Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward Letter

Letter shared by our friend Emiliano Spada. Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward was the Inventor of the “Wardian Case” which is the modern-day Vivarium or Terrarium.

Autograph letter signed N.B. (Nathaniel Bagshaw) Ward, to Mrs. White, explaining that indisposition had prevented him sending her ferns as promised, but these are now on their way. A good one-page example, 7×4 inches, with a postscript overleaf, and narrow black edges. I compared this letter with an inscription by Ward I found in his famous book, and both handwritings are identical, therefore the letter should be genuine. What follows is the content of both letter and postscript overleaf.

The Ferns, 19th Jan 1862.

My dear Mrs. White,

You must – I fear – have long since imagined that I had forgotten my promise of sending you the other ferns. That has not however been the case but my regular time has been so broken in upon by repeated indisposition and consequent absence from home that I have not been able to find leisure for objects that could be deferred. I have now sent you a few, some of which I hope may in one way or other be of service to you. Two or three of them I know you have not got. I am now thank God – much better than at this time last year and able to attend to my duties – we all write in kind regards and best wishes to you and Mr White and believe me to be Yours most truly, N B Ward.

When you see Mrs [?, this surname is impossible to decipher] pray tell her that I should long before this have been to see her – but that really I have not been able to do more than I have been compelled to do – All of us here write with kindest best wishes.