From: Biological Stn. Pearl Beach
Via Woy Woy
NSW

To: Miss M. C. Sadler
"White Lodge"
101 Northcourt Rd.
Abingdon, Berkshire
England

May 25, 1953

My dear Margaret,

I have been again reminded that I owe you a letter by the fact that today we have the first issue of our Coronation stamps, so I have put one on this letter. The Postmaster will allow me to post it later - when I have written it - and it will still bear the date stamp for the occasion! I have not even written to thank you for the photos of yourself and your grandfather which it is so nice to have. I see a likeness to your grandfather in your snap but do not think one can judge by such a small picture to find a general family likeness.

I have mislaid your letter for the moment, so forgive me if I neglect to answer anything. As usual I have had more than I can manage to do lately - a slight attack of shingles (which keeps recurring) has kept me from doing my usual writing. I had it in my face and head and it seemed to make my eyes very tired. After that I had to go to Sydney for a very busy fortnight - a lot of time spent at the university or business connected with the additions to my cottage and other matters. These interviews take such a long time and the travelling cuts time short. I managed to go to a matinee with the Shakespearian Company showing Henry IV (first part) and enjoyed it very much indeed. I had not been to a theatre for a very long time and this was the first time I had seen Henry IV. It was so well played and the hangings and furnishings for the setting had all been used at Stratford and were rather unusual.

I also tried to look up some family history books but the only one giving me any information I wanted was found at the public library. In the "Cambridge History of India", Vol V, the index shows 'Richard Crommelin P249' and the quotations I made run "Raghimath Rao made overtures to Crommelin, then governor at Bombay...", "The incident is important. It deliberately introduced the English as arbiters in Maratha affairs...a deciding factor in the consolidation of the British power in W. India (1761)."

I could not find any other mention of 'Richard Crommelin' and the quotation given on that page did not have any Christian name mentioned. I turned over a number of pages but could not find either the Christian or Sir-name anywhere else. I am sorry to say I had insufficient time to go into the matter further but surely there must be more than that. It is of course an important instance and confirms the fact that a Crommelin was governor of Bombay but the name Richard makes it puzzling as we have no record of that name in the family history. We do, however, have a number of references to Charles as governor of Bombay. The India office should be the best place to obtain a clue as to the books where those records could be traced. The name Richard in the index appears to be an error as Charles was governor at Bombay and his tombstone is quoted in "Bombay Historical Monuments". I cannot find the name 'Richard' in any of the family records of this branch of the family, and this is the sole mention of such a Christian name which I can recall.

We had heavy rain storms when I was in Sydney and so much damage was done to the roads between Woy Woy (our railway town) and Pearl Beach, all traffic was suspended for some days. Mail and supplies were carried over the creeks until a bridge was reached at a swamp and there a boat had to be rowed across and then another truck drive in from this side. I became anxious - particularly so since I had a dream that I heard our caretaker calling me! Therefore I decided to come back by another route. The train crawled along the line very slowly because we had landfalls onto the tracks and when we reached Hawkesbury River I alighted and took a small ferry to Patonga. The river was flooded and the beautiful scenery blotted out by the heavy rain, so we could only see the rough muddy water. At Patonga the streets were so flooded many cottages were surrounded. I felt it was better to have bad roads than flooded surroundings so I hired a taxi at a special price to bring me over the mountain and with a careful drive arrived at the village here at dusk, and then had a truck to come up to the house because the creeks were so high. It was dark when I arrived so I made some tea and toast and then went to bed - thoroughly tired but so glad to be home again.

I find I have been repeating myself a good deal in writing but please forgive me. With so many interruptions it is difficult to keep the thread of my chat to you running smoothly! I am so busy marking out trees ready for Coronation planting. I have promised some dozens of plants and it is a big job preparing, packing, labelling, etc. They will be calling for them on Sunday & Monday so I want everything to be in order. We are to have a party of zoologists up in a week and I am arranging to have a wireless in the station sitting room to listen in to the Ceremony. The broadcast will begin (by relay from BBC) at 7:00 pm on Tuesday night and will go on until 2:30 am on Wednesday. Then it will start again about 5:00 am! I don't suppose we will be able to do the lot but I will have supper arranged in my own little dining room and we may be able to have that about midnight. I am looking forward to it so much and the broadcasts are very lovely.

I must post this today, dear Margaret, although I fear it leaves a lot to be desired as a letter. I hope you are well. Love from your cousin Minard.