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Darwin Correspondence Project

To W. E. Darwin   12 December [1878]1

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

Dec. 12th.

My dear William

I have a curious bit of news to tell you.— A few days ago a Mr Anthony Rich of Heene, Worthing, wrote to me that he with his sister were the last of his Family, & that he had always thought under such circumstances “those shd be remembered, whose abilities &c &c had been devoted &c &c for the benefit of mankind”; with more to the same effect & to my great honour.— Therefore he had bequeathed to me nearly all his property after his & his sister’s death.2 I heard from him again today with particulars. The property is not of a very inviting kind, viz a share of Houses in Cornhill, which brings in annually rather above 1,100£.—3 This will increase each of my sons share at our deaths by nearly 200£ per annum, for I shall of course likewise increase by (I think 3000£) the share to the daughters. This bequest, as you may believe, has astonished & pleased me greatly; though in a money sense it will make no difference whatever to me or your mother. Mr Rich is 74 years old & his sister a year younger.— I never before heard of a bequest to a man for what he has been able to do in Science

my dear old William | Your affectionate Father | Ch. Darwin

My best love to Sara4

P.S. I have had a copy of Mr Rich’s letter made which is gone to Erasmus & George,5 but shall be sent you.—

Footnotes

The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from Anthony Rich, 7 December 1878.
See letter from Anthony Rich, 10 December 1878. In the most recent codicil to his will, CD had increased the share for each of his children to £14,000 (see letter from W. M. Hacon, 19 March 1878). Cornhill is a street in the City of London.
Sara Darwin was William’s wife.

Summary

Writes of Anthony Rich’s bequest.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-11786
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
William Erasmus Darwin
Sent from
Down
Source of text
DAR 210.6: 151
Physical description
ALS 4pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 11786,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-11786.xml

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