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Dear Chris, This is all fascinating stuff, and 'grist to the mill' to researchers too. I have had two recent approaches for help on 'Kipling's sources' which might be relevant. It would also be interesting to check whether JRK owned any of these. Do you have a title (or titles, of course) for Alec's school series? AGW, John [image: Mailtrack] <https://mailtrack.io?utm_source=gmail&utm_medium=signature&utm_campaign=signaturevirality6&> Sender notified by Mailtrack <https://mailtrack.io?utm_source=gmail&utm_medium=signature&utm_campaign=signaturevirality6&> 15/09/18, 09:29:17 On Thu, Sep 13, 2018 at 5:54 PM Chris Hill < [log in to unmask]> wrote: > I found another snippet about Alec Hill, and Edmonia (Taylor) Hill's > statement that "In 1888, in addition to his other work, at the request of > Government he undertook to write a series of geographies for Indian > schools". > > This is somewhat off the main Kipling track, but it might be useful > background, if only because any chats with his landlord (cobra nests in the > garden, politics in America, education of Indians, British scientific civil > servants tramping alertly round the lower Himalayas) would be grist to the > writing mill. > > Alec wrote "a very good series...three little volumes, the first two of > which have reached a third edition. The third volume, which is new, treats > chiefly of mathematical and physical geography" (Nature, November 1890 - > this is just after news of Alec's death circulated, so he is already "the > late Prof. S. A. Hill"). > > Has anyone seen copies of these books from the Indian Press of Allahabad? > The three appeared together in an 1890s revision by G. N. Chakravarti. > However, the University of Allahabad minutes for 1898-99 give a solo > mention to a revision by Pedler (the cobra-poison expert) of this third > volume. > > Alec's other colleagues also helped after his death: George Thibaut (from > 1888 to 1895 a professor in Allahabad) dealt with the sale of goods from > Alec's villa, and Henry Blanford wrote an official obituary. > > I visited Alec's home farm in County Antrim last month: well-behaved cows, > and a pleasant view over the countryside towards Belfast. The sites of the > Ballyboley National Schools (Upper and Lower), and the disused railway > junction, are within walking distance. > > Edmonia and her sister (already in London in December 1890) returned > promptly to the USA. I would still like to know more of any visit that > Edmonia made to Alec's relatives, before or after that. Another point of > family interest is that Robert Emmet Hill - the same cousin whom Alec > visited in South Carolina in 1883, and with whom he corresponded about > Indian and American life and culture - was in Ireland in 1859. Alec was > then aged about 9. They must have met, as Robert was being hosted by Alec's > father John Hill, uncle David Hill and other local friends and relatives. > > That choice "Robert Emmet", the name of a prominent United Ireland > activist, is a clear sign of the views held by Robert's father (Alec's > uncle) William Hill of Abbeville; these too might have been discussed with > Kipling. > > best wishes > > Chris > > ######################################################################## > > To unsubscribe from the RUDYARD-KIPLING list, click the following link: > https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?SUBED1=RUDYARD-KIPLING&A=1 > ######################################################################## To unsubscribe from the RUDYARD-KIPLING list, click the following link: https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?SUBED1=RUDYARD-KIPLING&A=1