skip to content

Darwin Correspondence Project

From W. Z. Seddon   2 February 1880

21 Portugal St | Bolton

February 2nd 1880

C. Darwin Esq. F.R.S. D.C.L. &c.

Sir

My schoolmaster the other day in Conversation Lesson (That is a lesson every Wednesday from 11–15 am to 12 when we ask him anything we like) Had this question asked. “What causes the different shades of colour in the inhabitants of the earth”. He could not exactly tell the answer but he thought the different kinds of climate might cause it: I am just turned 12 years of age and attend the British School. Mawdsley St. Bolton.1 If I am not troubling you too much, may I ask if you could kindly tell me where I shall find an answer to this question. If in a few words you could give me any idea of the reasons, I should be greatly obliged

I am Sir | your obedient Servant | William Zaccheus Seddon

Footnotes

British schools were non-denominational elementary schools of a type founded by the British and Foreign School Society (formed in 1814) and run according to the educationalist Joseph Lancaster’s system of using older pupils to help teach younger children (OED).

Summary

WZS, 12-year-old pupil, asks where he can find answer to question of what causes different shades of colour in inhabitants of earth.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-12452
From
William Zaccheus Seddon
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from
Bolton
Source of text
DAR 177: 126
Physical description
ALS 1p

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 12452,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-12452.xml

letter