The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: ¶ I feel the greatest pleasure of recommending Prof Rennie to the favorable consideration of our collaborators in science ¶ Ferd Mueller MD PhD ¶ Bot & Zool Garden, Melb 17/12/58...

Document information

Physical location:

British Library, Western Manuscripts, Loan 96 RLF 1/628/23. 58.12.17b

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to the Royal Literary Fund, 1858-12-17 [58.12.17b]. 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//letters/1850-9/1858/58-12-17b-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

See Lucas (2013b). The item is the last entry on the folio, which consists of three letters of recommendation in support of an application to the Royal Literary Fund by James Rennie. The letters are from John Richards dated 16 December 1858, followed by one from Wilhelm Blandowski, of the same date, and then Mueller's.

Rennie had written to seek support from the fund in June 1858, and had been told to fill in a formal application form. Presumably this testimonial accompanied a form, not now present in the files. In his covering letter to the next application in 1859 (see M to Royal Literary Fund, 10 May 1859), he wrote:

'You say the gentlemen who signed my former application to you were strangers to you—Permit me to say that Dr Müller is known as a botanist all over Europe…' (RLF 1/628/24).

I feel the greatest pleasure of recommending Prof Rennie to the favorable consideration of our collaborators in science

Ferd Mueller MD PhD

Bot & Zool Garden, Melb 17/12/58