Record Number: 33390
Reading Experience:
Evidence:
'I am just now (when at home) reading 'Cosmos', a sketch of a physical description of the universe. Parts of it are very interesting, but others of too deeply scientific character for my limited capacity to comprehend; still I hope to gather a good deal of curious and useful information from it...'
Century:1800-1849
Date:2 May 1847
Country:England
Timen/a
Place:city: Leicester
county: Leicestershire
specific address: Beaumont Leys
(Reader):
silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
(Listener):
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
Reader / Listener / Reading Group:
Reader: Age:Adult (18-100+)
Gender:Female
Date of Birth:3 Dec 1825
Socio-Economic Group:Professional / academic / merchant / farmer
Occupation:Amateur geologist
Religion:Quaker
Country of Origin:England
Country of Experience:England
Listeners present if any:e.g family, servants, friends
n/a
Additional Comments:
n/a
Text Being Read:
Author: Title:Cosmos: A Sketch of the Physical Description of the Universe
Genre:Science, Natural history
Form of Text:Print: Book
Publication Detailsn/a
Provenanceunknown
Source Information:
Record ID:33390
Source:Eliza Ellis
Editor:Margaret Ellis
Title:Letters and Memorials of Eliza Ellis: Compiled by Her Sister, Margaret Ellis
Place of Publication:Leicester
Date of Publication:1883
Vol:n/a
Page:34
Additional Comments:
Privately printed by Samuel Clarke, 5 Gallowtree Gate, Leicester, and 'for private circulation only'.
Citation:
Eliza Ellis, Margaret Ellis (ed.), Letters and Memorials of Eliza Ellis: Compiled by Her Sister, Margaret Ellis, (Leicester, 1883), p. 34, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=33390, accessed: 06 February 2026
Additional Comments:
Letter from Eliza Ellis to Hannah Lucas. The edition/translation details are unknown, although it is likely that Ellis was reading only Volume 1, as only this was available in English or French translation in May 1847.
