Correspondence (1922-1995) concerning Westlake's 'eolith' collections, mostly following...

N.B. Letters are to Aubrey Westlake unless otherwise stated.

M. Burkitt (of the Sedgwick Museum) [n.d., ca. Mar. 1922] (to EW): on the collection of palaeolithic and neolithic flint implements in the Cambridge University museums.

W.M. Hoyle (Director, National Museum of Wales) (1 Mar. 1922) (to EW): they have the Stopes collection in Cardiff; suggests speaking to the Keeper of Archaeology Dr. R.E. Mortimer Wheeler before making a visit.

W.M. Tattersall (of Manchester Museum) (2 Mar. 1922) (to EW): on their collection of palaeolithic flint implements, and their so-called 'eoliths' from the collection of Benjamin Harrison.

W.J. Sollas (University Museum, Oxford) (to EW) (18 Mar. 1922): recommends the works of O.T. Mason and Sir John Evans and Pfeiffer's [Die] Steinzeitliche Technik which he notes is difficult to obtain being German. Wishes him success with his forthcoming paper.

?de B. Crawshay (or Crawshaw?) (19 Nov. 1922, 12 Apr. and 6 Dec. 1923): on the disposal of the 'eolith' collections, and Sollas's support for a Miocene date for the Kent Plateau ones. Asks if EW had a large collection of New Forest implements.

H.P. Blackmore (to S.N? Rake) (2 Apr. 1923): concerning the desirability of keeping EW's collections together, and the possibility of setting up a fund for their purchase.

E.D. Cecil (19 June 1923): concerning an unpaid debt for photographs, now a charge on EW's estate.

H.P. Blackmore (16 Apr. 1923): concerning the disposal of EW's Aurillac and Tasmanian eolith collections and the desirability of keeping them together.

W.J. Sollas (to Mrs. Charman, n,e Margaret Westlake) (28 Aug. 1923): concerning the disposal of her father's collections, of the plans he and H. Balfour have for them and seeking her brother approval.

W.J. Sollas (to Mrs. Charman, n,e Margaret Westlake) (31 Aug. 1923): evidently he'd received an encouraging response to his earlier letter.

W.J. Sollas (11 Sept. 1923): concerning his and H. Balfour's plans for his father's collections and suggesting meeting to discus these.

W.J. Sollas (12 Dec. 1926): on his progress (or lack of it) with the French 'eoliths'.

W.J. Sollas (24 Mar. 1927): arrangements for meeting in the University Museum, Oxford.

W.J. Sollas (2 May 1928): responding to a letter of condolence, evidently on his wife's death.

H. Balfour (Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford) (4, 26 Sept., 7 Oct.1923, 22 May, 22 July, 30 Nov. 1924, 2 Aug., 14 Dec. 1926, 24 Mar. 1927, 26 Apr. 1928, 29 Jan. 1929 (incomplete), 18 Oct. 1931, 7, 31 Jan. and 22 Mar. 1934): on the removal of the Tasmanian specimens from Fordingbridge to the Pitt Rivers Museum (early Oct. 1923) and the work on the specimens thereafter. The intention was for HB to describe the Tasmanian ones, and WJS the French collection. Later the question was evidently raised of the monetary value of the collections.

J.A. Douglas (University Museum, Oxford) (1 Nov. and 9 Dec. 1936): on the death of Prof. Sollas, and his (Douglas's) wish that the Westlake collection of flints be removed [from Museum House]. Balfour has suggested that Reid Moir of Ipswich Museum would be the most likely person to work on them.

J. Reid Moir (Ipswich Museum) (24 Jan. 1937): regrets Sollas (d. 1936) never described and published the collection of French flint implements from Aurillac. He would like to work on them but they are in Oxford and he needs AW's permission to move them. He proposes that after he has described them a representative series of them is presented to Ipswich Museum.

