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Robert Suggate journal and commonplace book, 1874-1878.

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  • UPenn Ms. Coll. 831
    • This leather-bound, paginated memoir and commonplace book, which the author calls "My rough log very roughly kept," was written by Robert Suggate between 1874 and 1878. It is reconstructed from his memory and from a deteriorated journal that he kept on his voyage to China from 1830 to 1831. The volume includes copied poems; articles tipped in or fully pasted in; descriptive passages of islands and cities from Suggate's trip to Asia and of towns in England; and a detailed table of contents. Suggate describes his childhood, his fascination with the sea and fishing, and how his father brought him to Yarmouth, England where Suggate embarked on his first voyage on a small ship delivering flour to London. In 1830 Suggate boards an East India Company merchant ship named the William Lowther sailing for China to acquire a cargo of tea. Suggate records his experiences with the crew and describes the ocean, including such inhabitants as flying fish and jellyfish. He records an induction ritual, called the Neptune ceremony, for first-time sailors crossing the equatorial line. Suggate gives detailed descriptions of his encounters with the Chinese and discusses his excursion into the city of Canton, which was banned to foreigners. He also observes clothing and cultural symbols, in addition to witnessing a trade dispute between England and China as well as opium smuggling. Descriptive passages of islands and of cities and towns from his voyage follow the memoir, including a list of shells Suggate purchased on the trip. Continuing with his memoir, he explains that he gave up the life of a sailor in 1834 because he could not advance above ordinary seaman due to lack of navigational knowledge. Later in the volume are descriptions of towns and villages in England and recollections of events with his son Reginald. On pages 130-137 is the genealogical history of the Suggate family in another hand, possibly written by Reginald's stepson Herbert Frank Milne. In addition to the journal there is some correspondence from siblings of Robert Suggate, correspondence to and from Herbert Frank Milne, and memorabilia relating to the Suggate family.

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    ==To The Editor, Musical Opinion.==

    Sir,

    I am not a "wireless fan" so perhaps dont understand as well as I should. However, as a child I was told "that when in doubt, always ask." So now can someone please tell me why practially all the broadcast organ music (cinema particularly ) is accompanied by an ever present and nerve shattering "wobble." In other words Temolo with a very large T. ? The Sopranos do it, either because they have been badly trained or not trained at all. The Violinists and Cello' players do it becasuse its a bad habit they can't help, but surely its a very simple matter to just push in one little draw-stop, - if only for a minute or two to give the poor works a rest - so that everything (whether it be the "War March of the Priests" or full organ or "Sally broke the Jampot" on a simple stop ) is not diluted with temulant every and all the time.

    [underlined] Second question. [end underline] Why is it that every large cinema organ ( which we are continually reminded is Messrs. [Misters] So-and-So's masterpiece and cost ₤.10,501) has apparently only two soostops [stops], one of which sounds like a penny tin whistle, and the other a horrible cloying flute, also served up with thick hot tremulant poured all over it? Is it impossible to play the modern substitute for melody or any other kind of stop or is it thought that the mind of the average cinema audience is so undermined with "slush" that it can no longer appreciate beautiful sounds? And this is where the Organ Builders ought ( in my humble opinion ) to be [severelyy?] set on. Could'nt they have found any better quality of tone for their one and only solo tone? For [dash-it-all?[, it does'nt matter whether its an organ in the Regal Cinema at Timbuctoo or Tottemham the predominating solo stop is very plainly labelled " 8 ft. [foot] [hooting?] flute." I thought the [Tibia?] this, that and the other, died their timely death years go, why was it necessary to resurrect such a horribly decomposed corpse adn push it under [thenoseofdevil's?] nose whether he likes it or not?

    [underlined] Third question. [end underline] Do the builders of large cinema organs ever listen to these stops, and if so, are they ever tempted to go round on the quiet and chop them up for firewood to melt down the other before mentioned tin whistle?

