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Monk Soham Rectory, Wickham Market, Suffolk - Hardly ever keeps letters, so has none of Edward FitzGerald's; indeed, generally only had notes or cards from him since they lived near to each other and 'kept our topics for such times as we met and talked them out'. Suggests John Allen, Dean Blakesley, Dean Merivale, the Master of Trinity and Mrs Thompson as people who could supply letters, but has 'misgivings whether such letters should be published, good and pleasant as they may be', questioning whether FitzGerald 'would have sanctioned it? He, who carefully tore up letters almost as soon as he received them'.

Encloses a letter from John Allen [ADD.MS.a/6/23?]. Thanks Crabbe for congratulations on the engagement of his son William to [Emma] Colvin.

Will not go to the auction, but would like to have catalogues. Mrs Ritchie (Miss Thackeray) should have some, as two of her father's drawings are on sale. 'Also Mowbray Donne, Allen and Crowfoot cum multis aliis'.

Drafts of poems and printed poems by Shilleto, Robert Burn, Sir William Hamilton, Morris Moore, Richard Okes, as well as those signed with initals only: J. B., H., and W. S. [William Selwyn?]. Poems include Hamilton's "Sonnet on the Meeting of the British Association at Cambridge, 1833", W. S.'s "Experience of Magnetic Belt", four lines by H. starting "The Lytteltons give all the time up to cricket," Robert Burn's "Piscator," Morris Moore junor's formal address to Thompson, 30 July 1869. On the verso of one set of poems is a printed list of freshmen, 1882.

The collection also includes a letter (in French) dated 9 March 1869 from A. Bos, Italian translator of G. H. Lewes's Physiology of Common Life asking about a report from the Evening Standard that the students have been served donkey at Trinity.
The collection is accompanied by two letters from W. Wollaston Groome to Mr Dykes dated May 1919 relating to the provenance of the verses, and his personal memories of W. H. Thompson.