S&SWM PR papers L1187

L1187

Ansd Mar. 5/95 | Specimens sent | Peacock

1 Woodsome Terrace | York Rise | London N.W. | 3rd. Mch/95

General Pitt Rivers

Dear Sir,

Having observed your advertisement in the "Engineer" of Mch 1st I beg to state that I shall be glad to submit for your inspection some specimens of my work.

I am a good artist & a skilful designer & draftsman and can prepare drawings in mono-tone, line, or colour as reqd. and have had considerable practice in all these mediums in preparing drawings for book illustration and for the weekly illustrated newspapers, including the Graphic, and Black & White.

I may also state that I have had the honour when a non-com officer in the Corps of Royal Engineers to prepare drawings for reproduction for Officers, and that I for some time acted as assistant instructor of drawing at the School of Military Engineering at Chatham.

I shall be pleased to give you any references you may require and if favoured with an interview I shall esteem it as a great honour

I am
Dear Sir
yrs most respectfully
Alex Peacock

Enclosure

Sir

In reference to previous correspondence I shall be glad to have an interview with you at No 4, Grosvenor Gardens on Monday next the 11th at 7 to 8 p.m. or Tuesday at 10.30 a.m.

A.P.R.

Mr A. Peacock

Can have character [illegible] to [illegible] for W.G. Jack. [illegible] cottage [illegible] Reigate. Mr Crawford Wardle [illegible] North [illegible] Reigate. Has been a sapper in Royal Engineers & was corporal [this is presumably Pitt-Rivers' illegible notes on Peacock]

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L1197

Rushmore | Salisbury | Mar. 14/95

Sir,

Your drawings appear to be satisfactory and your having been in the Royal Engineers is an additional point in your favour. So that if your testimonials are satisfactory, I shall be disposed to engage you.

Please to send to me any testimonials you may be able to get, as to conduct etc, and if you have your discharge from the Royal Engineers I had better see it.

You will understand that as you will have to live in the house, and have your meals in the Housekeeper's Room, the necessity for testimonials, is of greater importance than if you were merely to be engaged on the job.

yours &c
A. Pitt Rivers

Mr A Peacock

Note testimonials are L1195 and 1196. L1200 is a letter from Peacock enclosing the two testimonials and saying he would have to find the discharge note which he had not used since his discharge.

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L1204

Rushmore | Salisbury | Mar. 18/95

Sir,

Your testimonials being satisfactory and your character or discharge from the Army "Very Good", I shall be happy to engage you as one of my assistants, and shall be glad if you will come here as soon as possible as my work is somewhat in arrear. Your work for the present will probably be indoors, but excavations will be going on shortly. When you are away on excavation duty, you receive 2/- a day in lieu of board and lodgings and find yourself, but in all probability the others will go out at first and you will remain here.

There will be a month's notice on either side on the completion of the engagement, but I see no prospect of the work terminating for some time. There must also be this additional provision that if you give me notice to quit, you will remain to finish the particular plate or drawing that you may be about at the time, otherwise the plate would be lost. I think that no plate usually occupies more than a week's time.

For the present you will have a bed-room to yourself, but when the house is full, or if I obtain another extra clerk you may have to be in the same room as one of the other clerks. We have not had to do this for some little time, but there is a prospect of it.

A. Pitt Rivers

I return your discharge Documents.

L1208 is a letter from Peacock dated 19.3.1895 suggesting he started work at Rushmore on Monday 25 March 1895.

Transcribed for Rethinking Pitt-Rivers project by AP June 2011