228 Rbodora [Novbmbbb 



Savannah, Ga., 23d September, 1916. 



Miss Mary A. Day, Librarian Gray Herbarium, 



Cambridge, Mass. 

 Dear Miss Day: — 



I take great pleasure in giving you the following information in reply to yours 

 of the 20th concerning Dr. John Brickell, but regret that I cannot give more. 



Dr. Brickell died in the year ISO!), and the day after his death the following 

 notice appeared in the only newspaper published here: 



From The Republican and Savannah Evening Ledger, Saturday, Dec 23, 1809. 



"Died, on Friday evening, 22d instant, doctor JOHN BRICKELL, aged 

 sixty years. 



"Dr. Brickell was a native of the county of Lowth (Ireland) and had been 

 forty years in America, thirty of which he spent in Georgia, lie was an excel- 

 lent classic scholar, an ingenious naturalist, and a sincere patriot, having 

 evinced a fervent attachment to the honor and welfare of the United States. 

 In a country peculiarly favorable to botanical researches, Dr. B. (as this was 

 among his favorite studies) hail distinguished himself by unwearied applica- 

 tion, and the many communications he received from the learned of various 

 climes proved him to have been successful in his pursuit. 



"As a politician, lie always ranked among the firmest and most incorruptible 

 adherents to the whig administrations of this country, and often mourned the 

 misfortunes of that one he had left; and will long be regretted as a friend to the 

 rights and liberties of the world, as an elegant and accomplished scholar, and 

 as an honest man." 



Dr. Brickell left a will which I have read today. It is dated Dec. 5, 1800, 

 and was probated Jan'y 2, 1810. It opens with the statement that he was 

 "weak in body." It is a short paper, and by it he left the whole of his estate 

 to his "brother (now with me) James Brickell." Among the papers filed 

 with the will is a single sheet containing only these words: "The whole of the 

 estate of Doctor John Brickell was left in the possession of his brother James 

 Brickell who disposed of the whole, the lot to Mr. Archibald S. Bulloch, and 

 the negroes to different persons. The furniture, &>'., was sold at his instance 

 at public auction by Minis <v Henry" 



Filed 21 May, 1811. (Signed) Rich. Leake. 



(One of the Kxecutors). 



There is no other name in the will besidesthe brother James. 



I am glad to give you the foregoing, but fear it will be of little use to you. 



Very truly yours, 



Win. Harden, 



Librarian. 



Thus, thanks to the kind interest of Mr. Harden and his skill in 

 searching out old records, the matter in hand can now be cleared up. 

 It is evident that in nearly all references to the dedication of the genus 

 BrickeUia two men of identical name were confused, both being pre- 

 sumably from the east of Ireland, both belonging to the same pro- 

 fession, both having biological interests, and both being authors of 

 papers relating to phases of natural history. 