J. Reid Moir (Ipswich Museum) (27 Jan. 1937): "It was in fact most unfortunate that your father's invaluable collections ever went to Oxford in Prof. Sollas's charge. He was not really an archaeologist and the problem was too much for him. But I am very glad you agree to the collection coming here for my examination ..."

J.A. Douglas (University Museum, Oxford) (1 Feb. 1937): on the temporary removal of the collection of flint implements to Mr. Reid Moir (of Ispwich) for which AW has given permission.

J. Reid Moir (Ipswich Museum) (1 Feb. 1937): on arrangements for transporting the specimens. ("I cannot easily forgive Sollas for the way he acted over your father's collections.")

J. Reid Moir (Ipswich Museum) (3 Feb. 1937): on arrangements for transporting the specimens and requesting the collection of fossil teeth and any notes, drawings or other relevant manuscripts.

J. Reid Moir (Ipswich Museum) (3 and 23 Feb. 1937): problems with transporting the specimens; asks AW for a contribution towards the cost(!) - which he seems to have agreed to do.

J. Reid Moir (Ipswich Museum) (20 Apr. and 11 May 1937): the specimens have arrived safely. Ask AW for £4 - half the cost. He has just been made an FRS and so hopes the RS will publish his paper, when written.

J. Reid Moir (Ipswich Museum) (17 and 20 June, 8 Aug. 1937): enclosing his short note to Nature about the collection; arrangements to meet, etc. Making progress with the 'Miocene' collection, etc.

D. Baden-Powell (University Museum, Oxford) (14 Sept. 1937): the flint implements and freshwater shells are already at Ipswich and the teeth and bone collections he will take to Reid Moir himself, shortly.

J. Reid Moir (Ipswich Museum) (16 Aug. 1937): on the need to visit Aurillac before reading the paper which will mean delay; on the notion of giving representative series to several museums.

J. Reid Moir (Ipswich Museum) (21 Oct. 1937): has received the fossil teeth of the Miocene of central France from Baden-Powell.

J. Reid Moir (Ipswich Museum) (10 and 15 Feb. 1938): on the preparation of his paper and the need to find the artist's fee for illustrating the specimens; AW evidently agrees to pay this (£15)

J. Reid Moir (Ipswich Museum) (10 and 18 Nov. 1938): Mrs. Burkitt has completed the 86 illustrations; prompts him (AW) for the fee to her; thanks him for the cheque and says his paper is now ready for submission to the RS.

J. Reid Moir (Ipswich Museum) (23 Feb. 1939): the paper and drawings have been submitted to the RS.

J. Reid Moir (Ipswich Museum) (23 Mar. 1930): problems with publication; suggests private publication and the question of finding the costs of this (£70 for printing 250 copies, towards which the RS will make a grant of £25). They will also need at least 100 subscribers. Publication is not likely before the autumn.

J. Reid Moir (Ipswich Museum) (23 May 1939): has written to Baden-Powell to try to find out what is being done about the Tasmanian specimens. He needs £50 advance to publish the Aurillac paper - a sum which may be recovered by sufficient sales.

J. Reid Moir (Ipswich Museum) (8 Nov. 1939): a certain Day Kimball will put up the £50 but he is deferring publication "till the war is over".

T.K. Penniman (Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford) (2 May 1939) (to the executors of the late EW's estate): is preparing the late Prof. Balfour's manuscript on the Tasmanian collection for publication and needs certain information. (Evidently, he doesn't know of AW's existence.)

A.T. Westlake (to T.K. Penniman) (6 Nov. 1939): draft letter regarding the terms on which the collection was loaned to Balfour; the question of the 'value' of the collection and making up representative series for other museums, etc.

T.K. Penniman (Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford) (14 Oct. and 9 Nov. 1939): believes it is better to offer duplicate material for exchange with other museums; question of whether the PRM can raise £150 in total for the Tasmanian specimens (offering £50 in the first instance).

General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corporation Ltd.[n.d.]: the insurance policy for EW's collection.

