BOWRING (Sir John, 1792-1872, M.P., F.R.S., Linguist, Governor and Ambassador, opened up trade with King Mongkut of Siam, favourite pupil of Jeremy Bentham)

Collection of 3 letters the first is to to Henry Kane, Consul at Ancona, introducing "Mr Ja's Emerson and Mr Tennent ... who are proceeding to Greece with a desire of rendering their talents and exertions serviceable to the Greek cause ..." asking for his assistance for them, 1 side 4to., London, 1st October 1824, the next letter is to a distinguished group of editors in Paris, whose names are listed on the conjugate leaf, in French with translation detailing his travels, he has returned from "Germany and reckon to stay until February when ... I intend to go to Transylvania and the Slav provinces, to pursue my studies and complete the work of which I send you the prospectus ... The bearer of this letter is Mr James Emerson - He is working on a history of the Greek Revolution - which will certainly be worth more than any other that we have up till now. He knows the terrain and is already well knows to advantage by his writings. He will need to dip into the files of your Greek Committee where no doubt he will find much treasure ...", 1 side 4to., London, 10th December 1829 and the final letter promises to sort out "some of the Pamphlets. If I let you have a vol. at a time - how long would you require it? ..." asking him to pass on a prospectus to Mr Watts and saying that he will "not publish on such a subject unless I can any way to cover cost ... having a tolerable list of subscribers ...", 2 Queen's Square Place, 11th December

Sir John's bent for languages was nurtured in a mercantile house in Exeter. As Governor of Hong Kong (1854-1860) he was also Plenipotentiary to China, Japan, Korea and Siam, accredited (as he wrote later) under the Queen's sign manual to not less than one third of mankind.
Bowring was editor of the Westminster Review and Jeremy Bentham's secretary. He recommends to the British Consul at Ancona Sir James Emerson TENNENT, (1804-1869, colonial administrator, Permanent Secretary of the Board of Trade, 1852-1867), and his future wife's cousin Robert James Tennent (1803-1880, M.P.), who had left Trinity College Dublin for the Greek War of Independence.

Item Date:  1829

Stock No:  21988