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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: 17 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 …
- … his publishers, he warned that it was ‘dry as dust’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 9 September 1879 ). …
- … turned out, alas, very dull & has disappointed me much’ ( letter to Francis Galton, 15 [June …
- … home again’, he fretted, just days before his departure ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, [after 26 …
- … an additional worry: the engagement of his son Horace to Ida Farrer, stepdaughter of Darwin’s niece …
- … & would please Francis’, he pointed out ( letter from E. A. Darwin, 13 March [1879 ]). …
- … with the when & the where, & the who—’ ( letter from V. H. Darwin, 28 May [1879] ). On the …
- … thought ‘perfect in every way’ ( letter from E. A. Wheler, 25 March 1879 ). She suggested that …
- … and well, and with little fatigue’ ( letter to G. H. Darwin, 12 July 1879 , and letter from …
- … to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 5 June 1879 , and letter to G. H. Darwin, 12 July 1879 ). Darwin’s …
- … … neither cross nor ennuied’ (Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin, [4 August 1879] (DAR 219.1: 125)). Darwin …
- … The other cloud on the horizon was Thomas Henry Farrer’s objection to the engagement between his …
- … wait for three months. ‘Nothing can be more useless than T.H’s conduct’, Emma Darwin pointed out, …
- … say that he has opposed it’ (letter from Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin, [4 August 1879] (DAR 219.1: …
- … get home ‘& began drumming at once’ (Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield, [27 August 1879] (DAR 219 …
- … agreed to their engagement being made public ( letter from T. H. Farrer, 12 October 1879 ). Darwin …
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: 20 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 …
- … the previous year. As was typical, readers wrote to Darwin personally to offer suggestions, …
- … in science were manifest in his leading roles in creating a private memorial fund for Thomas Henry …
- … I omitted to observe, which I ought to have observed” ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 12 January [1873] …
- … work your wicked will on it—root leaf & branch!” ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 12 January 1873 ) …
- … but not in others. He encouraged research by Thomas Henry Farrer on a complex floral structure in …
- … “You are the man to conquer Coronilla”, he wrote to Farrer, “One may feel sure that primordially …
- … parts of the flower would become modified & correlated” ( letter to T. H. Farrer, 14 August …
- … it again, “for Heaven knows when it will be ready” ( letter to John Murray, 4 May [1873] ). …
- … assistance from his son Francis. While visiting his fiancée, Amy Ruck, in Wales, Francis observed …
- … we take notes and take tracings of their burrows” ( letter from Francis Darwin, 14 August [1873] ) …
- … and if so more places will be created” ( letter to E. A. Darwin, 20 September 1873 ). Erasmus, who …
- … family being fit for continuous work” ( letter from E. A. Darwin, 25 September [1873] ). Shortly …
- … throat like a bulldog” ( letter from L. M. Forster to H. E. Litchfield, 20 February 1873 ). The …
- … could be transmitted to its offspring ( letter from J. T. Moggridge, 1 February 1873 ). …
- … it would offend his father ( enclosure to letter from T. H. Huxley, 3 December 1873 ). In …
- … we should feel it a privilege to offer” ( letter from E. F. Lubbock, [before 7 April 1873] ). …
- … happiness to us to the last day of our lives” ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 23 April 1873 ). Huxley …
- … been without energy & without hope” ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 24 April 1873 ). He accepted …
Volume 29 (1881) is published!
