Letters to his sister Emma and her husband, Rev. Edmund B. Evelyn, Rector of Wotton, 1863-1868; 1874
Item
Shelfmark: MSS. Pac. s. 90 Vol. 8, fols. 215-249
Held at the Weston Library
Comprises:
- (fols. 215-218) letter to Edmund, from Paris, about his arrival there with the Rajah the previous day; his meeting [in London] with John Abel Smith and Knox, Abel Smith's statement that recognition was about to be granted to Sarawak by the British Government when the 'untoward event' [John Brooke Brooke's outburst against the Rajah] occurred; the government's refusal to recognise any authority but the Rajah's; the 'madness' of John Brooke Brooke's behaviour, and fears for the consequences; the gift to Emma of a jar which had belonged to the wife of Rentap, the 'pirate' chief; and his own anxiety for John Brooke Brooke personally, 6 Jan 1863
- (fols. 219-220) letter to Edmund, from Singapore, about the meeting between the Rajah and John Brooke Brooke; the latter's reaction to a memorandum by St John to Lord Russell, which Cavenagh had showed him; John Brooke Brooke's return to England; the ignorance in Sarawak of what had happened, John Brooke Brooke having acted entirely alone; and the possible reflection on himself, and his hope for a friendly meeting with the Bishop, 28 Feb 1863
- (fols. 221-223) letter to Edmund, from Sarawak, about the warm welcome given to the Rajah; John Brooke Brooke's letters to the Rajah written without consulting others, and simply on account of St John's Memorandum; the lack of sympathy shown to himself; rumours attributed to the Rajah about 'the country being handed over to the Queen'; the Rajah's wish only to further the interests of Sarawak; the Bishop's civility, his wife's enmity; and the state of confusion in the Mission. The second half [addressed to Emma] concerns: family matters; the meeting between the Rajah and the McDougalls; the poor health of John Brooke Brooke's daughter Agnes, and hopes that she should be placed in Mrs Penty's care; the unpopularity of Mr and Mrs Chambers; and the Rajah's intention to only addres the indigenous and European communities briefly, to avoid further commotions, 9 and 10 Mar 1863
- (fols. 224-225) letter to Emma, from Sarawak, about his cruise with La Touche; the presence in the river of eight steamers; news of Agnes and Mrs McDougall's refusal to give her up to Mrs Penty's care; the Bishop's strange character; and his own plan to return shortly to Sakarang, where he would rejoin his brother Stuart, 28 Mar 1863
- (fols. 226-227) letter to Emma, from Sarawak, about a cruise to all the out-stations; the dullness of Sarawak; his plan for an expedition into the interior [against the Kayans]; and his pleasure at returning to Sakarang and the warm welcome shown to him, 28 Apr 1863
- (fols. 228-229) letter to Edmund, from Sakarang, about preparations for his expedition against the Kayans, with a force of 10,000 indigenous people and accompanied by his brother Stuart; and his bequest of his diamond ring to Emma, 11 May 1863
- (fols. 230-233) letter to Edmund, from Sakarang, repudiating the suggestion contained in letters from both Edmund and John Brooke Brooke that he had grasped at power in Sarawak; the perplexing nature of his duty towards his uncle as Rajah and his brother as Rajah Muda and acknowledged heir; John Brooke Brooke's claim to be Rajah; and the widespread sympathy felt for John Brooke Brooke and Charles Johnson Brooke's wish for his return, 23 Jun 1863
- (fols. 234-236) letter to Edmund, from Sakarang, about angry letters from his mother to the Rajah and from John Brooke Brooke to Arthur Crookshank and others; John Brooke Brooke's foolish claims to be Rajah and his son Hope heir to the Raj; Charles Johnson Brooke's pledge to the Rajah, with copy (fol. 236); and the quietness of the country, and increasing trade following his recent expedition, 17 Jul 1863
- (fols. 237-240) letter to Edmund about talks with Crookshank and the Chiefs; the Datu Bander's recollection of the Rajah's words in appointing John Brooke Brooke Rajah Muda; John Brooke Brooke's references to the Rajah as being mad; an appeal to Edmund to 'preach submission' to John Brooke Brooke; the latter's determination to crush the Rajah entirely and gain the support of the British Government; and his own feeling of duty to his uncle as the lawful Rajah and the universal repudiation of John Brooke Brooke's claims, 25 Jul-3 Aug 1863
- (fols. 241-242) letter to Edmund, from Sarawak, about being given 'A Paper of Policy' and his distress at the linking of John Brooke Brooke's name with that of Wise, 'an unprincipled villain' (a pencilled note added by Edmund Evelyn states that John Brooke Brooke knew nothing of the pamphlet referred to), 14 Apr 1864
- (fols. 243-244) letter to Emma, from Sarawak, about a report of the Rajah's recovery in Torquay; the value of uncut diamonds; measurements of an orangutan; and the illustrations in his book (Ten Years in Sarawak, 1866), 5 Apr 1867
- (fols. 245-246) letter to Emma, from Sarawak, about news of the Rajah's death, the sorrow felt in Sarawak, and the weight of responsibility placed on his own shoulders; his proclamation as ruler; plans for his trip to Europe, and to get married while in England; his riding accident; and the wedding of his brother Fred, and John Brooke Brooke's illness, 2 Aug 1868
- (fols. 247-249) copy of the correspondence between Charles Johnson Brooke (in London) and the Evelyns, about the mental state of the Rev. F.C. Johnson and Edmund Evelyn's guardianship of Hope Brooke, 1-2 May 1874.
Dates
- Creation: 1863-1868; 1874
Extent
35 Leaves
Language of Materials
- English
Shelfmark
MSS. Pac. s. 90 Vol. 8, fols. 215-249
Repository Details
Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository
Contact:
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom
specialcollections.enquiries@bodleian.ox.ac.uk
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom
specialcollections.enquiries@bodleian.ox.ac.uk