Sir Humphry Davy (1778-1829), chemist

Correspondence of Sir Humphry Davy, relating to personal and professional matters, including a few letters in the third person narrative (nos.3, 9. 22, 25[in French]), a single letter in Italian to Prof. C Piallia, relative to electromagnetic forces (no.1); a single letter to Mr Biot, relative to his election to the Philomathic Society (no.2); a single letter to Mrs Kerr, aunt of Lady Davy, written on his wedding day (no.4); two letters to Mr Samuel Parkes (1761-1825), chemist, with printed biographical details of Sir Humphey (nos.5, 10); a single letter to William Thomas Brande (1788-1866), chemist, congratulating him on his marriage (no.8); verses of poem endorsed with the initials "HD" (no.14); a single letter written by his wife Lady Jane Davy (1780-1855), society figure, to Mr Summers, relative to a domestic matter (no.15); a single letter to Sir Robert Peel, second baronet (1788-1850), prime minister, relative to the proposal of constructing an observatory in Regents Park (no.16); letter to [unaddressed], relative to his ill heath (no.18); a single letter to Lady Charlotte Susan Maria Bury (1775-1861), novelist and diarist, relative to his request to "ornament my valetudinarian little book with your verses", attached is a recent transcript of the letter (no.19); a single letter to Sir Joseph Banks, baronet (1743-1820), naturalist and patron of science, relative to "radiant [matter]" (no.23); a single letter to "Lady Farquhar" possibly Ms Mary Anne Clarke (1776?-1852), royal mistress, relative to the selection of granite stone [for use in the construction] of London Bridge (no.28); and two letters to William Hasledine Pepys, surgical instrument maker and natural philosopher (nos.29, 30). Some items in this series are undated.

1801-1828

1 file (42 items)

Purchased from various sources, 1930-1945, sources include Charavay, Paris, 1931 (acc.64700); Sotheby's, London, 1932 (acc.76088, 65134 and 67553) and 1933 (acc.67469); Glendining, London, 1933 (acc.67759 and 67793) and 1932 (acc.67624); Stevens, London, 1931 (acc.56477, 68132, 68193 and 68150) and 1932 (acc.68316); Desgranges, Paris, 1932 (acc.65659); vendor unknown (acc.67430); several items were transferred from the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum, c.1939 (acc.91800, 069200, A367, A125); Puttick and Simpson, 1930 (acc.62824); Burnley, Watson, 1945 (acc.72200), and was presumably once part of the Thomas Madden Stone autograph collection; and Mrs. Barrett, London, 1930 (acc.91327). Some items carry no accession number.