Bunsen family, diplomats and politician

1-17: Correspondence from Christian Karl Josias Bunsen, often signed Chevalier (Baron) Bunsen. Recipients include William Hamilton, Foreign Secretary to the Royal Society of Literature, Dr. Cuntiz, Dr. Sievking, Charles Kingsley (mentioning "Hypatia"), K.R.H. Mackenzie, William Constable and Sir James Lacaita et al.

18-22: Various letters and invitations to Mr. Panizzi, Mr. Crowe and Mr. Rowan, an envelope with red seal to Earl William Cowper M.P. and a visiting card of "Le Chevalier Bunsen" for Mr. Beck for 4 Carlton House Terrace.

23-24: 2 undated notes from Baron Bunsen to persons unknown.

25: Letter to Sir James Philip Lacaita (1813 - 1895), Anglo-Italian Politician and writer dated 9th March 1867, Florence signed Charles Bunsen.

26-27: 2 letters from Georg von Bunsen - 1 to Mr. Constable dated November 1st 1861 regarding a photograph which was orginally enclosed with the letter, the second to Mr. Austin dated 23rd September 1872 on headed notepaper from Berlin; both generally written in a personable tone.

1839-1867

1 file (27 items)

Purchased from Stevens, London, September 1930 (acc.56566); Sotheby's, London, April 1934 (acc.66602); Sotheby's, London, November 1933 (acc.67468); Stevens, London, March 1931 (acc.68132); Sotheby's, London, July 1931 (acc.57468); Stevens, London, March 1931 (acc.68132); Stevens, London, October 1932 (acc.68316); Sotheby's, London, July 1931 (acc.57468); Stevens, London, October 1932 (acc.68316); Glendining, London, January 1935 (acc.67974); Stevens, London, October 1932 (acc.68316); Glendining, London, August 1935 (possibly an error for 1934) (acc.67871); Glendining, London, May 1935 (acc.68608); Glendining, London, December 1931 (acc.67597); Stevens, London, March 1931 (acc.68132); Sotheby's, London, April 1933 (acc.67461); Glendining, London, September 1932 (acc.67720); Sotheby's, London, December 1931 (acc.75871); Stevens, London, August 1931 (acc.68215); Sotheby's, London, July 1932 (acc.65271).

Baron Christian Karl Josias Bunsen, Prussian diplomat, ambassador and scholar, was born on 25 August 1791 in Korbach, son of Heinrich Christian Bunsen (1743–1820). Bunsen read theology and philology first in Marburg (in 1808) and later in Göttingen (from 1809) culminating in a prize essay, the Athenian Law of Inheritance, for which the University of Jena granted him an honorary doctorate in 1812. He became secretary to Barthold Georg Niebuhr (1776-1831) before moving to London around 1839. In 1857 he gained the title of Baron.

He had ten children to wife Frances (nee Waddington), including Karl (Charles) and Georg. Karl had a career in the German diplomatic service; and Georg, who for some time was an active politician in Germany, eventually retired to live in London.

More information on Baron Bunsen can be found via the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

At Wellcome Collection: A letter from "Bunsen" to Stratford Canning, 1786-1880, 1st Viscount Stratford De Redcliffe MS.5486/11; the German Hospital, London MS.8514.