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Darwin Correspondence Project

To John Lubbock   12 [June 1856]1

Down.—

12th

Dear Lubbock

Many thanks for your note just received.— Pray do not get an insect-catcher made, for I do not know whether it would answer, & I cd. get it made, if I wanted it.—2 I had one, & my foolish Boys lost it.— But I write now chiefly to say, to prevent you having a journey for nothing, that I shall be out all Saturday, & in next week from Wednesday to Saturday inclusive.3 After (or before) that time I hope to be at home every day.—

I am very glad that you are well again.— Have you heard that we have Small Pox in the village. We have had a cruel death in the little Boy, after only 18 hours illness, of our servant Parslow.—4

Your’s most truly | C. Darwin

Footnotes

Dated by the reference to CD’s intended trips to London (see n. 3, below).
CD went to London and back on 12 June 1856 and again from 18 to 21 June (Emma Darwin’s diary).
Joseph Parslow was the Darwins’ butler.

Summary

Smallpox in the village. Death of Joseph Parslow’s son.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-1900
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
John Lubbock, 4th baronet and 1st Baron Avebury
Sent from
Down
Source of text
DAR 263: 3 (EH 88206450)
Physical description
ALS 3pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 1900,” accessed on 18 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-1900.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 6

letter