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Darwin in letters, 1837–1843: The London years to 'natural selection'
Summary
The seven-year period following Darwin's return to England from the Beagle voyage was one of extraordinary activity and productivity in which he became recognised as a naturalist of outstanding ability, as an author and editor, and as a professional…
Matches: 17 hits
- … The seven-year period following Darwin's return to England from the Beagle voyage was one …
- … illness that cost him many months of work. Starting a family Busy as he was with …
- … close contact. In November 1838, two years after his return, Darwin became engaged to his cousin, …
- … child, William Erasmus, was born. In September 1842, the family, now increased by a daughter, Anne …
- … his greatest theoretical achievement, the most important of Darwin’s activities during the years …
- … identifications of his bird and fossil mammal specimens, Darwin arrived at the daring and momentous …
- … ideas on a wide range of topics. Then, in September 1838, T. R. Malthus’ An essay on the principle …
- … in species. With this new theoretical point of departure Darwin continued to make notes and explore …
- … Fossil Mammalia , by Richard Owen; Mammalia , by G. R. Waterhouse; Birds , by John Gould; …
- … publications. The beetles were described by F. W. Hope, G. R. Waterhouse, and C. C. Babington; the …
- … all crosses between all domestic birds & animals dogs, cats &c &c very valuable—' …
- … in some of which he enlisted Abberley, the Darwin family gardener (see 'Darwin's reading …
- … on literature in this field and on friends like Henslow, T. C. Eyton, and W. D. Fox, who were …
- … the practice of systematists. As the correspondence with G. R. Waterhouse during the 1840s shows, …
- … same, though I know what I am looking for' ( Letter to G. R. Waterhouse, [26 July 1843] ). …
- … to how one ought to act’ ( Letter from Emma Darwin, [ c. February 1839] ). These are not …
- … [20 February 1840] , ‘as usual has been my enemy—but D r . Holland tells me he thinks it is only …
Fake Darwin: myths and misconceptions
Summary
Many myths have persisted about Darwin's life and work. Here are a few of the more pervasive ones, with full debunking below...
Matches: 1 hits
- … Many myths have persisted about Darwin's life and work. Here are a few of the more pervasive …
Darwin in letters, 1879: Tracing roots
Summary
Darwin spent a considerable part of 1879 in the eighteenth century. His journey back in time started when he decided to publish a biographical account of his grandfather Erasmus Darwin to accompany a translation of an essay on Erasmus’s evolutionary ideas…
Matches: 18 hits
- … There are summaries of all Darwin's letters from the year 1879 on this website. The full texts …
- … 27 of the print edition of The correspondence of Charles Darwin , published by Cambridge …
- … to publish a biographical account of his grandfather Erasmus Darwin to accompany a translation of an …
- … the sensitivity of the tips. Despite this breakthrough, when Darwin first mentioned the book to his …
- … all over like a baked pear’ ( enclosure in letter from R. W. Dixon, 20 December 1879 ). The year …
- … nice and good as could be’ ( letter from Karl Beger, [ c. 12 February 1879] ). The masters of …
- … preface to the translation, with a few particulars about the family and Robert Waring Darwin’s …
- … of the Admiralty described the unknown young man as ‘A M r Darwin grandson of the well known …
- … on remembered stories passed down different branches of the family to ascertain the events of …
- … his relatives as well as explore the genealogy of the Darwin family. Darwin’s wish to …
- … V. H. Darwin, 28 May [1879] ). On the Galton side of the family, Elizabeth Anne Wheler, who was …
- … M rs . Schimmelpenigs untrue remarks’, sent passed-down family anecdotes and memories about …
- … him on 9 June not to ‘expend much powder & shot on M r Butler’, for he really was not worth …
- … leaving Darwin ‘more perplexed than ever about life of D r . D’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, 12 …
- … the highest point, for his “why”—“what for” &c are incessant’, Darwin joked on 2 July (first …
- … which is his profession tho’ not a profitable one; also D r C[lark]’s opinion that he was so …
- … greatly amused Darwin, who felt it was ‘very acute of M r Ruskin to know that I feel a deep & …
- … and prevent ‘Cattle diseases, Potato diseases &c’, probably did not know that Darwin had already …
Dramatisation script
Summary