Rutter & Rutter, Solicitors (18 Nov. 1939): on the collections and establishing their commercial value, or can Oxford be persuaded to go the £100 for them?

J. Reid Moir (Ipswich Museum) (29 Nov. 1939) (to Rutters): advises selling the Tasmanian specimens to the PRM for £150; with Rutters' covering letter (1 Dec. 1939).

Rutter & Rutter, Solicitors (20 Jan. 1940): has forwarded AW's letter to Penniman.

T.K. Penniman (Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford) (22 and 25 Jan. 1940): re the 'Westlake Collection' sends a cheque for £50 and will send a copy of Balfour's book when available.

G. Maynard (Curator of Ipswich Museum) (21 Jan. 1947): informs him of Reid Moir's death during the war; confirms that the [Aurillac] collection is there, along with most of his papers; hopes the Museum will be able to retain at least a representative selection.

G. Maynard (Curator of Ipswich Museum) (29 Jan. 1947): he will search JRM's papers next month for the 'missing' paper on EW's collection.

G. Maynard (Curator of Ipswich Museum) (4 Sept. and 8 Dec. 1947): he has not yet found the drawings or the paper.

G. Maynard (Curator of Ipswich Museum) (14 Dec. 1948): there has been no news as a result of their appeal.

A.T. Westlake [1948?]: draft letter, re the lost paper.

G. Maynard (Curator of Ipswich Museum) (25 Jan. 1949): various other lines of enquiry unsuccessful.

A. Westlake [1950?]: draft letter to Mrs Bendit (he possibly meant Burkitt?): re the fate of Reid Moir's 'lost' paper and drawings of his father's collections; with a printed notice from Nature appealing for news of the lost paper and drawings.

Burkitt, P. (12 May 1950): regrets she cannot help.

G. Maynard (Curator of Ipswich Museum) (9 May 1950 and 20 Mar. 1951): very sorry to have no success yet.

T.S.E. Powell (of the Prehistoric Society, Liverpool) (10 May 1950): confirms that Day Kimball is still a member.

G. Maynard (Curator of Ipswich Museum) (14 June 1950): re further lines of enquiry and speculation.

D. Baden-Powell (Dept. of Geology and Mineralogy, the University Museum) (15 Nov. 1952): seeking permission to bring the Aurillac specimens back from Ipswich to work on them; with a printed notice about the Aurillac collection.

D. Baden-Powell (Dept. of Geology and Mineralogy, the University Museum) (24 May 1953, 10 Jan., 10 June 1955, 20 Feb. 1961, 14 Jan., 4 July 1963 and 30 Nov. 1967): re the Aurillac collection: even by 1967 he is little further forward in publishing a description of the collection though he has mentioned it in a paper on the geology of the Auvergne gravels and incorporated it into his teaching as evidence of the antiquity of man, though the age of the implements is still not known, exactly, nor the age of the Auvergne volcanic gravels in which they were found. Mammal teeth and bones found in the same beds may help to date them. Comparisons of European and Asian 'eoliths' and African ones have been made. The differences in shape are not yet accounted for. Meanwhile, the collection has been moved to the Bodleian 'crypt' for temporary storage and back to the Department again. In the letter of 20 Feb 1961, DB-P thanks him for "enclosing a copy of Mr. Reid Moir's ms." (This appears to be a draft version, or part of one of the lost' manuscript which Delair states as having been destroyed by bombing in World War II (Delair 1985).)

L. Bairstow (British Museum (Natural History), Dept. of Palaeontology) (3 Feb. 1961): AW has made enquiries about the sale of the collections to the BM. They will offer only £25 in view of the enormous amount of work required to sort and document them.

P.S. Peberdy (Curator, County Borough of Southampton's Museums) (3 Nov. 1960 and 17 February 1961): re the remaining fossil and flint collections at AW's home in Fordingbridge.

