| Ref No | DM1306/11/1/5/folio 169-171 |
| Title | Letter from Henry T. Hope to Isambard Kingdom Brunel |
| Description | Written from Deepdene. The letter explains that Brunel's previous did not reach Hope until that morning and explains how Brunel can get hold of Hope if needed. The letter explains how far Hope is going to avoid giving any sort of impression that he has lost faith in the executive of the company but also explains that he would not legitimately or believably be able to to tell anyone that he truly believes the ship will be ready for launching on the 16 October 1857. The letter acknowledges how vexatious gossip and public interest is but wonders how it can be avoided. The letter comments on the responsibility of the company directors and admits Hope's willingness to take his share of the responsibility for the engagement of the Engineer as part of the board but his unwillingness to take individual responsibility and reiterates Hope's intention to resign his post as Chairman of the Board of Directors after the ship's launch. |
| Date | 27 September 1857 |
| Format | Manuscript volume |
| Extent | 3 pages |
| Access Conditions | This material is held at the Brunel Institute - please contact the Brunel Institute to arrange access. |