Document information

Physical location:

Bl. 30, Nr 67, Loc. J Tit. 6, Dep. C, Herzogliches Staats-Ministerium, Thüringisches Staatsarchiv, Gotha. 65.01.05

Preferred Citation:

Richard von Seebach to Ferdinand von Mueller, 1865-01-05. R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells (eds), Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, <https://vmcp.rbg.vic.gov.au/id/65-01-05>, accessed April 20, 2025

1
Letter not found. MS is a draft for two certificates, one of them for M, marked 'Abschrift' [copy] and annotated 'B.I.b 1636', on file in Gotha. A second copy is attached to a letter from A. Hellmann to R. von Seebach, received by the latter on 20 December 1864 (see n. 5 below). See also Voigt (1996), p. 63, note 148.
Elsewhere in the archive in Gotha (Doppelblatt 146, Ritterkreuze II. Klasse, Ordensmatrikel. Ausländer, I.), there is a file entry recording M's membership of the Order, as follows:
Name des Hzgl. Hofes , von welchem die Verleihung ausgegangen ist: S. Cob. Gotha
Namen : Müller, Dr. Ferdinand
Stand : Director des zoolog. & botanischen Gartens in
Geburtstag und Jahr:
Wohnort : Melbourne (Australien)
Tag der Aufnahme : 5. Jan. 1865
Grund der Verleihung : Zweck sr. Verdienste für
die wissenschaftlichen
Sammlungen in Gotha
Anmerkungen : † 10/10.97 Decoration zurückgegeben.
[Name of the Ducal Court , from which the conferment has originated: Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
Name : Mueller, Dr Ferdinand
Occupation : Director of the zoologic and botanic Gardens in
Date of birth and year: [no details included]
Place of residence : Melbourne (Australia)
Date of conferment : 5 January 1865
Reason for the conferment : on account of his services for the scientific collections in Gotha
Remarks : † 10 October 1897. Decoration returned. [sic. M died on 10 October 1896.]
Gotha, den 5ten Januar 1865.
Diplom
über die Verleihung des Ritterkreuzes II. Classe
des H. S. Ernest. Hausordens
2
des Herzoglichen Sächsischen Ernestinischen Hausordens.
an
a, Herrn Dr. Voller,
Director der Hospitäler
in Batavia,
b, Herrn Dr. Ferdinand Müller,
Director des zoologischen und botanischen Gartens
in Melbourne (Australien)
Se. Hoheit pp.
haben sich gnädigst bewogen gefunden, dem Herrn pp. in dankbarer Anerkennung seiner Verdienste um die hiesigen wissenschaftlichen Sammlungen das Ritterkreuz II. Classe des H. S. Ernest. Hausordens zu verleihen.
Zu Beurkundung dessen ist dem Herrn pp. dieses Diplom mit Beisetzung des Herzoglichen Siegels ausgefertigt und nebst der Decoration zugestellt worden.
Gotha, den pp.
(L.S)
3
Locus sigilli [place of seal].
H. S. Staatsministerium
[gez.:] v. S. 6./1.
4
Annotated: ' Add. je 1 Ritterkreuz II. Classe für Rechnung | der Staatscasse | die Decorationen Nos 188 & 189 neu | abgegeben. | Gatzert 15./1.' [Addenda 1 Knight's Cross II. Class each on account of | the Treasury | The decorations Nos 188 and 189 issued new. | Gatzert, 15 January.]
Gotha, 5 January 1865.
Certificate
for the bestowal of the Knight's Cross II. Class of
the Ducal Saxon Ernestine House Order
on
a. Dr Voller,
Director of Hospitals
in Batavia
b. Dr Ferdinand Müller,
Director of the Zoologic and Botanic Gardens
in Melbourne (Australia).
His Highness etc. etc.
felt most graciously inclined to bestow the Knight's Cross II. Class of the Ducal Saxon Ernestine House Order on Mr etc. etc., in grateful recognition of his services for the scientific collections here,
5
August Hellmann, director of the Naturalienkabinet [Museum] in Gotha, wrote to Richard von Seebach (Bl. 121-123, vol. 4, Nr 5, Loc. II, Dep. I, Akten für das Herzogliche Staats-Ministerium 1864. 1865 . Thüringisches Staatsarchiv, Gotha) in a letter received on 20 December 1864, recommending that both Dr. Voller, Director of the Hospitals in Batavia, and M receive a decoration. Concerning M he wrote:
