Correspondence of Richard Owen and William Clift
TitleCorrespondence of Richard Owen and William Clift
ReferenceMS0255
Level of descriptionfonds
Date1851-1863
Admin./ biographical historySir Richard Owen was a Comparative Anatomist, Palaeontologist, and a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (1843). He was one of the original 300 Fellows. In March 1827, he was appointed as Assistant of the Hunterian Museum under the then conservator, William Clift. Owen was appointed as Assistant Conservator in 1832, and then Conservator in 1836 until 1856. In April 1836 he was appointed as Hunterian Professor of Comparative Anatomy at the College. During Owen's appointment at the museum, he continued his private medical practice on Chancery Lane, London. Owen wrote many papers on the specimens in the Hunterian Museum, reflecting his expertise as a comparative anatomist.
For more information on Owen's life and career, please visit his profile on Plarr's Lives of the Fellows: https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/lives/search/results?qu=richard+owen&te=ASSET
For more information on Owen's life and career, please visit his profile on Plarr's Lives of the Fellows: https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/lives/search/results?qu=richard+owen&te=ASSET
Scope and ContentThe volumes contain letters from Richard Owen dated c1850 to 1863. The letters are mainly personal, for example to his wife Caroline, and sisters Catherine and Eliza, but also include some professional subject matter, for example to the Council of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and to the editor of the Lancet.
The letters are numbered in pencil 1-157 and from 333 to 575. The spine of the volumes reads "Owen Correspondence: 1-157", "Owen Correspondence: 433-441", and "Owen Correspondence: 442-575."
1. The first volume includes a note stating that the letters, written to William Clift or Richard Owen from various correspondents, are"from C D Sherborn's Collection. 157 letters presented to the College by the Royal Society of Medicine, 25 March 1958". These letters are related mainly to work carried out in the Hunterian Museum, although there are some of a more personal nature.
A full list of the corespondents is provided at the beginning of the volume as follows:
1-17 Anne Abernethy
18-19 Elinor Abernethy
20-21 James Abernethy (1)
