To J. S. Henslow 25 July 1845
Down Bromley Kent.
Friday. 25 July 1845.1
My dear Henslow.
Very many thanks for your ten notes, and enclosures: I had seen the Paragraph otherwise I should have been much interested in the death of (as he styled himself) “Comte Thierry, King of Nukahiva and Sovereign Chief of New Zealand”2 I wonder what has become of his wretched wife. I sincerely hope that your allotments will succeed;3 all that I have read in favour of them sounds most encouraging, and I have never been convinced by what has been written against them. I have bought a Farm in Lincolnshire and when I go there this Autumn, I mean to see what I can do in providing any cottage on my small estate with gardens— It is a hopeless thing to look to but I believe few things would do this Country more good in future ages4 than the destruction of primogeniture,—so as to lessen the difference in land wealth & make more small freeholders.— How atrociously unjust are the stamp laws which render it so expensive for the poor man to buy his of an acre,5 it makes one’s blood burn with indignation. Have you seen Lyells Travels?6 He says the poorer classes in Canada complain of the timber duties! so that our Cottages are badly built under pretence to benefit a few rich merchants really no doubt for our own landowners.
Thanks for the slip about the Crag— I am astonished that stones containing 50–60 per cent of Phosphate of Lime are not most valuable.7
A fortnight ago we had born a little boy, our fourth child.—8 He is to be called George; & I believe I have pleasant associations with that name from formerly playing with your Boy.—9 I hope Mrs. Henslow is better.
Farewell. | C. D.
Footnotes
Bibliography
Jenyns, Leonard. 1862. Memoir of the Rev. John Stevens Henslow, late rector of Hitcham, and professor of botany in the University of Cambridge. London: John Van Voorst.
LL: The life and letters of Charles Darwin, including an autobiographical chapter. Edited by Francis Darwin. 3 vols. London: John Murray. 1887–8.
Narrative: Narrative of the surveying voyages of His Majesty’s ships Adventure and Beagle, between the years 1826 and 1836. [Edited by Robert FitzRoy.] 3 vols. and appendix. London: Henry Colburn. 1839.
Russell-Gebbett, Jean. 1977. Henslow of Hitcham: botanist, educationalist and clergyman. Lavenham, Suffolk: Terence Dalton.
Summary
CD has bought a farm in Lincolnshire. Criticises primogeniture and stamp laws on land purchase.
Announces birth of G. H. Darwin.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-895
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- John Stevens Henslow
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- DAR 145: 59
- Physical description
- C 2pp C
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 895,” accessed on 31 August 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-895.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 3