(49) Letter from Walter Lannoy Brind
Walter Lannoy Brind Manufacturing Aquarist and Author of Ichthyological Literature 42 Van Corlear Place New York June 23rd 1938 To Charles A Brind Esq, Jr Room 156, State Capitol, Albany, New York N.B. You do resemble my great-grandfather herein referred to -- as I can show you in a photo from a miniature and an enlarged colored portrait here in my home. WLB. Dear Mr Brind: Please note the name at the top of this letterhead! Hence this communication from the under signed, "yours truly". Before me lies a copy of Vol.7, No.5, of 'THE STATE EMPLOYEE" for June 1938. Somehow it found its way into my wife's hands, as she is in the circulation department and subscription department of "TIME INC.", "LIFE" & "FORTUNE" ad her associate, Miss Lund, discovered and so handed it to Mrs Brind for transmission to myself. How are we related and if so, HOW? I myself am an American Citizen- by naturalization in 1904 and I came here from England in 1899. I was born in India of British parents, my father having been 20 years in the Indian Civil Service as a Civil Engineer in the N.W.Provices. He- Alfred Walter Brind- was the second son of General Sir James Brind, G.C.B., R.A. All my father's family- or nearly all- were Army officers. There were 34 Brinds in the World War and I was rejected as being too old at that time, though I would have been in the "last draft" when the Armistice came. I will be 65 on September first this year, D.V. I have an uncle- my father's youngest brother- Fred Brind, living in Salt Lake City, but he is around 90 and now beyond letter-writing. He has a wife and a few children, grown up- I don't know offhand how many but I think two. Then a son of my late uncle Michael Brind- my father's next older brother to Fred- lives in Toronto or Ottawa , Canada, and his name is Charles. He is a Govt. Veterinarian in the Canadian Army Service and I have had a little correspondence with him-- tho' not for some years now. Then there is- or was- a "Dr Brind" (M.D.)- a wealthy man, who lives or lived in Denver, Colo. Uncle Fred "discovered" him but did not succeed in discovering relationship. Then I discovered a "Harold Brind" several years ago in Atlanta, Ga, but never met him. If I got down to Atlanta anytime, I would look him up. (over) I have no children and have been married since 1904, in Chicago. Thank God, I have a wonderful little wife, of Swiss origin, from Monroe, Green County, Wisconsin, where there are many Swiss, engaged mostly in cheese manufacturing and in agricultural pursuits of sorts. My wife has been employed in the office of the old 'LIFE", "TIME" & 'FORTUNE" where she is much appreciated- as everywhere else and by everybody. I was originally nominated for the British Diplomatic Service but I was never called up for examination between the age limits of 19 and 26- (owing to too many nominees) so, I took a position with the London Assurance Corporation in London for rather over a year in the Royal Exchange, London and seeing no future, I came over here to see the country and study its opportunities and made Chicago my home where I soon found employment though, owing to my diplomatic education, I never yet had any "job" for which I had any special training or aptitude. So I have been variously employed- extensively in the Motion Picture Industry, from which last I have been more or less active since 1909 and then I was sent to Europe as General European Representative for Carl Laemmle- before the formation of the old Universal Pictures Corporation (then called the Independent Motion Pictures Company of America) and I made my headquarters in Berlin, while taking frequent trips to England where I last saw my dear parents in 1910. Both of them are dead now and I have five unmarried sisters, all resident in England and no brothers.
	General Sir John Edward Spencer Brind KCB, CMG, DSO, 1878-1954.
I am engaged in trying to make my hobby of Ichthyology pay! See my card and letterhead. I write regularly each month for "ALL PETS" Magazine of Chicago and am the author of "The Encyclopaedia of Tropical Fish"; which comes out in monthly instalments therein. I may my office in my home- very delightful on the top of "Marble Hill' at the top of Manhattan Island.
Brind Docs 45 and 49. Thank you for adding the footnotes. I would still be most grateful if you would kindly remove them. I have not put them in my notes as I have tried to be 100% accurate using the latest info. (I did not notice any letters from your family on the CD). Alfred W, his son Walter L and some of Hugh's work cast doubt on our work if we repeat their mistakes, i.e. if future generations find some things very wrong on your cd they will be suspicious of all our work. David Brind, Salisbury, July 2004. Note from David Brind, October 20, 2001:"If you mention The Abbess of Shaftsebury then you must state that it is a historical novel." David was anxious to put on record that there are a number of serious errors in the above letter which has been substantially edited.