Re: Design – Adaptation of the Correspondence of Charles Darwin, Asa Gray and others… by Craig Baxter – as performed 25 March 2007
Matches: 14 hits
- … Re: Design – Adaptation of the Correspondence of Charles Darwin, Asa Gray and others… by Craig …
- … as the creator of this dramatisation, and that of the Darwin Correspondence Project to be identified …
- … correspondence or published writings of Asa Gray, Charles Darwin, Joseph Dalton Hooker, Jane Loring …
- … Actor 1 – Asa Gray Actor 2 – Charles Darwin Actor 3 – In the dress of a modern day …
- … Agassiz, Adam Sedgwick, A Friend of John Stuart Mill, Emma Darwin, Horace Darwin… and acts as a sort …
- … the play unfolds and acting as a go-between between Gray and Darwin, and between the audience and …
- … this, he sends out copies of his Review of the Life of Darwin. At this time in his life, Asa …
- … November 1887] 1 Dr Gray went in to Boston for the family Thanksgiving dinner, though there …
- … friends in England, copies of his ‘Review of the Life of Darwin’… pencilling the address so that it …
- … Joseph D Hooker GRAY: 3 Charles Darwin… made his home on the border of the little …
- … 137 Some young people here, of Mrs. Gray’s family take to stamp-collecting, and will help. …
- … scientist would get more work done without the anxieties of family life. DARWIN: 138 …
- … paragraph, in which I quote and differ from you[r] 178 doctrine that each variation has been …
- … ARTS AND SCIENCES, PROCEEDINGS XVII, 1882 4 C DARWIN TO JD HOOKER 10 MAY 1848 …
Darwin's in letters, 1873: Animal or vegetable?
Summary
Having laboured for nearly five years on human evolution, sexual selection, and the expression of emotions, Darwin was able to devote 1873 almost exclusively to his beloved plants. He resumed work on the digestive powers of sundews and Venus fly traps, and…
Matches: 18 hits
- … evolution, sexual selection, and the expression of emotions, Darwin was able to devote 1873 almost …
- … (1875) and Cross and self fertilisation (1876). Darwin’s son Francis became increasingly …
- … career to become his father’s scientific secretary. Darwin had always relied on assistance from …
- … the previous year. As was typical, readers wrote to Darwin personally to offer suggestions, …
- … some of which were incorporated in a later edition. Darwin also contributed to discussions in the …
- … Francis Galton’s work on inherited talent, which prompted Darwin to reflect on the traits and …
- … Station at Naples. Plants that eat and feel? Darwin had resumed experiments on the …
- … to John Murray, 4 May [1873] ). Keeping it in the family As Darwin worked exclusively …
- … and staked out a portion of garden to watch worms: “no family should be without his worm-garden— we …
- … to poor health, supported the decision on the basis of the family’s collective infirmity: “After all …
- … of observations of infants and anecdotes of zoo animals and family pets, it was judged more …
- … informed Darwin that his newest daughter continued the family tradition. “I hope your little …
- … without instruction or previously acquired knowledge” (A. R. Wallace 1870, p. 204). Moggridge …
- … and taken on extra work to support a large extended family, fell on very hard times because of a …
- … friend that not only for his own sake, or for that of his family, but for the sake of Science, he …
- … believes whether or not they are sound” ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 17 November 1873 ). But no …
- … unorthodoxy, troubling and potentially undermining (J. R. Moore 1985, pp. 471–2). A courted …
- … a personification of Natural Filosofy” ( letter from J. C. Costerus and N. D. Doedes, 18 March 1873 …
Women’s scientific participation
Summary
Observers | Fieldwork | Experimentation | Editors and critics | Assistants Darwin’s correspondence helps bring to light a community of women who participated, often actively and routinely, in the nineteenth-century scientific community. Here is a…
Matches: 18 hits
- … | Editors and critics | Assistants Darwin’s correspondence helps bring to light a …
- … community. Here is a selection of letters exchanged between Darwin and his workforce of women …
- … Women: Letter 1194 - Darwin to Whitby, M. A. T., [12 August 1849] Darwin …
- … peculiarities in inheritance. Letter 3787 - Darwin, H. E. to Darwin, [29 October …
- … in her garden. Letter 4523 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, [6 June 1864] …
- … Egypt. Letter 7223 - Darwin to Wedgwood, L. C., [8 June 1867 - 72] Darwin …
- … Henrietta. Letter 7179 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, [5 May 1870] …
