamgee, 28 Oct. 1876
  • (fols. 96-7 J. C. Ewart, n.d.
  • (fols. 99-100 William Crookes, 17 Dec. 1875
  • (fol. 101) Sir Andrew Clark, 6 Aug. 1888
  • (fol. 103) Hugo Muller, 3 Apr. 1881
  • (fol. 105) James Scott Bowerbank, n.d.
  • (fols. 106-7) Sir David Ferrier, 17 Feb. 1882
  • (fols. 109-10) Lauder Brunton, 15 Sept. 1881
  • (fols. 111-12) Sir George Stokes, 12 Oct. 1876
  • (fols. 115-16) Francis Turner Palgrave, 9 Nov. 1885
  • (fol. 117) F. Max Muller, 25 June 1887
  • (fols. 119-20) Henry Moseley, 3 Oct. 1881
  • (fols.121-2) William Black, 13 Apr. n.y.
  • (fols. 124-5) George Allman, 23 June 1876
  • (fol. 126, 271) Samuel Barnett, 24 Nov. 1887, n.d.
  • (fols. 127-8) Sir Thomas Fraser, 7 Jan. 1882
  • (fols. 130-1) Donald MacAlister, n.d., a 'little memento' in verse form accompanying a letter not now present
  • (fol. 132) H. Scott Holland, 8 May n.y.
  • (fols. 134-5) Sir Edmund Gosse, 25 Mar. 1886
  • (fols. 136-7) George Henry Lewes, n.d.
  • (fols. 139-40) John Pye Smith, n.d.
  • (fols. 141-2) William Carpenter, 27 Dec. 1882
  • (fol. 143) Alexander Agassiz, [6 Apr. 1881]
  • (fol. 145) Octavia Hill, 16 Nov. 1887
  • (fol. 158) Anna Swanwick, 22 April n.y.
  • (fol. 159) John Brett, n.d.
  • (fols. 161-2) William Lecky, 14 Dec. 1885
  • (fol. 163) George Henslow, 8 July 1881
  • (fols. 165-6) John Venn, 20 June 1881
  • (fol. 167) George Croom Robertson, 2 Jan. 1878
  • (fols. 169-70) John Morley, 26 Oct. 1877
  • (fols. 171-2) Martin Duncan, 10 May [1888]
  • (fols. 174-174a) Sir William Bowman, 5 [June] 1882
  • (fols. 176-7) Allen Thomson, 3 Jan 1878
  • (fol. 178) Robert McLachlan, 10 June 1881
  • (fols. 180-1) Sir William Russell, n.d.
  • (fol. 182) Farrer Herschell, 13 Apr. 1883
  • (fols. 184-5) Clara Schumann, 27 Mar. n.y.
  • (fols. 186-7) John N. Langley, 21 Feb. 1882
  • (fols. 189-92) Lord Arthur Russell, Apr. 1882
  • (fols. 193-4) Samuel Smiles, 21 Apr. 1876
  • (fol. 195) James Matthews Duncan, 16 Jan 1882
  • (fols. 197-8) John Glaister, 18 Jan. 1883
  • (fols. 199-202) Sir William Gull, n.d.
  • (fols. 204-5) Norman M. Ferrers, 5 Nov. 1880
  • (fols. 206-7) George Darwin, 31 July 882
  • (fol. 209) William Odling, 10 July n.y.
  • (fol. 210) Dr. John Marshall, 5 Apr. 1881
  • (fols. 212-13) Sir Robert Christison, 16 Sept. 1881
  • (fols. 214-15) Sir Joseph Norman Lockyer, 27 May n.y.
  • (fols. 216-17) Sir William Roberts-Austen, 2 May 1886
  • (fol. 221) Hugh Haweis, n.d.
  • (fols. 223-4) Samuel Henry Butcher, 25 Feb. 1886
  • (fols. 225-6) James Croll, 9 May 1883
  • (fols. 227-30) Michael Foster, 17 June n.y.
  • (fols. 231-2) Edward Cope, 12 Feb. 1886
  • (fols. 234-5) William Rutherford, 24 Nov. 188[5]
  • (fols. 236-7)Dr Henry Maudsley, 20 Feb. 1878
  • (fols.. 238-9) Henry Stainton, 25 June 1881
  • (fol. 241) Thomas George Bonney, 3 June 1885
  • (fols. 242-3) Sir Douglas Galton, 10 June 1870
  • (fols. 244-5) Francis Paget, 1886
  • (fols. 247-8) Sir Joseph Fayrer, 21 Feb. 1878
  • (fols. 249-50) Robert McDonnell, 18 Sept. n.y.
  • (fols. 252-3) Alfred Newton, 13 Jan. 1852
  • (fols. 254-5) John Rae, 14 July 1878
  • (fols. 256-7) Francis Balfour, 11 Oct. 1881
  • (fols. 259-60) Sir Edward Schafer, 27 May 1878
  • (fols. 262-3) Sir Henry Roscoe, 29 Oct. 1878
  • (fols. 264-5) W. B. Richardson, 2 Aug. 1887
  • (fol. 267) Henry Charlton Bastian, n.d.
  • (fols. 268-9) James Sully, 2 Dec. 1885
  • (fols. 272-3) William Sharpey, 28 Oct. 1878
  • (fols. 276-7) Sir James Crichton-Browne, 27 Aug. 1878
  • (fol. 278) Sir Edward Fry, 15 Feb. 1886
  • (fols. 279-80) Mary Ward, 3 Feb. 1888
  • (fols. 282-3) John Ingram, 5 Sept. 1878
  • (fol. 285) Sir James Knowles, 22 Aug. 1878
  • (fol. 286) Samuel Pierpont Langley, 21 May 1884
  • (fols. 288-9) Sir William Turner, 22 Nov. n.y.
  • (fols. 291-2) Thomas Huxley, [2] Dec. 1878
  • (fol. 293) Thomas Woolner, n.d.
  • (fols. 295-6) John Fletcher Moulton, 15 June 1878
  • (fol. 297) St. George Mivart, 4 Aug. 1881
  • (fols. 299-300) Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, 12 Jan. 1887
  • (fols. 301-2) Millicent Fawcett, 6 Jan. n.d.
  • (fols. 303-4) Walter Ouless, 23 Oct. 1883
  • (fols. 306-7) Sir William Flower, 21 May 1881
  • (fols. 309-10) John Tyndall, 16 Dec. 1880

