Yarrell, William (1784-1856)

Eleven letters from William Yarrell, including: to Samuel Simpson, Secretary of the Natural History Society, Lancaster, identifying a fish from a description Simpson has forwarded him, 13 Jun 1837 (this letter, MS.8007/74/2, has two small pen and ink drawings pasted to the back, initialled by Yarrell, one of a bird entitled 'the hobby' and one of a fish entitled 'sea bream'); to Thomas Sanderson of Paternoster Row, London, thanking him for forwarding his natural history notes made during a stay in Penrith, 22 Jan 1838 (MS.8007/74/3); to Thomas Bradley re witnessing the experiments on the electric eel, 19 Nov 1838 (MS.8007/74/4); to H L Long concerning the ornithological contents in Mr Hugo's book, 26 Mar 1840 (MS.8007/74/5); to Miss Emma Theobald of Letheringsett Hall, concerning the nightingale's partiality to roses, 16 Jul 1845 (MS.8007/74/7); to Mr Hugh Cunning concerning the concept of perpetual motion and the nearest man has got to achieving it, in clocks which do not need winding up, 10 Nov 1852 (MS.8007/74/9). Some undated material included.

1832-1852

11 letters

Chronological followed by two undated.

Purchased from Desgranges, Paris, October 1930 (acc.63459); Purchased from Stevens, London, March 1931 (acc.56485); Purchased from Sotheby's, London, December 1929 (acc.52331); Purchased from Glendining, London, October 1934 (acc.67928); Purchased from Mrs. Watson, Burnley, March 1945 (acc.72200), presumably once part of the Thomas Madden Stone autograph collection; Purchased from Sotheby's, London, July 1932 (acc.65271); Purchased from Sotheby's, London, July 1931 (acc.57468); Purchased from Mrs. Barrett, London, March 1930 (acc.91327); Provenance details not recorded (acc.67430); one provenance and accession number not known (MS.8007/73/2)

British naturalist and zoologist. Elected a Fellow of the Linnean Society in 1825 and was one of the original members of the Zoological Society. Wrote two great works: The History of British Fishes (2 vols., 1836) and The History of British Birds (2 vols., 1843).