22 James Abernethy (2)
23-31 Mary Abernethy
32-34 J. G. Andrews
35 Geo. Batty
36-43 R. Batty
44 R. B. Batty
45 W. Batty
46 Jane Blizard
47 Sir W. Blizard
48 R. H. Bright
49 J. S. Bristowe
50-52 Sir B. C. Brodie
53 J. S. Buchanan
54 J. C. Buckmill
55 Christ. Bull.
56 G. Burrows
57-58 E. Chadwick
59 T. K. Chambers
60 Ja. Clark
61 Thos. Clark
62 W. Clift
63 W. H. Clift
64 H. Cline
65 J. Conolly
66-67 W. Cooke
68 Astley Cooper
69 B. B. Cooper
70 W. W. Cooper
71 T. Copeland
72 K. Cornish
73 J. C. Cox
74 T. B. Curling
75 C. DeMorgan
76 R. Dunn
77 J. Falconer
78 A. Farre ?
79 F. J. Farre
80 R. Ferguson
81 W. W. Fisher
82 C. F. Forbes
83 John Forbes
84 W. H. Foster
85 R. Fowler
86 T. Gibson
87 R. D. Grainger
88 A. B. Granville
89 J. H. Green
90 W. R. Gull
91 G. J. Guthrie
92 R. Harrison
93 J. R. Harvey
94 B. Hawkins
95 T. P. Heslop
96 T. Hodgkin
97 L. Holden
98 H. Holland
99 Sir E. Home
100 Sir E. Home (2nd)
101 W. C. Hood
102 A. Jacob
103 H. Bence Jones
104 R. Keate
105 A. Key
106 J. Kidd
107 J. Kiernan
108 J. H. Lane
109 Sir W. Lawrence
110 Robert Liston
111 R. Macleod
112 E. Meryon
113 G. Milroy
114 J. W. Murray
115 R. Nairne
116 J. Ogilvy
117 J. W. Ogle
118 E. Parker
119 C. W. Parkinson
120 V. Parsons
121 R. Partridge
122 T. J. Pettigrew
123 L. H. Potts
124 R. Quain
125 G. Owen Ross
126 E. Rigby
127 W. Roots
128 C. Scudamore
129 J. Seed
130 W. Sharpey
131 E. Sieveking
132 F. C. Skey
133 Southwood Smith
134 S. Solly
135 J. F. South
136 E. Stanley
137 J. Startin
138 J. Sutherland
139 J. Swan
140 R. B. Todd
141 B. Travers
142 R. Turner
143 A. Tweedie
144 T. Underhill
145 J. F. H. Underwood
146 J. P. Vincent
147 T. Wakley
148 A. Walker
149 J. S. Walker
150 J. Warburton
151 P. Warren
152 J. L. Wheeler
153 A. White
154 S. Wilks
155 F. Winslow
156 T. Wormald
157 T. Young
2. The second volume, containing letters 333-441 (the label on the spine of the volume is incorrect). This volume contains 2 notes at the front, the first reads "Gift of Miss Tremaine, Ophthalmology Department, Royal College of Surgeons, March 1961"; and the second reads "S. Wood (RCS Library, 1961) notes the following items of interest: Letter 378 - Owen's salary to be increased by the Council; letter 415 - Chair of Natural History at Edinburgh; letter 434 - The "Phoenix"; letter 448 - Owen's resignation from the RCS; letter 459 - Cardinal Wiseman; letter 494 - John Hunter's coffin; letter 573 - Owen sees an autograph letter of John Hunter". Also includes a printed frontispiece titled "Correspondence of Richard Owen, 1826-1889. Volume III. 1851-1863." An additional pencil note states the contents are "letters 333-575 (a few removed)".
3. The third volume contains letters 442-575. However, this volume also contains two letters 441(t) and 441(w), in continuation from the second volume. It appears the letters numbered 441 were sub-divided alphabetically.
The letters are numbered in pencil 1-157 and from 333 to 575. The spine of the volumes reads "Owen Correspondence: 1-157", "Owen Correspondence: 433-441", and "Owen Correspondence: 442-575."
1. The first volume includes a note stating that the letters, written to William Clift or Richard Owen from various correspondents, are"from C D Sherborn's Collection. 157 letters presented to the College by the Royal Society of Medicine, 25 March 1958". These letters are related mainly to work carried out in the Hunterian Museum, although there are some of a more personal nature.
A full list of the corespondents is provided at the beginning of the volume as follows:
1-17 Anne Abernethy
18-19 Elinor Abernethy
20-21 James Abernethy (1)
