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Darwin Correspondence Project

From John Murray   18 February [1871]1

50, Albemarle St. | W.

Feby 18

Dear Mr Darwin

I have the pleasure to announce to you that I have this morng received from the Binder & have despatched as directed to you, at Orpington Stat: I hope they will reach you quickly.2

I take this opportunity to mention that the name of my Cousin & Partner Mr Cooke whom you know—will be suspended as Candidate for the Athenæum next week—to be ballotted for on Monday 27th.3 It wd be a great favor if you wd give him the support of your name & influence, in case circumstances shd bring you up to town during the week.

I am aware however that is a rare occurrence

I am my dear Sir | yours very faithfully | John Murray

PS. Miss Cobbe by your express injunction has received an early copy of your book.4 I beg of you on no account to permit any notice of the Book by her to appear until after next week. It wd create great jealousy among the other papers if they knew such preference had been shown—

Chas Darwin Esqr

Footnotes

The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter to R. F. Cooke, 14 February [1871].
Murray refers to some of CD’s presentation copies of Descent; see letter to R. F. Cooke, 14 February [1871], and Appendix IV.
CD was a member of the Athenaeum Club. Robert Francis Cooke was elected a member in 1871 (Waugh [1888]).

Bibliography

Descent: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1871.

Waugh, Francis Gledstanes. [1888.] Members of the Athenæum Club, 1824 to 1887. N.p.: privately printed.

Summary

Bound copies [of Descent] have been dispatched to CD.

Robert Cooke, JM’s cousin and partner, has been nominated for Athenaeum; asks CD’s support.

Begs CD not to permit any notice by F. P. Cobbe to appear until after next week.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-7486
From
John Murray
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from
London, Albemarle St, 50
Source of text
DAR 171: 387
Physical description
ALS 3pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 7486,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-7486.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 19

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