- … the wallpaper. Letter 5756 - Langton, E. & C. to Wedgwood S. E., [after 9 …
- … Letter 1701 - Morris, M. H. to Prior, R. C. A., [17 June 1855] Margaretta Hare Morris …
- … in Llandudno. Letter 4823 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, H. E., [May 1865] …
- … Letter 8144 - Darwin to Wedgwood, L. C., [5 January 1872] Darwin asks his niece, …
- … Lychnis diurna. Letter 8168 - Ruck, A. R . to Darwin, H., [20 January 1872] …
- … depths and tried, but failed, to find worm castings on the family’s croquet lawn. Letter …
- … Letter 1701 - Morris, M. H. to Prior, R. C. A., [17 June 1855] Margaretta Hare Morris …
- … microscopes to examine Dionea in more detail. Family letter: Darwin, E. to Darwin, …
- … garden ”. Letter 6083 - Casparay, J. X. R. to Darwin, [2 April 1868] …
- … 219.1:49) Emma Darwin updates her son, William, on family news. Henrietta has been …
- … Letter 7858 - Darwin to Wa llace, A. R., [12 July 1871] Darwin tells Wallace that …
Darwin in letters, 1880: Sensitivity and worms
Summary
‘My heart & soul care for worms & nothing else in this world,’ Darwin wrote to his old Shrewsbury friend Henry Johnson on 14 November 1880. Darwin became fully devoted to earthworms in the spring of the year, just after finishing the manuscript of…
Matches: 20 hits
- … heart & soul care for worms & nothing else in this world,’ Darwin wrote to his old …
- … to adapt to varying conditions. The implications of Darwin’s work for the boundary between animals …
- … studies of animal instincts by George John Romanes drew upon Darwin’s early observations of infants, …
- … of evolution and creation. Many letters flowed between Darwin and his children, as he took delight …
- … Financial support for science was a recurring issue, as Darwin tried to secure a Civil List pension …
- … with Samuel Butler, prompted by the publication of Erasmus Darwin the previous year. …
- … to receive letters about Erasmus’s life and other bits of family history. On 1 January , a …
- … character is of much value to me’ ( letter to C. H. Tindal, 5 January 1880 ). Darwin had employed …
- … offices, and produced a twenty-page history of the Darwin family reaching back to the seventeenth …
- … sons George and Leonard also continued to research the family, and George was obliged to meet some …
- … Darwin’s Life . ‘In an endeavour to explain away y r . treatment of [William Alvey Darwin],’ …
- … … said you were anxious not to overburden the book with family details. … I seem to have got rather …
- … by anticipation the position I have taken as regards D r Erasmus Darwin in my book Evolution old …
- … to the end’, added her husband Richard ( letter from R. B. Litchfield, 1 February 1880 ). Even the …
- … December 1880 ). Again, Darwin felt compelled to reply, and family members rallied round, debating …
- … business partner Robert Cooke on 23 April , ‘My family shake their heads in the same dismal …
- … in a book about beetles the impressive words “captured by C. Darwin”. … This seemed to me glory …
- … ‘but the subject has amused me’ ( letter to W. C. McIntosh, 18 June 1880 ). Members of the family …
- … great doctrines …“Come of Age”‘ ( letter from W. C. Williamson to Emma Darwin, 2 September 1880 ). …
- … his voice as clearly as if he were present’ (letters to C. W. Fox, 29 March 1880 and 10 [April …
Darwin in letters, 1881: Old friends and new admirers
Summary
In May 1881, Darwin, one of the best-known celebrities in England if not the world, began writing about all the eminent men he had met. He embarked on this task, which formed an addition to his autobiography, because he had nothing else to do. He had…
Matches: 23 hits
- … In May 1881, Darwin, one of the best-known celebrities in England if not the world, began …
- … a very old man, who probably will not last much longer.’ Darwin’s biggest fear was not death, but …
- … sweetest place on this earth’. From the start of the year, Darwin had his demise on his mind. He …
- … provision for the dividing of his wealth after his death. Darwin’s gloominess was compounded by the …
- … and new admirers got in touch, and, for all his fears, Darwin found several scientific topics to …
- … detailing his use of Butler’s work. Members of the Darwin family consulted anxiously about whether …
- … There was ‘a hopeless division of opinion’ within the family, Henrietta explained to Stephen on 10 …
- … the sale of books being ‘a game of chance’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 12 April 1881 ). On 18 May …
- … Protoplasm and plants The prospect of the annual family holiday, which Darwin dreaded even …
