Miscellaneous correspondence
Reference code
GOW/02/01/02
Title
Miscellaneous correspondence
Date
1905-1919
Level of description
File
Extent and format
1 folder
Scope and content
1. Correspondence with GF [George Francis] Hill, British Museum Department of Coins and Medals, concerning the examination of some coins by him and [Herbert Appold] Grueber, and the analysis of the coins and a piece of electrum by Gowland. 1 sheet.
- 1905, 26 July. Letter from GF Hill, to Gowland, with draft reply by Gowland on back, and partial draft reply to 'Mr G'. 1 sheet.
- Undated. Notes by Gowland on the 'composition of electrum', with some references to published works. On back: some faint pencil notes, which may have been partly erased. 1 sheet.
2. Correspondence with [Alphonse] van Branteghem concerning a Greek bronze statuette of a lyre player, purchased by van Branteghem; suspicions had been voiced relating to its authenticity; Gowlands analysis of the bronze and the patina proved it to be authentic work of late 4th/early 3rd cent BCE.
- Card of Mr van Branteghem, 43 Boulevard Haussmann.
- 1908, 3 September. Letter from van Branteghem to Gowland. 2 sheets.
- 1908, 5 September. Letter from van Branteghem to Gowland. 2 sheets.
- 1908, 17 September. Telegram from Branteghem, Ritz Hotel, to Gowland, Kingussie. 1 sheet.
- 1908, 17 September. Letter from Branteghem to Gowland. 1 sheet.
- Undated. Notes by Gowland concerning the examination of the bronze statuette of the lyre player, before sending it for 'scrapings'. 2 sheets.
- [1908, 9/10 September]. Draft reply by Gowland to Branteghem, thanking him for letters of 7 and 9 September, with enclosures. 1 sheet.
- 1908, 11 September. Letter from Colin Gow [Gowland's assistant at the Royal School of Mines] to Gowland concerning results of testing. With draft reply by Gowland. 1 sheet.
- 1908, 16 September. Letter from Branteghem to Gowland: thanks him for the letter confirming his first opinion in the light of Gow's analysis, and for all the trouble Gowland has taken; 'the few people who had challenged [its] authenticity on theoretical archaeological grounds, have had to bend before your scientific authority'. 1 sheet.
3. 1913, 10 September. Letter from Arthur H Church, Kew Gardens, Surrey, to Gowland:, concerning 'the black hue of the so-called Upchurch ware', with critical comment on what [George] Clinch says in this month's issue of The Connoisseur. 1 sheet.
4. Undated. Letter from Charles Wykeham Martin, Leeds Castle, to JY Akerman [FSA; 1806-1873], FSA Martin's brother-in-law has completed 'the little work in which you so kindly took an interest'; begs Akerman to accept a copy. 1 sheet.
The presence of this letter is unexplained; there is no known connection with Gowland.
Charles Wykeham-Martin (1801-1870) was the owner of Leeds Castle, Kent. He had numerous siblings, some of whom survived to adulthood, and was himself married twice: the brother-in-law and the work concerned remain unidentified.
John Yonge Akerman was an antiquarian with a particular interest in numismatics.
5. 1916, 25 June. Letter from J Challenor Smith to Gowland concerning a piece of a refinery hearth, sent to Gowland for analysis last year; would like to return the piece to the Reading Museum. 1 sheet.
This is likely to refer to an item from the Roman site of Silchester, Hampshire: in the course of the Society's long campaign of excavations there, Gowland had written on the remains of a silver refinery (Archaeologia 57 (1900)); John Challenor Covington Smith, FSA (d 1928) was involved in the excavations between 1906 and 1909.
6. 1918, 21 February. Draft letter by Gowland, no addressee named: has analysed the mica, which is comparatively recent, no earlier than second half of 18th century. 1 sheet.
7. 1918, 8 November. Draft letter from Gowland to [William St John] Hope: returning a piece of metal, which cannot be analysed without cutting a sample from it, which would be destructive; it appears to be bronze, containing zinc and lead, so not ancient. 1 sheet.
8. 1918. Notes by Gowland on two Roman pigs of lead. 1 sheet.
This is the text of his contribution to the discussion following a paper given by William Dale at the Ordinary Meeting of the Society of Antiquaries, 5 December 1918: Proceedings XXXI (1918-19), pp 38-39.
9. 1919, 19 April. Draft letter from Gowland to CR Peers: [almost illegible, but apparently] drawing attention to an error or errors in something enclosed [not now present]. 1 sheet.
10. [1919]. Draft letter from Gowland to Read: sad that he will not be able to have the pleasure of taking Read as his guest to the Royal Society dinner, following continued heart trouble since returning [to London]. 1 sheet.
11. 1919, 6 November. Letter from Read to Gowland: sorry to hear Gowland is ill again, as '[t]here is so much for you to do that no one can do so well'; is not concerned to miss the dinner; hopes to see Gowland at the Executive [Committee] when feels able to attend. 1 sheet.
12. 1919, 23 December. Letter from Read to Gowland: understands that Gowland finds it difficult to attend evening meetings in Winter; has not yet been to Stonehenge, but will be sending round a circular to raise funds, 'pointing out that the Society's honour is involved'. 1 sheet.
13. [no year], 22 January. Letter from Read to Gowland, expressing regret that Gowland does not feel able to pursue his candidature for the Athenaeum; 'but for a certain disgruntled F.R.S. you would have been a cheery companion there many years ago'. 1 sheet.
This letter almost certainly dates from several years earlier, as there is no indication that Gowland's decision was prompted by ill-health.