22 James Abernethy (2)
23-31 Mary Abernethy
32-34 J. G. Andrews
35 Geo. Batty
36-43 R. Batty
44 R. B. Batty
45 W. Batty
46 Jane Blizard
47 Sir W. Blizard
48 R. H. Bright
49 J. S. Bristowe
50-52 Sir B. C. Brodie
53 J. S. Buchanan
54 J. C. Buckmill
55 Christ. Bull.
56 G. Burrows
57-58 E. Chadwick
59 T. K. Chambers
60 Ja. Clark
61 Thos. Clark
62 W. Clift
63 W. H. Clift
64 H. Cline
65 J. Conolly
66-67 W. Cooke
68 Astley Cooper
69 B. B. Cooper
70 W. W. Cooper
71 T. Copeland
72 K. Cornish
73 J. C. Cox
74 T. B. Curling
75 C. DeMorgan
76 R. Dunn
77 J. Falconer
78 A. Farre ?
79 F. J. Farre
80 R. Ferguson
81 W. W. Fisher
82 C. F. Forbes
83 John Forbes
84 W. H. Foster
85 R. Fowler
86 T. Gibson
87 R. D. Grainger
88 A. B. Granville
89 J. H. Green
90 W. R. Gull
91 G. J. Guthrie
92 R. Harrison
93 J. R. Harvey
94 B. Hawkins
95 T. P. Heslop
96 T. Hodgkin
97 L. Holden
98 H. Holland
99 Sir E. Home
100 Sir E. Home (2nd)
101 W. C. Hood
102 A. Jacob
103 H. Bence Jones
104 R. Keate
105 A. Key
106 J. Kidd
107 J. Kiernan
108 J. H. Lane
109 Sir W. Lawrence
110 Robert Liston
111 R. Macleod
112 E. Meryon
113 G. Milroy
114 J. W. Murray
115 R. Nairne
116 J. Ogilvy
117 J. W. Ogle
118 E. Parker
119 C. W. Parkinson
120 V. Parsons
121 R. Partridge
122 T. J. Pettigrew
123 L. H. Potts
124 R. Quain
125 G. Owen Ross
126 E. Rigby
127 W. Roots
128 C. Scudamore
129 J. Seed
130 W. Sharpey
131 E. Sieveking
132 F. C. Skey
133 Southwood Smith
134 S. Solly
135 J. F. South
136 E. Stanley
137 J. Startin
138 J. Sutherland
139 J. Swan
140 R. B. Todd
141 B. Travers
142 R. Turner
143 A. Tweedie
144 T. Underhill
145 J. F. H. Underwood
146 J. P. Vincent
147 T. Wakley
148 A. Walker
149 J. S. Walker
150 J. Warburton
151 P. Warren
152 J. L. Wheeler
153 A. White
154 S. Wilks
155 F. Winslow
156 T. Wormald
157 T. Young
2. The second volume, containing letters 333-441 (the label on the spine of the volume is incorrect). This volume contains 2 notes at the front, the first reads "Gift of Miss Tremaine, Ophthalmology Department, Royal College of Surgeons, March 1961"; and the second reads "S. Wood (RCS Library, 1961) notes the following items of interest: Letter 378 - Owen's salary to be increased by the Council; letter 415 - Chair of Natural History at Edinburgh; letter 434 - The "Phoenix"; letter 448 - Owen's resignation from the RCS; letter 459 - Cardinal Wiseman; letter 494 - John Hunter's coffin; letter 573 - Owen sees an autograph letter of John Hunter". Also includes a printed frontispiece titled "Correspondence of Richard Owen, 1826-1889. Volume III. 1851-1863." An additional pencil note states the contents are "letters 333-575 (a few removed)".
3. The third volume contains letters 442-575. However, this volume also contains two letters 441(t) and 441(w), in continuation from the second volume. It appears the letters numbered 441 were sub-divided alphabetically.
Extent3 large volumes
Physical descriptionThe letters are enclosed in polyester and are bound in large black volumes.
LanguageEnglish
System of arrangementThe letters are arranged in chronological order.
Conditions governing accessThis collection is available to everyone for research. It can be consulted in our Research Room at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 38-43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PE. It is essential to book in advance so we can ensure material is available. Please email archives@rcseng.ac.uk to book a Research Room appointment.
Conditions governing reproductionCopies of material in the archives can be supplied for private study purposes only, depending on the condition of the documents. Some items within this collection may remain within copyright under the terms of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988; it is the responsibility of users to obtain the copyright holder's permission for reproduction of copyright material for purposes other than research or private study. Permission to publish material, in print or online, must be sought in advance from the Royal College of Surgeons of England and, where appropriate, the copyright holder. Please email archives@rcseng.ac.uk in the first instance.
Related objectsMS0254
MS0007/1/3 - Lecture of Sir Charles Bell written by Richard Owen
MS0025
MS0233
Memoir of William Clift by Richard Owen
MS0245
Notes of Richard Owen's lectures 1838-1839.
MS0246
MS0247
MS0248/2
Letters to to Thomas Wormald 1856-1859
MS0007/1/3 - Lecture of Sir Charles Bell written by Richard Owen
MS0025
MS0233
Memoir of William Clift by Richard Owen
MS0245
Notes of Richard Owen's lectures 1838-1839.
MS0246
MS0247
MS0248/2
Letters to to Thomas Wormald 1856-1859
NotesMS0255/1 has also been catalogued as MS0254.
Persons keyword Sir Richard Owen, 1804-1892, Knight, naturalist, Caroline Owen, 1801-1873, nee Clift, wife of Sir Richard Owen, 1800-date Royal College of Surgeons of England
SubjectLetters (documents)