- … [1881] ). Darwin thought flowers of the semi- tropical family Melastomataceae the best for testing …
- … he would feel ‘less sulky in a day or two’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 29 July 1881 ). The degree of …
- … falls at this late period of the season’ ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 30 July 1881 ). Darwin gave in …
- … with you’, a Swedish teacher told him ( letter from C. E. Södling, 14 October 1881 ), while H. M. …
- … to possibilities for women, judging from her organization &c’. When Darwin replied the following …
- … ‘bread-winners’ ( Correspondence vol. 30, letter to C. A. Kennard, 9 January 1882 ). …
- … publication & to acknowledge any criticism’ ( letter to C. G. Semper, 19 July 1881 ). He …
- … to bear the ‘wear & tear of controversy’ ( letter to G. R. Jesse, 23 April 1881 ). Later in …
- … everyone else’s judgment on the subject ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 12 July 1881 ). However, some …
- … ( letter to G. H. Darwin, 23 July 1881 ). ‘All my family who have seen it, think it the best …
- … true’, Darwin reported to Romanes on 7 August . Family joys An unalloyed pleasure …
- … do not be disappointed if the sale is small’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 5 October 1881 ). The …
- … proved ‘the greatness of their power’ ( letter from M. C. Stanley, 16 October 1881 ). Hooker …
- … men the true methods of investigation’ ( letter from C. V. Riley, 18 December 1881 ). …
Darwin in letters, 1876: In the midst of life
Summary
1876 was the year in which the Darwins became grandparents for the first time. And tragically lost their daughter-in-law, Amy, who died just days after her son's birth. All the letters from 1876 are now published in volume 24 of The Correspondence…
Matches: 16 hits
- … The year 1876 started out sedately enough with Darwin working on the first draft of his book on the …
- … games. ‘I have won, hurrah, hurrah, 2795 games’, Darwin boasted; ‘my wife … poor creature, has won …
- … other was away from Down. The usual rhythm of visits with family and friends took place against the …
- … regarding the ailments that were so much a feature of Darwin family life. But the calm was not to …
- … the birth of the first member of the next generation of the family, with Francis and Amy’s child …
- … four days later. ‘I cannot bear to think of the future’, Darwin confessed to William on 11 …
- … of the second edition of Climbing plants ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 23 February 1876 ). When …
- … a private document intended in the first instance for his family only. Writing for an hour every …
- … effected by his forthcoming pamphlet, Darwin confounded (C. O’Shaughnessy 1876), which, he …
- … and who had succeeded in giving him pain ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 17 June 1876 ). Although …
- … year’s experiments’ ( letter from G. J. Romanes, [ c . 19 March 1876] ). A less welcome reaction …
- … 1876] ). Serious illness was never far away in the Darwin family. In April, while Emma was …
- … because of a ‘long and terrible illness’ ( letter to C. S. Wedgwood, 20 April 1876 ). By the time …
- … wreck’, Darwin lamented. Amy had been loved by the whole family and their grief was acute. Darwin’s …
- … , Francis had left Down. Amy was buried in Wales near her family home, and Francis stayed with the …
- … in harmony with yours’ ( letter from George Henslow, [ c. 7 December 1876] ). A more typical …
Darwin in letters, 1865: Delays and disappointments
Summary
The year was marked by three deaths of personal significance to Darwin: Hugh Falconer, a friend and supporter; Robert FitzRoy, captain of the Beagle; and William Jackson Hooker, director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and father of Darwin’s friend…
Matches: 17 hits
- … In 1865, the chief work on Charles Darwin’s mind was the writing of The variation of animals and …
- … letters on climbing plants to make another paper. Darwin also submitted a manuscript of his …
- … protégé, John Scott, who was now working in India. Darwin’s transmutation theory continued to …
- … Argyll, appeared in the religious weekly, Good Words . Darwin received news of an exchange of …
- … Butler, and, according to Butler, the bishop of Wellington. Darwin’s theory was discussed at an …
- … in the Gardeners’ Chronicle . At the end of the year, Darwin was elected an honorary member of …
- … year was marked by three deaths of personal significance to Darwin: Hugh Falconer, a friend of …
- … Darwin’s first letter to Hooker of 1865 suggests that the family had had a cheerful Christmas. ‘We …