P.S. Peberdy (Curator, County Borough of Southampton's Museums) (20 Feb. 1961) (to Prof. Hodson): he has seen EW's collection of Hampshire fossils and flints at Fordingbridge. The BM(NH) would like the collection but AW, he thinks, would prefer it to remain in Hampshire. The specimens are well-documented and the fossils are mostly from no longer accessible sites. He promised to mention the collection to the University. Southampton Museum could take the archaeological specimens but has no department of geology

F. Hodson (Professor, University of Southampton, Department of Geology) (21 Feb. 1961) (to P.S. Peberdy): he is very interested in the collection for the University and will contact AW directly.

F. Hodson (Professor, University of Southampton, Department of Geology) (21 Feb. 1961) (to AW): he would like to meet him and see the fossils and discuss their acquisition.

A.T. Westlake (23 Feb. 1961) (to Prof. Hodson): would be pleased to meet him to discuss the fossils.

F. Hodson (Professor, University of Southampton, Department of Geology) (24 Feb. 1961): about arranging a meeting.

A.T. Westlake (27 Feb. 1961) (to Prof. Hodson): confirming arrangements for a meeting.

A.T. Westlake (6 Mar. 1961) (to Prof. Hodson): accepting his proposal for the transfer of the fossils.

F. Hodson (Professor, University of Southampton, Department of Geology) (8 Mar. 1961): delighted that AW has agreed to transfer the collections to Southampton. (Presumably, the Hampshire flints went to Southampton Museum.)

University of Southampton, Dept. of Geology (14 Mar. 1961): authorisation [to their Payments' Section] to pay AW £100 for the fossil collection.

J.R. Friday (University of Sussex, Science Policy Research Unit) (19 Aug. 1970): requesting information about any manuscript or archival material of Ernest Westlake, with the object of compiling a register of scientific archives.

A.T. Westlake (24 Aug. 1970) (to J.R. Friday): draft of a letter in reply to his letter (above).

N.J.B. Plomley (University of Melbourne) (2 Aug. and 10 Dec. 1976): re his new book on Tasmanian aboriginal languages, based partly on words collected by EW while in Tasmania.

F. Hodson (Professor, University of Southampton, Department of Geology) (13 Oct. 1978): thanks AW 'for the loan of these' (presumably the surviving Reid-Moir typescript, found with this letter, see: III.6)

H.P.G. Unsworth (Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford) (29 Oct. 1976): re the Aurillac flints: quotes Dr. Roe of the Donald Baden-Powell Quaternary Research Centre (Pitt Rivers Museum): DB-P working on the flints up to his death; whether they are man-made or the products of natural flaking: a matter on which the experts disagree.

R.R. Inskeep (Asst. Curator, Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford) (22 Jan.? 1977): replying to AW's letter on behalf of Derek Roe. He wishes the Aurillac specimens to be removed from the Museum's store (at AW's expense!). The University Museum does not want them either. They are likely to be mostly the products of natural flaking but as such not totally useless. The French might be interested in their return for comparative purposes.

D. Roe (Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford) (19 Jan. 1977): re the dating and nature of the Aurillac flints (a long and sympathetic letter in contrast to Inskeep's above - which may not be correctly placed in this sequence of correspondence: the date is unclear). Reid Moir's manuscript evidently did turn up but his conclusions are no longer accepted.

D. Roe (Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford) (9 Feb., 3 and 10 May 1977): re arrangements to meet.

D. Roe (Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford) [May or June 1977]: an aide m,moire for AW when writing to Prof. Henri Delporte, Mus,e de l'Antiquit, Nationales de St-Germain-en-Laye: mention the Aurillac flints not being mentioned in his book: Le pr,histoire française; that the collection still exists and is available for study at the PRM; Reid Moir's manuscript.

A.T. Westlake (to Prof. Delporte) (14 Sept. 1977): draft of the letter made at Roe's suggestion (above)

H. Delporte (13 Sept. 1977): regrets he has not had time to compare English and French flint implements but would still be prepared to do so.

