Aeneas James Gunn
I have recently been sent the following information which is worthy of note as it shows Aeneas Gunn's real appreciation of the Gunn Edinburgh family trees. In Australian cultural terms it is worth remembering the importance of Aeneas Gunn's wife. She was Mrs Jeannie Gunn, author of We of the Never Never and other texts. -
In relation to the Aeneas Gunn trees, you might be interested in the following letter from Aeneas James Gunn to his brother Peter Robert Gunn, both sons of the Rev. Peter Gunn. The letter explains how Aeneas Gunn's manuscripts came to Victoria. While undated the letter was probably written between the late 1890's and the end of 1901, when Aeneas was working at the Prahran Free Library and before he married.
Letter [Melbourne] [nd.]
My dear Bob,
Enclosed I hand you a letter of Mrs.
Alexander's for perusal at home. There
is not much in it but a great good
heartedness and human kindness which
doubtless in their own way and then at
much. But Mrs. Alexander's goodness takes
practical shape. She has sent out a
M.SS. volume by Uncle Aeneas
containing the History of the Clan Gunn
done by himself and several valuable
MSS papers, genealogical trees of the Gunns
etc. A mass of M.SS. that I consider
beyond rubies and pearls and
diamonds in value. I have not yet
had time to go into it closely. Its only
come to hand but I'm promising myself
a treat. I intend reading it carefully and
if possible bringing it down to date and
getting it published. I am beside
myself with gratitude and pleasure
at the receipt of such a gift and am
afraid I must confess I wept tears of
joy over its receipt. Perhaps the
excessive weakness I am suffering from
may have something to do with that.
My feelings are easily overwrought
just now. Goodbye for the present.
If I come over on Sunday I will bring
my treasure over with me.
I am your affectionate brother
Aeneas.
This letter is held in the manuscripts collection of the National Library of Australia in Canberra.
I came across it while following up on my grandmother's assertion that the Rev. Peter Gunn was her grandmother's first cousin. Her grandmother was Barbara Gunn born at Camster, Caithness, to Alexander Gunn and Helen Donaldson.
I have recently been sent the following information which is worthy of note as it shows Aeneas Gunn's real appreciation of the Gunn Edinburgh family trees. In Australian cultural terms it is worth remembering the importance of Aeneas Gunn's wife. She was Mrs Jeannie Gunn, author of We of the Never Never and other texts. -
In relation to the Aeneas Gunn trees, you might be interested in the following letter from Aeneas James Gunn to his brother Peter Robert Gunn, both sons of the Rev. Peter Gunn. The letter explains how Aeneas Gunn's manuscripts came to Victoria. While undated the letter was probably written between the late 1890's and the end of 1901, when Aeneas was working at the Prahran Free Library and before he married.
Letter [Melbourne] [nd.]
My dear Bob,
Enclosed I hand you a letter of Mrs.
Alexander's for perusal at home. There
is not much in it but a great good
heartedness and human kindness which
doubtless in their own way and then at
much. But Mrs. Alexander's goodness takes
practical shape. She has sent out a
M.SS. volume by Uncle Aeneas
containing the History of the Clan Gunn
done by himself and several valuable
MSS papers, genealogical trees of the Gunns
etc. A mass of M.SS. that I consider
beyond rubies and pearls and
diamonds in value. I have not yet
had time to go into it closely. Its only
come to hand but I'm promising myself
a treat. I intend reading it carefully and
if possible bringing it down to date and
getting it published. I am beside
myself with gratitude and pleasure
at the receipt of such a gift and am
afraid I must confess I wept tears of
joy over its receipt. Perhaps the
excessive weakness I am suffering from
may have something to do with that.
My feelings are easily overwrought
just now. Goodbye for the present.
If I come over on Sunday I will bring
my treasure over with me.
I am your affectionate brother
Aeneas.
This letter is held in the manuscripts collection of the National Library of Australia in Canberra.
I came across it while following up on my grandmother's assertion that the Rev. Peter Gunn was her grandmother's first cousin. Her grandmother was Barbara Gunn born at Camster, Caithness, to Alexander Gunn and Helen Donaldson.