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Darwin Correspondence Project

To G. W. Norman   15 September [1876]1

Down, | Beckenham, Kent. | Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.

Sept. 15th

My dear Mr. Norman

Your very kind note has pleased me much & it was very good of you to write.2 It has been a terrible blow to us. She was most sweet & gentle, & they loved each other with the deepest love. What will become of my poor son I cannot conceive. He has gone into N. Wales where she was buried yesterday in a little churchyard amongst the mountains.3 It is a terrible affair.

Pray give our very kind remembrances to Mrs. Norman4 & believe me | Yours very sincerely | Charles Darwin

Footnotes

The year is established by the reference to Amy Darwin’s death (see n. 2, below).
Norman’s letter has not been found, but was evidently a letter of condolence on the death of Francis Darwin’s wife, Amy, who died 11 September 1876 (see letter to W. E. Darwin, 11 September [1876]).
Amy was buried at Holy Trinity church, Corris, near Machynlleth, about five miles from her family’s home, Pantlludw.

Summary

Thanks GWN for condolences on death of Amy, his daughter-in-law.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-10599
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
George Warde Norman
Sent from
Down
Source of text
American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.497)
Physical description
ALS 2pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 10599,” accessed on 29 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-10599.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 24

letter