The album also includes four letters to Dr. John Marshall from

  • (fols. 146-7) William Morris, 28 Dec. n.y.
  • (fol. 149) Frederick Leighton, n.d.
  • (fol. 150) George Edmund Street, 27 Dec. 1877
  • (fol. 151) Henry Acland, 4 June 1884
  • (fols. 156-7) Alfred Waterhouse, 22 June 1885

The album also includes

  • (fols. 21-2) letter from John Ruskin to Mr. Grove, 7 Feb. 1867
  • (fols. 66-7) letter General William Sherman to Charles Aldrich esq., 17 Sept. 1884
  • (fol. 86) letter from William Black to Sir Joseph Lockyer, 11 Sept. n.y.
  • (fols. 219-20) letter from William Rossetti to Mr. Aldrich, 6 Nov. 1885
  • (fols. 152-3) a brief letter addressed to 'Chere Madame' from Paul Rajon, 4 July n.y. French

Album containing letters mainly to George Romanes, 1874-6
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 3824
Extent: 90 leaves [many blank]

Scope and Content:

Comprises letters from

  • (fol. 9) Sir John Burdon-Sanderson, 7 Dec. n.y. with (fol. 7) photograph, n.d.
  • (fol. 15) Sir Joseph Hooker, 25 Dec. 1874
  • (fols. 19-20) Sir Michael Foster, 30 Oct. n.y.
  • (fols. 23-4) Peter Wallwork Latham, 29 Nov. 1874
  • (fols. 27-30) Sir Francis Galton, 6 Dec. 1874
  • (fols. 39-40) C. A. Swainson, 21 Oct. 1874
  • (fol. 54) James Cartmell, 12 Dec. 1874
  • (fol. 58) Norman M. Ferrers, 1 Nov. 1874
  • (fols. 64-5) Henry Lee, 14 Apr. 1874
  • (fol. 78) Lewis Rose, 23 Apr. 1874

With letters to 'Miss Romanes', George's sister, from

  • (fol. 5) Campbell de Morgan, 7 Dec. n.y. with (fol. 3) photograph, n.d.
  • (fols. 32-3) W. H. Russell, n.d.
  • (fols. 67-8) William Sharpey, 31 Mar. 1876

And (fols. 35-6) a letter to Mrs Romanes, George's mother, from Peter Colin Campbell, 11 Dec. 1874

The album also includes photographs of

  • (fol. 11) Charles Darwin, n.d.
  • (fol. 55) unidentified man , n.d.

Album containing letters to George Romanes from foreign academics, 1874-87
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 7558
Extent: 91 leaves

Scope and Content:

Includes letters from

  • (fols. 3-4) Dr Hermann von Helmholtz, 31 Jan. 1881
  • (fols. 5-6) Dr August Weismann, 29 Apr. 1886
  • (fols. 8-9) Carl Ludwig, 24 Mar. 1881 German
  • (fol. 17) Alexander Agassiz, 3 Apr. 1881
  • (fol. 19) unidentified man, 23 Mar. 1876
  • (fol. 20) Albert von Kölliker, 11 Feb. 1876
  • (fol. 22) Franciscus Donders, 12 Jan. 1881
  • (fols. 23-4) Christian Loven, 5 Feb. 1881
  • (fols. 26-7) Rudolf Heidenhain, 12 Feb. 1881
  • (fols. 28-9) Léon Fredericq, 20 Feb. 1881 French
  • (fols. 31-2) Carl von Voit, 29 Jan. 1881 German
  • (fols. 33-4) Wilhelm Kühne, 23 Jan. 1881 German
  • (fols. 36-7) Theodor Wilhelm Engelmann, 25 Jan. 1887
  • (fols. 38-9) Peter Ludvig Panum, 26 Jan. 1881 German
  • (fols. 41-2) Adolph Fick, 21 Jan. 1881 German
  • (fols. 43-4) Theodor Schwann, 31 Jan. 1881 German
  • (fols. 46-7) Alexander Rollett, 28 Jan. 1881 German
  • (fols. 48-9) Heinrich Wilhelm Waldeyer, 28 Jan. 1881 German
  • (fol. 51) Eduard Pfluger, 19 Jan. 1887
  • (fols. 52-3) unidentified man, 27 Jan. 1881 French
  • (fols. 55-6) Ewald Hering, 8 Feb. 1881 German
  • (fols. 57-8) Olof Hammarsten, 28 Jan. 1881 German
  • (fols. 60-1) Charles-Édouard Brown-Séquard, 26 Jan. 1881
  • (fol. 62) Gabriel Valentin, 22 Jan. 1881
  • (fols. 64-5) Dr. Felix Hoppe-Seyler, 12 Mar. 1881 German
  • (fols. 66-7) Ludimar Hermann, 22 Jan. 1881 German
  • (fols. 69-70) Ernst von Brucke, 21 Jan. 1881 German
  • (fols. 71-2) Thierry William Preyer, 14 Feb. 1881
  • (fol. 80) Charles Gounod, 15 Apr. 1874 French

Letters to George and Ethel Romanes, 1871-1927
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 3825
Extent: 172 leaves

Scope and Content:

Originally in bundles, comprising

  • (fols. 1-77) Letters from Charles Gore to
    • (fols. 1-44) George Romanes, 1871-93, n.d.
    • (fols. 45-77) Ethel Romanes, 1882-1901, n.d.
  • (fols. 78-91) Letters to George Romanes from
    • (fols. 78-9) Francis Paget, 13 Jan. 1879
    • (fols. 80-1, 86-7) Joseph Lister, 16 Oct. 1883, 1 June 1891
    • (fols. 82-3) Cosmo Gordon Lang, 18 Apr. 1886
    • (fols. 84-5) H. G. Liddell, 1 June 1890
    • (fols. 88-9) Henry Scott Holland, 24 June n.y.
    • (fols. 90-1) John Tyndall, 19 Nov. n.y.
  • (fols. 92-168) Letters to Ethel Romanes from
    • (fols. 92-3) Robert Moberly, 23 May 1894, with (fols. 94-5) a letter about Robert Moberly from Brigadier General Richard Moberley, 8 Dec. 1977
    • (fols. 96-7) John Stainer, 26 May 1894
    • (fols. 98-9) Francis Galton, 30 May 1894
    • (fols. 100-1) August Weismann, 7 July 1896
    • (fols. 102-3) Edmund Gosse, 9 Dec. 1898
    • (fols. 104-23) Jacques Laminne, French, 1905-21
    • (fols. 124-6) Francis Paget, 31 Dec. 1908
    • (fols. 127-30) Cosmo Gordon Lang, 1909-26
    • (fols. 131-40) George William Russell, 1910, n.d.
    • (fols. 141-2) William Thomas Manning, 15 Sept. 1913
    • (fols. 143-4) Leo Ward, 14 Mar. 1919
    • (fols. 145-6) Gertrude Talbot, 14 Sept. 1922
    • (fols. 147-9) Herbert Thurston, 29 Oct. 1924, 16 July 1925
    • (fols. 150-1) G. Zita McCulloch, 2 Nov. 1925
    • (fol. 152) Lily Alexander, 4 Jan. 1926
    • (fol. 153) Walter De La Mare, 14 Feb. 1927
    • (fols. 154-5)Lilian Henderson, 22 Feb. 1927
    • (fols. 156-7) Charlotte Mary Yonge, 22 Apr. n.y
    • (fols. 158-9) Catherine Gladstone, 12 June n.y.
    • (fols. 160-7) Henry Scott Holland, n.d.
    • (fol. 168) I. L. L, n.d.
  • With
    • (fol. 169) letter from Monica to Mary, 12 Feb. 1924
    • (fols. 170-2) letter from Mary Compton, Lady Northampton, to Madame Jusserand, 22 June n.y.

Newspaper cuttings, mainly reviews of Romanes' Mental Evolution in Man 1888-9
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 3826
Extent: 310 leaves

Scope and Content:

Also includes (fols. 296-308) a published offprint or pamphlet, Giuseppe Tarozzi, La Psicogenia: Secondo Il Darwinismo (Genoa, 1891), with an inscription to Romanes by Enrico Morselli. Italian.

Transformation from XML to HTML by Lawrence Mielniczuk
20 May 2011