- … Darwin had received a copy of Müller’s book, Für Darwin , a study of the Crustacea with reference …
- … … inheritance, reversion, effects of use & disuse &c’, and which he intended to publish in …
- … He wrote to Hooker, ‘I doubt whether you or I or any one c d do any good in healing this breach. …
- … still working. In August, back at Kew, many of the family, including Hooker, contracted a …
- … he died or to attend the funeral. In early September, the family left Kew again for Hooker to …
- … Hooker’s behalf, ‘He asks if you saw the article of M r . Croll in the last Reader on the …
- … ( see letter from Charles Shaw, 3 October 1865 ). Family By contrast, Darwin’s own …
- … ‘As for your thinking that you do not deserve the C[opley] Medal,’ he rebuked Hooker, ‘that I …
- … and from Darwin’s children, giving a glimpse of a lively family atmosphere. However, Darwin wrote …
Women as a scientific audience
Summary
Target audience? | Female readership | Reading Variation Darwin's letters, in particular those exchanged with his editors and publisher, reveal a lot about his intended audience. Regardless of whether or not women were deliberately targeted as a…
Matches: 11 hits
- … Female readership | Reading Variation Darwin's letters, in particular those …
- … a broad variety of women had access to, and engaged with, Darwin's published works. A set of …
- … women a target audience? Letter 2447 - Darwin to Murray, J., [5 April 1859] …
- … that his views are original and will appeal to the public. Darwin asks Murray to forward the …
- … and criticisms of style. Letter 2461 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [11 May 1859] …
- … it had been proofread and edited by “a lady”. Darwin, E. to Darwin, W. E. , (March 1862 …
- … Henrietta’s friend, Laura, details recent events and family news. During a recent trip to Cannes she …
- … in Expression . Letter 10072 - Pape, C. to Darwin, [16 July 1875] …
- … in her garden. Letter 13650 Kennard, C. A. to Darwin, [28 January 1882] …
- … Variation . Letter 6126 - Binstead, C. H. to Darwin, [17 April 1868] …
- … of Variation . Letter 6237 - Bullar, R. to Darwin, [9 June 1868] …
Darwin in letters,1870: Human evolution
Summary
The year 1870 is aptly summarised by the brief entry Darwin made in his journal: ‘The whole of the year at work on the Descent of Man & Selection in relation to Sex’. Descent was the culmination of over three decades of observations and reflections on…
Matches: 16 hits
- … The year 1870 is aptly summarised by the brief entry Darwin made in his journal: ‘The whole of the …
- … in relation to Sex’. Always precise in his accounting, Darwin reckoned that he had started writing …
- … gathered on each of these topics was far more extensive than Darwin had anticipated. As a result, …
- … and St George Jackson Mivart, and heated debates sparked by Darwin’s proposed election to the French …
- … Finishing Descent; postponing Expression Darwin began receiving proofs of some of the …
- … ( letter to Albert Günther, 13 January [1870] ). Darwin was still working hard on parts of the …
- … style, the more grateful I shall be’ ( letter to H. E. Darwin, [8 February 1870] ). She had …
- … , the latter when she was just eighteen years of age. Darwin clearly expected her to make a …
- … have thought that I shd. turn parson?’ ( letter to H. E. Darwin, [8 February 1870] ). Henrietta …
- … on his own children as early as 1839. Darwin now recruited family members with infants, including …
- … (in retrograde direction) naturalist’ (letter to A. R.Wallace, 26 January [1870]). …
- … classification should be Anatomical– Man forms only a family of the higher division of the Primates. …
- … from his scientific work except to receive friends and visit family. He confided to his cousin …
- … and colleagues at Down, including Alexander Agassiz and his family, Anton Dohrn, Albert Günther, …
- … with joy when I saw you; & saw you in the midst of a dear family party & solaced at every …
- … ( letter from Adam Sedgwick, 30 May 1870 ). Family concerns Darwin continued to take …
List of correspondents
Summary
Below is a list of Darwin's correspondents with the number of letters for each one. Click on a name to see the letters Darwin exchanged with that correspondent. "A child of God" (1) Abberley,…
Scientific Networks
Summary
Friendship|Mentors|Class|Gender In its broadest sense, a scientific network is a set of connections between people, places, and things that channel the communication of knowledge, and that substantially determine both its intellectual form and content,…
Matches: 10 hits