Ein zweites sehr werthvolles Geschenk erhielt die Herzogl. Sammlung in den jüngsten Tagen durch Herrn Dr Ferdinand Müller in Melbourne, Director des dortigen zoologischen u. botanischen Gartens; Herr Dr Müller schrieb im vorigen Jahre durch Vermittlung des Hr Dr Petermann an mich, "welche Gegenstände die herzogl. Sammlung gebrauchen könne", ich antwortete in umfangreicher Weise, u. in Folge dieses Briefes sendete Herr Dr Müller einen grossen Theil der Desidera franco an die Sammlung, u. verspricht noch Anderes nachzusenden.
Wenn nun dergleichen Sendungen für die Herzogliche Sammlung von um so grösserem Werthe sind als sie nichts kosten, den Sendern aber jedenfalls viele Mühe u. Ausgaben verursachten, so wollte ich mir erlauben Ew. Excellenz ergebenst zu bitten, dem Herrn Dr Voller in Batavia, wie Herrn Dr Müller in Melbourne (Australien) auf diplomatischen Wege eine Anerkennung, vielleicht durch Übersendung des Ordens für Wissenschaft u. Kunst gnädigst zu Theil werden zu lassen. Ich glaube dass hierdurch die Herzogl. Sammlung grossen Vortheil hat, u. wir für die Zukunft noch mehr Interessantes erhalten.
[The Ducal collection recently received a second very valuable donation through Dr Ferdinand Mueller in Melbourne, Director of the zoological and botanical garden there. Dr Mueller wrote to me last year [letter not found] through the agency of Dr Petermann: ‘what objects can the Ducal collection use’, I answered very broadly [See A. Petermann to M, 27 April 1864 (in this edition as 64-04-27a)] and in consequence of the letter Dr Mueller sent a large part of the desiderata to the collection post-paid and promised to send still others later on.
If such consignments for the Ducal collection are of all the greater value, as they cost nothing but I dare say cause the sender much trouble and costs, I permit myself to request your excellency most humbly to graciously bestow an acknowledgement, perhaps by the transmission of the order for art and science, on Dr Voller in Batavia as well as Dr Mueller in Melbourne in a diplomatic way. I think that by this the Ducal collection will have great benefit and we will receive even more interesting things in future.]
In attestation this certificate with the Ducal seal set on it has been prepared for Mr etc. etc. and been transmitted to him together with the decoration.
6
The archive includes a letter from Wilhelm Sonder to von Seebach, 14 June 1865 (Bl. 192-197, Nr 5, Loc. 11, Dep. I, Herzogliches Staats-Ministerium, Thüringisches Staatsarchiv), noting that M had written to both him and von Seebach to inform them that the package containing the decoration had failed to arrive, and reporting that his own enquiries at relevant European post offices had been unsuccessful. Von Seebach replied on 19 June 1865 (Bl. 183a, Nr. 67, Tit.6, Dep. C, Herzogliches Staats-Ministerium, Thüringisches Staatsarchiv), sending Sonder a second example of the decoration and asking him to include this in his next consignment to M. A further search of post-office records instituted by the authorities in Gotha revealed that the missing parcel had reached Hamburg safely and been shipped from there to London (Bl. 192-197, Nr 5, Loc. 11, Dep. I, Herzogliches Staats-Ministerium, Thüringisches Staatsarchiv). Onn 11 December 1865, Sonder returneed to the Ministry in Gotha the parcel he had been sent on 19 June, having stopped its being sent on from London when he heard that the package that had been sent in January had finally arrived in Melbourne (Bl. 138, Nr 68, Loc. J Tit. 6, Dep. C, Staatsministerium Gotha, Thüringisches Staatsarchiv).
Gotha, etc. etc.
(Seal) Ducal Saxon Ministry of State
[signed:] v. S.,
7
von Seebach.
6 January.