Item 13.19 - Correspondence of Dawson Turner

Identity area

Reference code

O./13.19

Title

Correspondence of Dawson Turner

Date(s)

  • Jan.–June 1820 (Creation)

Level of description

Item

Extent and medium

1 volume, measuring about 27 x 24 x 8 cm, containing a title-leaf, an index, four blank leaves, and 121 letters and other papers pasted onto guards. There is a stiff fly-leaf at the front and another at the back. Half-bound in light-brown leather and marbled paper.

Context area

Name of creator

(1775-1858)

Biographical history

Dawson Turner was born and spent much of his life at Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. He was admitted as an undergraduate at Pembroke College, Cambridge, in 1793, but returned to Yarmouth before graduating, in order to take his place in the family banking business.

For some years Turner's chief interest was botany, particularly mosses, and he published several works on the subject and corresponded with many of the notable botanists of his day. In later life he concentrated on antiquarian pursuits, amassing a valuable collection of historical documents and autographs, as well as a substantial library which was eventually dispersed in a series of sales. He was a Fellow of various learned bodies, including the Royal Society, the Linnaean Society, and the Society of Antiquaries.

In 1796 Turner married Mary Palgrave, by whom he had eight surviving children. Mary Turner and her daughters were talented amateur artists; they were tutored in drawing by John Sell Cotman and also mastered the arts of etching and lithography. Between them they produced a significant number of sketches and prints, especially portraits and architectural studies, examples of which were often used by their father to embellish his books.

Archival history

See the general note under O.13.1. No. 1, written in 1830 but misdated 1820, was bound in this volume by mistake. The following documents were removed from the volume before it came to the Library. Their current locations, where known, are shown in brackets.

Letter from Hudson Gurney, 1 Jan. (TURN II K1/27).
Letter from Francis Cohen, 4 Jan.
Letter from Francis Cohen, 10 Jan.
Letter from Francis Cohen, 26 Jan.
Letter from W. J. Hooker, 31 Jan.
Letter from Francis Cohen, 1 Feb.
Letter from W. J. Hooker, 2 Feb.
Letter from W. J. Hooker, 8 Feb.
Letter from Francis Cohen, 9 Feb.
Letter from Hudson Gurney, 11 Feb. (TURN II K1/28).
Letter from Hudson Gurney, 15 Feb. (TURN II K1/29).
Letter from Francis Cohen, 18 Feb.
Letter from Francis Cohen, 28 Feb.
Letter from Francis Cohen, 3 Mar.
Letter from Francis Cohen, 8 Mar.
Letter from Hudson Gurney, 22 Mar. (TURN II K1/30).
Letter from Francis Cohen, 24 Mar.
Letter from Francis Cohen, 27 Mar.
Letter from W. J. Hooker, 29 Mar.
Letter from Francis Cohen, 30 Mar.
Letter from Francis Cohen, 1 Apr.
Letter from Francis Cohen, 4 Apr.
Letter from Francis Cohen, 6 Apr.
Letter from Francis Cohen, 11 Apr.
Letter from Francis Cohen, 15 Apr.
Letter from Francis Cohen, 18 Apr.
Letter from Hudson Gurney, 20 Apr. (TURN II K1/31).
Letter from Elizabeth Turner, 20 Apr. (TURN III A21/10).
Letter from Francis Cohen, 24 Apr.
Letter from Francis Cohen, 28 Apr.
Letter from W. J. Hooker, 31 May.
Letter from Francis Cohen, 2 May.
Letter from Elizabeth Turner, 3 May (TURN III A21/11).
Letter from Francis Cohen, 8 May.
Letter from Francis Cohen, 17 May.
Letter from Francis Cohen, 17 May (sic).
Letter from Francis Cohen, 26 May.
Letter from Francis Cohen, 30 May.
Letter from Francis Cohen, 5 June.
Letter from Elizabeth Turner, 5 June (TURN III A21/12)
Letter from Francis Cohen, 12 June.
Letter from Francis Cohen, 18 June.
Letter from Francis Cohen, 26 June.
Letter from Francis Cohen, 30 June.

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

On the spine is stamped ‘CORRESPONDENCE | JAN.–JUNE | 1820’.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

The documents are numbered in the order in which they stand.

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      Notes area

      Alternative identifier(s)

      Preferred form of reference

      O.13.19

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      Dates of creation revision deletion

      This description was created by A. C. Green in 2021.

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          Accession area