- … activities for building and maintaining such connections. Darwin's networks extended from his …
- … when strong institutional structures were largely absent. Darwin had a small circle of scientific …
- … section contains two sets of letters. The first is between Darwin and his friend Kew botanist J. D. …
- … Hooker’s thoughts. Letter 729 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., [11 Jan 1844] …
- … confessing a murder”. Letter 736 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., 23 Feb [1844] …
- … Darwin and Gray Letter 1674 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, 25 Apr [1855] Darwin …
- … species. Letter 1685 — Gray, Asa to Darwin, C. R., 22 May 1855 Gray recalled …
- … flora in the USA. Letter 2125 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, 20 July [1857] Darwin …
- … information exchange. Letter 1202 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., 6 Oct [1848] …
- … and FitzRoy. He also sends his thanks to all his family. Letter 1176 — Darwin, C. R. to …
Darwin in letters, 1863: Quarrels at home, honours abroad
Summary
At the start of 1863, Charles Darwin was actively working on the manuscript of The variation of animals and plants under domestication, anticipating with excitement the construction of a hothouse to accommodate his increasingly varied botanical experiments…
Matches: 17 hits
- … At the start of 1863, Charles Darwin was actively working on the manuscript of The variation of …
- … markedly, reflecting a decline in his already weak health. Darwin then began punctuating letters …
- … am languid & bedeviled … & hate everybody’. Although Darwin did continue his botanical …
- … letter-writing dwindled considerably. The correspondence and Darwin’s scientific work diminished …
- … of the water-cure. The treatment was not effective and Darwin remained ill for the rest of the year. …
- … the correspondence from the year. These letters illustrate Darwin’s preoccupation with the …
- … to man’s place in nature both had a direct bearing on Darwin’s species theory and on the problem …
- … detailed anatomical similarities between humans and apes, Darwin was full of praise. He especially …
- … in expressing any judgment on Species or origin of man’. Darwin’s concern about the popular …
- … Lyell’s and Huxley’s books. Three years earlier Darwin had predicted that Lyell’s forthcoming …
- … sentence from the second edition of Antiquity of man (C. Lyell 1863b, p. 469), published in …
- … and setting his son George, the mathematician in the family, to explaining the phenomenon ( see …
- … crossing experiments that Scott had begun on the primrose family after reading Darwin’s paper, …
- … plants was cut short in September by his departure with his family for Malvern Wells, but even when …
- … work was not published until 1868. Roping in the family Darwin relied on members of …
- … very slowly recovering, but am very weak’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, [29 September? 1863] ). …
- … Thomas’s Hospital, London ( letter from George Busk, [ c. 27 August 1863] ). Brinton, who …
Religion
Summary
Design|Personal Belief|Beauty|The Church Perhaps the most notorious realm of controversy over evolution in Darwin's day was religion. The same can be said of the evolution controversy today; however the nature of the disputes and the manner in…
Matches: 18 hits
- … the most notorious realm of controversy over evolution in Darwin's day was religion. The same …
- … nineteenth century were different in important ways. Many of Darwin's leading supporters were …
- … their religious beliefs with evolutionary theory. Darwin's own writing, both in print and …
- … much as possible. A number of correspondents tried to draw Darwin out on his own religious views, …
- … political contexts. Design Darwin was not the first to challenge …
- … on the controversial topic of design. The first is between Darwin and Harvard botanist Asa Gray, …
- … Origin . The second is a single letter from naturalist A. R. Wallace to Darwin on design and …
- … Darwin and Gray Letter 2814 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, 22 May [1860] Darwin …
- … of “brute force”. Letter 2855 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, 3 July [1860] Darwin …
- … on this issue. Letter 3256 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, 17 Sept [1861] Darwin …
- … about an angel. Letter 3342 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, 11 Dec [1861] Darwin …
- … questions about design. Letter 6167 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, 8 May [1868] …