- 1905, 26 July. Letter from GF Hill, to Gowland, with draft reply by Gowland on back, and partial draft reply to 'Mr G'. 1 sheet.
- Undated. Notes by Gowland on the 'composition of electrum', with some references to published works. On back: some faint pencil notes, which may have been partly erased. 1 sheet.
2. Correspondence with [Alphonse] van Branteghem concerning a Greek bronze statuette of a lyre player, purchased by van Branteghem; suspicions had been voiced relating to its authenticity; Gowlands analysis of the bronze and the patina proved it to be authentic work of late 4th/early 3rd cent BCE.
- Card of Mr van Branteghem, 43 Boulevard Haussmann.
- 1908, 3 September. Letter from van Branteghem to Gowland. 2 sheets.
- 1908, 5 September. Letter from van Branteghem to Gowland. 2 sheets.
- 1908, 17 September. Telegram from Branteghem, Ritz Hotel, to Gowland, Kingussie. 1 sheet.
- 1908, 17 September. Letter from Branteghem to Gowland. 1 sheet.
- Undated. Notes by Gowland concerning the examination of the bronze statuette of the lyre player, before sending it for 'scrapings'. 2 sheets.
- [1908, 9/10 September]. Draft reply by Gowland to Branteghem, thanking him for letters of 7 and 9 September, with enclosures. 1 sheet.
- 1908, 11 September. Letter from Colin Gow [Gowland's assistant at the Royal School of Mines] to Gowland concerning results of testing. With draft reply by Gowland. 1 sheet.
- 1908, 16 September. Letter from Branteghem to Gowland: thanks him for the letter confirming his first opinion in the light of Gow's analysis, and for all the trouble Gowland has taken; 'the few people who had challenged [its] authenticity on theoretical archaeological grounds, have had to bend before your scientific authority'. 1 sheet.
3. 1913, 10 September. Letter from Arthur H Church, Kew Gardens, Surrey, to Gowland:, concerning 'the black hue of the so-called Upchurch ware', with critical comment on what [George] Clinch says in this month's issue of The Connoisseur. 1 sheet.
4. Undated. Letter from Charles Wykeham Martin, Leeds Castle, to JY Akerman [FSA; 1806-1873], FSA Martin's brother-in-law has completed 'the little work in which you so kindly took an interest'; begs Akerman to accept a copy. 1 sheet.
The presence of this letter is unexplained; there is no known connection with Gowland.
Charles Wykeham-Martin (1801-1870) was the owner of Leeds Castle, Kent. He had numerous siblings, some of whom survived to adulthood, and was himself married twice: the brother-in-law and the work concerned remain unidentified.
John Yonge Akerman was an antiquarian with a particular interest in numismatics.
5. 1916, 25 June. Letter from J Challenor Smith to Gowland concerning a piece of a refinery hearth, sent to Gowland for analysis last year; would like to return the piece to the Reading Museum. 1 sheet.
This is likely to refer to an item from the Roman site of Silchester, Hampshire: in the course of the Society's long campaign of excavations there, Gowland had written on the remains of a silver refinery (Archaeologia 57 (1900)); John Challenor Covington Smith, FSA (d 1928) was involved in the excavations between 1906 and 1909.
6. 1918, 21 February. Draft letter by Gowland, no addressee named: has analysed the mica, which is comparatively recent, no earlier than second half of 18th century. 1 sheet.
7. 1918, 8 November. Draft letter from Gowland to [William St John] Hope: returning a piece of metal, which cannot be analysed without cutting a sample from it, which would be destructive; it appears to be bronze, containing zinc and lead, so not ancient. 1 sheet.
8. 1918. Notes by Gowland on two Roman pigs of lead. 1 sheet.
This is the text of his contribution to the discussion following a paper given by William Dale at the Ordinary Meeting of the Society of Antiquaries, 5 December 1918: Proceedings XXXI (1918-19), pp 38-39.
9. 1919, 19 April. Draft letter from Gowland to CR Peers: [almost illegible, but apparently] drawing attention to an error or errors in something enclosed [not now present]. 1 sheet.
10. [1919]. Draft letter from Gowland to Read: sad that he will not be able to have the pleasure of taking Read as his guest to the Royal Society dinner, following continued heart trouble since returning [to London]. 1 sheet.
11. 1919, 6 November. Letter from Read to Gowland: sorry to hear Gowland is ill again, as '[t]here is so much for you to do that no one can do so well'; is not concerned to miss the dinner; hopes to see Gowland at the Executive [Committee] when feels able to attend. 1 sheet.
12. 1919, 23 December. Letter from Read to Gowland: understands that Gowland finds it difficult to attend evening meetings in Winter; has not yet been to Stonehenge, but will be sending round a circular to raise funds, 'pointing out that the Society's honour is involved'. 1 sheet.
13. [no year], 22 January. Letter from Read to Gowland, expressing regret that Gowland does not feel able to pursue his candidature for the Athenaeum; 'but for a certain disgruntled F.R.S. you would have been a cheery companion there many years ago'. 1 sheet.
This letter almost certainly dates from several years earlier, as there is no indication that Gowland's decision was prompted by ill-health.
Creator
Gowland, William (1862-1922), metallurgist and archaeologist
Branteghem, Alphonse van (1844-1911), lawyer and collector
Hill, George Francis (1867-1948), Knight, director and principal librarian of the British Museum
Martin, Charles Wykeham (1801-1870), politician
Branteghem, Alphonse van (1844-1911), lawyer and collector
Hill, George Francis (1867-1948), Knight, director and principal librarian of the British Museum
Martin, Charles Wykeham (1801-1870), politician