Summary
In October 1881, Darwin published his last book, The formation of vegetable mould through the action of worms: with observations on their habits. A slim volume on a subject that many people could understand and on which they had their own opinions, it went…
Matches: 10 hits
- … From the start of 1881, Darwin had his demise on his mind. He increasingly relied on his son William …
- … provision for the dividing of his wealth after his death. Darwin’s gloominess was compounded by the …
- … of his book on earthworms, published in October, was a boost. His 5-year-old grandson Bernard, who …
- … the enthusiasm with which the book has been received. Letter t o Francis Darwin, 9 November …
- … in my life as for its success. Letter to A. B. Buckley, 4 January 1881 …
- … suggested the possibility, and Darwin, with her help, wrote a memorial on the subject, secured …
- … & I have no little jobs which I can do. Letter to J. D. Hooker, 15 June 1881 …
- … Letter to W. E. Darwin, 4 August [1881] In …
- … seemed to me admirable. Letter to T. H. Farrer, 28 August 1881 …
- … Letter t o B. J. Sulivan, 1 December 1881 …
Darwin in letters, 1878: Movement and sleep
Summary
In 1878, Darwin devoted most of his attention to the movements of plants. He investigated the growth pattern of roots and shoots, studying the function of specific organs in this process. Working closely with his son Francis, Darwin devised a series of…
Matches: 21 hits
- … lessen injury to leaves from radiation In 1878, Darwin devoted most of his attention to …
- … in this process. Working closely with his son Francis, Darwin devised a series of experiments to …
- … plant laboratories in Europe. While Francis was away, Darwin delighted in his role as …
- … the mental faculties of the two-year-old with those of a monkey. Another diversion from botanical …
- … agent of progress. The year closed with remarkable news of a large legacy bequeathed to Darwin by a …
- … Hooker, ‘or as far as I know any scientific man’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 14 December [1878] ). …
- … or arched.… Almost all seedlings come up arched’ ( letter to Sophy Wedgwood, 24 March [1878–80] ). …
- … when he finds out that he missed sensitiveness of apex’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, [11 May 1878] …
- … Darwin complained. ‘I am ashamed at my blunder’ ( letter to John Tyndall, 22 December [1878] ). …
- … language: Sachs is very kind to him’ ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 18 June [1878] ). While …
- … from Francis Darwin, [22 June 1878] ). ‘Sachs doesn’t consider that there is any puzzle as to how …
- … he was unwell. ‘I was rather seedy last night & didn’t appear at the laboratory & this …
- … god with the ‘eternity of matter’ ( letter from H. N. Ridley, [before 28 November 1878] ). Darwin …
- … myself about such insoluble questions’ ( letter to H. N. Ridley, 28 November 1878 ). Darwin …
- … ill favour because however civilly I may word it a man can’t like to have his work torn to shreds …
- … publish it. While he was in London, Darwin consulted Thomas Farrer at the Board of Trade, who …
- … 28 [February 1878] ). Further meetings were held with Farrer and James Caird, a member of the Royal …
- … of the sight of which you must be sick’, he wrote to Farrer on 13 March 1878 . ‘Mr. Torbitt’s …
- … seminal generations’ ( enclosure to letter to T. H. Farrer, 7 March 1878 ). In the end, the …
- … vanish like the chaos before the wind’ ( letter from T. H. Noyes, 19 November 1878 ). A …
- … him of the soundness of London property ( letter from W. E. Darwin, 13 December [1878] ). ‘This is …
Darwin in letters, 1868: Studying sex
Summary
The quantity of Darwin’s correspondence increased dramatically in 1868 due largely to his ever-widening research on human evolution and sexual selection.Darwin’s theory of sexual selection as applied to human descent led him to investigate aspects of the…
Matches: 16 hits
- … On 6 March 1868, Darwin wrote to the entomologist and accountant John Jenner Weir, ‘If any …
- … and sexual selection. In Origin , pp. 87–90, Darwin had briefly introduced the concept of …
- … or in satisfying female preference in the mating process. In a letter to Alfred Russel Wallace in …
- … to the stridulation of crickets. At the same time, Darwin continued to collect material on …
- … his immediate circle of friends and relations. In July 1868 Darwin was still anticipating that his …
- … on the subject to the zoologist Albert Günther: ‘a drunkard might as well say, he would drink a …
- … would be a great loss to the Book’. But Darwin’s angry letter to Murray crossed one from Dallas to …
- … of labour to remuneration I shall look rather blank’ ( letter from W. S. Dallas, 8 January 1868 ). …
- … classes, a dim ray of light may be gained’ ( letter to H. T. Stainton, 21 February [1868] ). From …
- … and had himself watched elephants cry (letters to W. E. Darwin, [15 March 1868] and 8 April …
- … began a long correspondence on orchids with Thomas Henry Farrer, permanent secretary to the Board of …
- … of the caudicle of Ophrys muscifera (letters from T. H. Farrer, 17 May 1868 and 18 May …
- … sacrificed to Public life.’ Farrer replied: ‘You don’t know how kind I think your note. This …
- … induced him to stay away ( letter from S. J. O’H. Horsman, 2 June [1868] ). But if Horsman …
- … life time— I am preparing to go into opposition— I can’t stand it’. Diplomas and honorary …
- … at the shrine of D r . Darwin’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 20 July 1868 ). Darwin received a …
Darwin in letters, 1869: Forward on all fronts
Summary
At the start of 1869, Darwin was hard at work making changes and additions for a fifth edition of Origin. He may have resented the interruption to his work on sexual selection and human evolution, but he spent forty-six days on the task. Much of the…
