Weir’s mother, Elizabeth Weir, died on 2 June 1876 (England & Wales, national probate calendar (index of wills and administrations), 1858–1966, 1973–95 (Ancestry.com, accessed 18 December 2019)). The date is conjectured on the basis that the quotation from CD’s letter suggests she is still alive, although either Weir or the journalist may have slightly misquoted it.

Weir’s brother was John Jenner Weir. The context of this quotation is an interview with Harrison Weir in which he discussed his correspondence with famous men. According to the article, Weir had a packet of letters from CD, which he valued ‘more than his silver and gold’. Weir thought that this extract was the highest praise he ever had. No letters from CD to Harrison Weir have been found.