November 1914, William to Gwendoline Bragg

In Autumn 1914 William Henry Bragg was invited to give a lecture tour of North America, speaking at several universities about his crystallography research. While he appreciated the opportunity to visit and enjoyed the hospitality he encountered it’s clear that his thoughts are with his family at home, he’s particularly worried for Robert who is training with a cavalry regiment and liable to be sent to the front at any time.

Boston, Nov 22 1914

My dearest Gwennie,

Your letter and those you sent at the same time, from Lorna and Maude And others — came to Providence last night. Thank you for answering them all for me.

How very jolly for you to have the boys at Cambridge: I know so well how you felt about them. If Bob is liable to 24 hrs notice I should like to come home as soon as ever I can. I have been asked to go to a great number of places: in fact I could easily spend a couple of months going round. But I think I will have done my duty if I visit two or three of the principal places: I have accepted an invitation to go to Chigago because they ask me to address the Physical Society. As Chicago is some way to the West, that will give me a chance of meeting a number of men from the Western Universities, so that I can kill several birds with one stone, so to speak. They have issued notices saying that I am to speak to them: and I believe some are going specially to hear about the x-rays and crystals, so that I think I must keep that engagement. I can take Toronto and Cornell on the way back and be in New York again on the 5th. I might be able to catch the boat on the 5th if not there is one on the 9th, going to Liverpool.

I have a very jolly and dear letter from Bob. I am so glad he got the boots and breeches: of course he was right to get them, the expense was nothing. By the way I hope you have plenty of money: Liverpool paid in £40, I have notice to that effect. And Charlie would advance you money, you need not hesitate to spend when necessary because I have now got my money for Browne, and I expect I shall bring home quite £250. You see my expenses are small because I am put up everywhere: nobody lets me spend anything. Railway fares and tips are about my whole expenditure.

I see the situation in France is easier, according to the papers here: and the great fighting is with Russia. Perhaps this may mean that Bob is not going just yet: but you know I have an idea they are going to Egypt because of the swords: I understand there is no opportunity now in France for cavalry to use swords. Would you just send me a cable if Bob is called on? Bragg, Browne University, Providence would get me. If they go at night or weekends you can send quite a lot for 5d?, at any rate from this end. I could if need be back out of some of the engagements and try for an earlier boat; I ought to do Chicago if possible, and it would be well to go to Toronto & Cornell: I could cut out Baltimore & Washington.

Public Opinion which you sent is very interesting: and McLaurin is sending the article on ‘How the Belgians came to our village’ to the Boston papers: it is just the thing to catch on here and will draw a lot of change. People are giving a good deal to Belgian relief and such an article is a help. The letters from Lorna and Maude are heavy reading: but what is there to say? They write such dear things, anyway.

If you have any good objects on which to spend, do not hesitate. I should like to do something with the money I have made here: and if you spend, I can make it good.

My dearest woman, please be sure to write if Bob goes and I will hurry home. If I get no wire I shall try to do the few extra places because they are all so keen and I think I am doing something useful. Some of the young Harvard men, assistant professors and such like have been making the journey up to Providence to hear all the lectures as well as I have given in Boston itself.

I wrote you last on Thursday, after returning from Yale. The last lecture was at Brown the same evening: there was a ceremony first & they gave me an honorary degree. Then I had to stand up in my red gown and the Brown hood and give the last lecture. Some of the old johnnies who are on the Council had turned up in their robes of office and they had to sit in front and look bewildered. However it went off all right. The lectures have on the whole been quite successful: they all seem very pleased. It was rather a risky proceeding to start these special courses with a scientific subject. Friday I spent in making arrangements: in seeing Prof Barus’s experiments which the old chap has been very keen to show me, and in the evening I gave a special supplementary and more mathematical lecture to the Scientific Society. Saturday I inspected a Woman’s College, a library and other things, and packed up. In the evening I took the Barus’s in to town and gave them the best treat there was, which indeed was no more than a good picture show: what are called ‘movies’ here. Also I paid final calls, banked my cheque and so on. This morning I left Providence early for here. I have to address the American Academy of Sciences tomorrow, on Tuesday I must got to Schenectady to see the new x-ray bulls there: I get to Chicago by Friday. I expect to be at Toronto on Monday Nov 30 at Ithaca (Cornell University) I am lecturing on Wed Dec. 2 & at Columbia on Thursday or Friday after. I might then catch a boat on the 5th, or if I go to Baltimore on the 9th. I am keeping the Barus’s posted as to my movements so as to get any letters or wires.

My dearest love to you: and to Gwendy. I just try to go on steadily: we’ll be together again soon,

Will

Photos courtesy of the Royal Institution of Great Britain. RI MS WLB/95f/2

Notes and General Information

At this point in the war America was officially neutral, aiming to end the war by diplomacy. There were supporters for both sides of the conflict but as the war went on incidents such as the sinking of the Lusitania, began to sway public opinion away from Germany. However, even in 1917 there was little support for direct involvement.

The article ‘How the Belgians came to our village’ is probably referencing the influx of almost 250 000 Belgian refugees who began to arrive in October 1914. They were spread throughout the UK in temporary villages, keeping their own goverment structure and even their own currency.

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