D. Roe (Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford) (3 Oct. 1977): will discuss Delporte's proposal with Inskeep.

B.A.L. Cranstone (Curator, Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford) (10 and 21 Dec. 1979): re moving the eoliths from the Pitt Rivers Museum to Fordingbridge.

A.T. Westlake (to Cranstone) (3 Jan. 1980): draft of a letter to Cranstone re the nature and age of the 'eoliths'.

B.A.L. Cranstone (Curator, Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford) (22 Jan. 1980): suggests a date for delivery of the 'eoliths'.

J.B. Delair (of Oxford) (21 Jan. and 7 May 1981): has visited AW at home and discussed the chalk fossil collections which he wants to write about, along with a biographical notice; he has been working on EW's notebooks, too.

J.B. Delair (of Caledonian Land Surveys Ltd., Glasgow, and Wootton, Oxford) (27 Jan. 1982): has published a biographic notice on EW; is working on EW's collections: chalk echinoids and species named Micraster westlakei; believes EW is now, at last, achieving the recognition he deserves. He is interested, too, in EW's work as a pioneer educationalist in 'survival skills', etc.

J.B. Delair (Caledonian Land Surveys Ltd., Glasgow, and Wootton, Oxford) (28 Mar. 1982): mentions a poem of EW's to be published, his other publications, particularly The antiquity of man in Hampshire, and asks if any correspondence exists between EW and certain other geologists: Rupert Jones, Henry Howorth and Clement Reid; possible use of flints by early man for making fire.

J.B. Delair (Hon. Curator, University of Southampton) (19 Aug. 1986) (to Prof. R.W. Nesbitt): raising possibility of donating some duplicate material from the [Westlake] collection of Micheldever Cretaceous echinoids to Hampshire County Museum Service.

Marshall, J.E.A. (Dept. of Geology, University of Southampton) (3 Mar. 1987) (to Dr. A.B. Smith of the British Museum (Natural History)): the loan of Westlake collections specimens of echinoids.

Hampshire County Museum Service (14 Apr. 1987) (to J.B. Delair): acknowledging gift of a collection of chalk echinoids from Micheldever railway cutting; with a photocopy of a memo from Delair to Nesbitt on this transfer (7 May 1987)

Dr. W. Christensen (Geologisk Museum Copenhagen) (25 Nov. 1992) (to Prof. N. Hamilton, Dept. of Geology, University of Southampton): requesting the loan of upper chalk belemnites from the Westlake Collection (handwritten draft, and word-processed version of this letter).

Prof. N. Hamilton [University of Southampton] (25 Nov. 1992) (to Dr. W. Christensen, Geologisk Museum Copenhagen): permitting the loan to him of the belemnite specimens.

A handwritten list of the micrasters in the Dept. of Geology, University of Southampton (photocopy, 1 sheet)

A typescript list of the chalk micrasters in Salisbury and South Wilts. Museum and in the Dept. of Geology, University of Southampton. JBD. 15 Oct. 1993.

J.M. Neate (2 Nov. 1993): a signed note to the effect that he has borrowed certain micrasters from the Westlake Collection, with an attached list, on a single sheet.

R.T. Hosfield (PhD. student, University of Southampton) (6 Feb.1995) (to Prof. Hodson [retired]; formerly, University of Southampton) re a notebook of Westlake's on palaeolithic flints, which he is trying to locate and apparently not with the rest of the collection.

F. Hodson (formerly, University of Southampton) (20 Feb. 2005) (to R.T. Hosfield): a handwritten draft response to his letter: he does not know of the whereabouts of the notebook but is critical of Westlake and his methods and speaks of the bad state of the collection when Southampton acquired it.

This letter seems accidentally not to have been sent because an identical exchange of letters was put on file for 9 May 1995 (Hosfield) and 22 May 1995 (Hodson).