- … Darwin and Wallace Letter 5140 — Wallace, A. R. to Darwin, C. R., 2 July 1866 …
- … Darwin and Graham Letter 13230 — Darwin, C. R. to Graham, William, 3 July 1881 …
- … with a variety of people, including members of his own family. Letter 441 — Wedgwood, …
- … unduly biassed by the pain which it would give members of my family, if I aided in any way direct …
- … a missing letter], comments on English political issues, and family gossip. He responds to a comment …
- … a missing letter], comments on English political issues and family gossip. As was the case in an …
Darwin in letters, 1871: An emptying nest
Summary
The year 1871 was an extremely busy and productive one for Darwin, with the publication in February of his long-awaited book on human evolution, Descent of man. The other main preoccupation of the year was the preparation of his manuscript on expression.…
Matches: 21 hits
- … The year 1871 was an extremely busy and productive one for Darwin, seeing the publication of his …
- … book out of my head’. But a large proportion of Darwin’s time for the rest of the year was devoted …
- … way, and the initial reception of the book in the press. Darwin fielded numerous letters from …
- … offered sharp criticism or even condemnation. Darwin had expected controversy. ‘I shall be …
- … a bare-faced manner.”‘ The most lively debate centred on Darwin’s evolutionary account of the …
- … taste. Correspondence with his readers and critics helped Darwin to clarify, and in some cases …
- … year was the preparation of his manuscript on expression. Darwin continued to investigate the …
- … The year also brought a significant milestone for the family, as Darwin’s eldest daughter Henrietta …
- … who had assisted him, as well as to his extended family and friends (see Correspondence vol. 19, …
- … and the heavy use of their arms and legs ( letter from C. L. Bernays, 25 February 1871 ). Samples …
- … ‘in a state of dreamy enjoyment’, a parrot who addressed family members by name and scolded another …
- … is a thing which I sh d feel very proud of, if anyone c d . say of me.’ After the publication …
- … was achieved through ‘the medium of opinion, positive law &c’, and transmitted by culture, not …
- … Darwin engaged with critical readers from within his own family circle, especially his cousin …
- … on evolution and ethics was circulated within the family and commented upon by his wife and children …
- … the home, and because he relied extensively upon friends and family for scientific assistance, he …
- … in the world except. laughing. crying grinning pouting &c. &c’, he wrote to Hooker on 21 …
- … more about poor health than he had done in recent years. The family rented a house in Albury, Surrey …
- … so giddy I can hardly sit up, so no more’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 4 August [1871] ). On 23 …
- … annually on an acre of land at 16 tons (letter from L. C. Wedgwood, [20 November 1871] ). He also …
- … ( letter to Asa Gray, 16 July [1871] , letter to S. R. S. Norton, 23 November [1871] ). …
Darwin and the Church
Summary
The story of Charles Darwin’s involvement with the church is one that is told far too rarely. It shows another side of the man who is more often remembered for his personal struggles with faith, or for his role in large-scale controversies over the…
Matches: 17 hits
- … The story of Charles Darwin’s involvement with the church is one that is told far too rarely. It …
- … unique window into this complicated relationship throughout Darwin’s life, as it reveals his …
- … belief (and doubt) than many non-conformist denominations. Darwin’s parents attended a Unitarian …
- … the necessary studies to be a clergyman. During Darwin’s lifetime, the vast majority of the …
- … few parsonages paid enough to support even a small family in comfort, and the possession of an …
- … compatible with the pursuit of scientific interests. Indeed, Darwin’s Cambridge mentor, John Stevens …
- … (Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine (1887): 321). Darwin started on his journey around the world …
- … it even through a grove of Palms.—’ (letter to Caroline Darwin, 25–6 April [1832] ). Darwin’s …
- … Kent. There was no Unitarian chapel in the vicinity, and the family went dutifully to the local …
- … baptised and confirmed in the Church of England. The whole family took the sacrament, although Emma …
- … at Downe (Moore 1985 and n. 19). Much of the family’s church involvement can be attributed to …
- … inroads on Anglican authority in the countryside. The Darwin family took an interest in, and even at …