    Finally in case some professional organists ( other than cinema ) think of patting themselves on the back too soon may I ask why, when tired of syncopated tremulant, we switch over to Queens or some other Hall, hoping to hear something worth listening to, we are given a very fine 40 minutes exhibition of how well the organist can do five-fiver exercises or the kind of key twiddling every organ finisher does when he is trying for bad notes. When will some of our Broadcasting organists realise [realize] that there really [underlined] are [end underline] a few compositions other than "Sonata by Max [Gorkytoff?]" or some- other [someother] unholy vender of fireworks.

    Yours truly,

    [[H. E. Milne.]]

    South Norwood. S.E. 25.

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    p. 243

    Sir,

    I am not a "wireless fan" so perhaps dont undertand properly. However, as a child I was always told "that when in doubt to ask"

    Last edit almost 5 years ago by lindsey.s.schwartz
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    p. 244

    ==25 [Norhvrst?] Avenue, [[South Norwood]], S.E. 25.==

    26th. February, 1948.

    Dear Sir,

    I am very much obliged for your letter of yesterday's date and am sorry you have been troubled about the identity of Mrs. Suggate's grave in Yarmouth Cemetery.

    The mistake is quite obviously due to the fact that so many of the women relatives in the Suggate family have the name "Sarah." The grave I was interested in and was looking for a month or so ago was that of Mrs. [[Sarah Suggate]] who was the wife of Mr. [[Alfred Albert Suggate]], Professor of Music; a Member of the [Leipzig?] Conservatoir of Music; of [[Lowesoft]].

    You, however, must be a relative of the same family, my records of which are as follows : -

    [underlined] [[Robert Suggate]] [end underline] eldest of three sons viz. Robt. William & Grorge. of [[Sotherton]] nr. [[Halesworth]], [[Suffolk]], had two sons: -

    [underlined] [[Henry Ezra Suggate]]. [end underline] born 1780. D. 19th. Aug. 1858. Aged 78. Surgeon [?].N. "H.M.S. Asia."

    and: -

    [underlined] [[William Suggate]]. [end underline] b. 1783. d. 8th. Jan. 1831. a. 88. Farmer of [Carlton?] Colville [Culton?] [[Suffolk]]. Wife [[Hannah]] both buried at [[Homerton, London]]. Grave No. 10.

    William and Hannah had apparently eight children viz. - [[Robert]] (eldest) [[William]]; [[Alfred Albert]]; [[Henry]]. [[Charlotte]]; [[Emily]]; [[Sarah]] and [[Hannah]].

    Robert went to sea, first in the coasting trade and afterwards to China in the East Indian "Lord Lowther." Subsequently married [[Hannah]] ([[Bullock]] of [Yonton?] [[Suffolk]] ) had one son [underlined] [[Reginald]] [end underline]. Died and is buried at [[Thornton Heath]], [[Surrey]]. The son Reginald married my mother, a widow, when I was about four years of age. He died in 1927 and is buried in [[Ludham Churchyard]], nr. [[Wroxham]], [[Norfolk]].

    Of the remaining seven children [underlined] [[William]] [end underline] went for a time or voyage to [[Australia]]. [underlined] [[Alfred]] [end underline] married [[Sarah]] ( [[Chinery]], of [[Beccles]]? ) [underlined] [[Henry]] [end underline] became a chemist in [[London]]; wife [[Ann]] or [[Hannah]] and lived at [[Hemerton]], N. [[London]].

    [underlined] [[Charlotte]] [end underline] married Robt. [[Holstead]]. (2nd. husband Mr. [[Rodman]] ) [underlined] [[Emily]] [end underline] .. [[William Wicks]] of [[Coventry]]. [underlined] [[Sarah]] [end underline] .. Mr. [[Thomas Henry Parker]]? [underlined] [[Hannah]] [end underline] .. Mr. C. [[Chisholm]]

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    1937

    20 . 3 . 1887

    [underscore]

    50

    [underscore]

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    Displaying pages 241 - 245 of 281 in total

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