380 PROFESSOR OWEN ch. XI. 



Catherine, Owen mentions that he attended a 

 Levee on February 25, 1852, and ' went through 

 the crush with the Duke of Northumberland. 

 He talked a good deal about the Kew house, 

 and I think will prove a very kind neigh- 

 bour. ... In the evening we went to one of 

 Ella's concerts, and we brought home Prince 

 Albert's Librarian (Dr. Becker) to supper. He 

 told Caroline the Queen and Prince Albert had 

 more than once talked about the Kew house, 

 and hoped it would suit me.' 



Professor Owen would often relate how upon 

 one occasion he went down to Kew to look at the 

 new residence, and when he got to the front door 

 and intended going in to make arrangements about 

 the furnishing, a Scotch ' body,' the caretaker, 

 came forward and told him he could not come 

 in, and that he must put off the furnishing ar- 

 rangements for a while. It appeared that some 

 little difficulty had arisen with the then King of 

 Hanover about the right of possession of the 

 premises, which right it was in time proved that 

 Her Majesty the Queen did possess. But in 

 the meantime Jesse the naturalist, who resided 

 in the neighbourhood, told Owen that the house 

 in Richmond Park (Sheen Lodge) was vacant. 

 After having seen it, Owen immediately went 

 off to Osborne, where the Royal Family were. 

 When he arrived there he found Prince Albert 

 planning out the grounds so as best to instruct 