- … letter of 1854 in which he said, From all I have seen of M r Innes’ conduct towards the poor & …
- … moved north. It was to the Darwins that Innes entrusted the family’s dog, Quiz, when he moved away …
- … Innes informed Darwin that though he ‘heard all good of M r . Ffinden’s moral character, his …
- … an interesting letter from Darwin to the evangelist J. W. C. Fegan. Darwin whole-heartedly supported …
- … [December 1880 – February 1881] ). Indeed, the Darwin family even altered the habits of the …
Darwin in letters, 1856-1857: the 'Big Book'
Summary
In May 1856, Darwin began writing up his 'species sketch’ in earnest. During this period, his working life was completely dominated by the preparation of his 'Big Book', which was to be called Natural selection. Using letters are the main…
Matches: 16 hits
- … On 14 May 1856, Charles Darwin recorded in his journal that he ‘Began by Lyell’s advice writing …
- … more for the sake of priority than anything else—Darwin was reluctant to squeeze his expansive …
- … Natural selection . Determined as he was to publish, Darwin nevertheless still felt cautious …
- … specialist in Madeiran entomology, Thomas Vernon Wollaston. Darwin also came to rely on the caustic …
- … in London. Natural Selection Not all of Darwin’s manuscript on species has been …
- … of pigeons, poultry, and other domesticated animals. As Darwin explained to Lyell, his studies, …
- … can William Bernhard Tegetmeier continued to help Darwin acquire much of the material for …
- … on domestic animals in India and elsewhere. William Darwin Fox supplied information about cats, dogs …
- … mastiffs. The disparate facts were correlated and checked by Darwin, who adroitly used letters, …
- … can.’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 8 February [1857] ). Darwin also attempted to test ideas …
- … garden species with their wild congeners. Many of Darwin’s conclusions about the variation of …
- … these chapters are not extant. It seems likely that Darwin used the manuscript when compiling The …
- … or lost during the process. Before the publication of Darwin's correspondence from these years, …
- … not a bird be killed (by hawk, lightning, apoplexy, hail &c) with seeds in crop, & it would …
- … 1856] and to Charles Lyell, 3 May [1856] ). Family life Darwin’s family was …
- … and the preparation of his manuscript ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 1 May 1857 ) seem innocuous and …
Darwin in letters,1866: Survival of the fittest
Summary
The year 1866 began well for Charles Darwin, as his health, after several years of illness, was now considerably improved. In February, Darwin received a request from his publisher, John Murray, for a new edition of Origin. Darwin got the fourth…
Matches: 18 hits
- … The year 1866 began well for Charles Darwin, as his health, after several years of illness, was now …
- … and also a meeting with Herbert Spencer, who was visiting Darwin’s neighbour, Sir John Lubbock. In …
- … all but the concluding chapter of the work was submitted by Darwin to his publisher in December. …
- … The year’s successes and frustrations were punctuated by family bereavement. Two of Darwin’s sisters …
- … you go on, after the startling apparition of your face at R.S. Soirèe—which I dreamed of 2 nights …
- … so you are in for it’ ( letter from H. E. Darwin, [ c . 10 May 1866] ). Henrietta’s …
- … teleological development ( see for example, letter to C. W. Nägeli, 12 June [1866] ). Also in …
- … common broom ( Cytisus scoparius ) and the white broom ( C. multiflorus ) in his botanical …
- … and June on the subject of Rhamnus catharticus (now R. cathartica ). Darwin had become …
- … of separate sexes. William gathered numerous specimens of R. catharticus , the only species of …
- … replied with a modified list, adding Fritz Müller’s Für Darwin , and a recent fossil discovery in …
- … selection, and with special creation ( letter from W. R. Grove, 31 August 1866 ). Hooker later …
- … The year was marked by several deaths within Darwin’s family and circle of friends, provoking sombre …
- … Darwin’s two sisters had lived together in the family house in Shrewsbury after their father’s death …
- … indeed at poor Susan’s loneliness’ ( letter from E. C. Langton to Emma and Charles Darwin, [6 and 7 …
- … [1866] ). Susan had been a particular favourite among the family at Down and her company was …
- … 2 October [1866] ). In the following month, the family house and estate were put up for sale …
- … with the renewal of old friendships, and enthusiasm over family successes and scientific work. One …