Matches: 17 hits
- … At the start of 1869, Darwin was hard at work making changes and additions for a fifth edition of …
- … appeared at the end of 1866 and had told his cousin William Darwin Fox, ‘My work will have to stop a …
- … views on all points will have to be modified.— Well it is a beginning, & that is something’ ( …
- … material on emotional expression. Yet the scope of Darwin’s interests remained extremely broad, and …
- … plants, and earthworms, subjects that had exercised Darwin for decades, and that would continue to …
- … Carl von Nägeli and perfectibility Darwin’s most substantial addition to Origin was a …
- … made any blunders, as is very likely to be the case’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 13 January 1869 ). …
- … than I now see is possible or probable’ (see also letter to A. R. Wallace, 22 January [1869] , …
- … is strengthened by the facts in distribution’ ( letter to James Croll, 31 January [1869] ). Darwin …
- … would no doubt do if we had proper data to go by, but don’t think we have got that yet’ ( letter …
- … been less deferential towards [Thomson]’ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 19 March [1869] ). …
- … and fossil discoveries in Patagonia and Wales ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 7 May 1869 , letter …
- … greater fools of themselves than they did’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 28 September 1869 ). …
- … criticism was noted in a letter from Thomas Henry Farrer, who had been reading some of Delpino’s …
- … into which … I do not care to follow him’ ( letter from T. H. Farrer, 9 October 1869 ). Farrer …
- … Freedom and Will and High Design—’ (letter from T. H. Farrer, 13 October 1869). …
- … to set foot on summit of a mountain.—’ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 9 July [1869] ). Earlier …
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: 23 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 …
- … and cosseting regarding the ailments that were so much a feature of Darwin family life. But the calm …
- … Cross and self fertilisation , that the family suffered a devastating loss. The Darwins must have …
- … expected in September. Their joy at the safe delivery of a healthy boy was soon replaced by anguish …
- … death. For once, the labour of checking proofs proved a blessing, as Darwin sought solace for the …
- … quantity of work’ left in him for ‘new matter’ (letter to Asa Gray, 28 January 1876). The …
- … to a reprint of the second edition of Climbing plants ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 23 February …
- … & I for blundering’, he cheerfully observed to Carus. ( Letter to J. V. Carus, 24 April 1876. …
- … provided evidence for the ‘advantages of crossing’ (letter to Asa Gray, 28 January 1876). Revising …
- … cast by the ‘poorest curs in London’ ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, [4 February 1876] ). …
- … Encyclopaedia Britannica the previous year ( letter to G. H. Darwin, [after 4 September 1876] ). …
- … ‘all I can say is do not commit suicide’ ( letter to G. H. Darwin, [4 June 1876] ). By midsummer, …
- … a set of sons I have, all doing wonders.’ ( Letter to G. H. Darwin, 13 July [1876]. ) A …
- … and eczema, was able to rest his mind ( letter to G. H. Darwin, 2 May [1876] ). Darwin even …
- … letter to Andrew Clark, [late June 1876] ; letter to G. H. Darwin, 13 July [1876] ). The irony …
- … we have & you are one of the best of all’ ( letter to W. E. Darwin, 11 September [1876] ). …
- … she confided to Henrietta (letter from Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield, [31 August 1876] (DAR 219.9: …
- … herself & is so tender’ (letter from Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin, [13 September 1876] (DAR 210.6 …
- … completed autobiography (letter from Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin, [13 September 1876] (DAR 210.6: …
- … horticulturists and agriculturists in France ( letter from E. M. Heckel, 27 December 1876 ). In …
- … 1876] ). A more typical British reaction came from Thomas Farrer, who was struck by Darwin’s novel …
- … been the subject of mere observation’ ( letter from T. H. Farrer, 31 December 1876 ). The Swiss …
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: 19 hits
- … In May 1881, Darwin, one of the best-known celebrities in England if not the world, began …
- … restrict himself to ‘more confined & easy subjects’. A month earlier, on 23 February , he had …
- … 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 …
- … of his book on earthworms, published in October, was a boost. His 5-year-old grandson Bernard, who …
- … in Unconscious memory in November 1880 and in an abusive letter about Darwin in the St James’s …
- … publishers decided to print ‘500 more, making 2000’ ( letter to H. E. Litchfield, 4 January 1881 ) …
- … very surprising the whole case is to me’ (letters to W. E. Darwin, 31 January [1881] and 19 …
- … the animal learnt from its own individual experience ( letter from G. J. Romanes, 7 March 1881 ). …
- … whether observations of their behaviour were trustworthy ( letter to Francis Galton, 8 March [1881] …
- … about the sale of books being ‘a game of chance’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 12 April 1881 ). On 18 …
- … of such plants, especially annuals ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 21 March [1881] ). Darwin …
- … with you’, a Swedish teacher told him ( letter from C. E. Södling, 14 October 1881 ), while H. M. …
- … little, to the general stock of knowledge’ ( letter to E. W. Bok, 10 May 1881 ). Josef Popper, an …
- … in heaven’ when the portrait was finished ( letter to G. H. Darwin, 23 July 1881 ). ‘All my family …
- … absurd for one with no pretensions’ (l etter from W. E. Darwin, 13 January [1881 ]), Darwin …
- … after expressing their wish to visit Darwin ( letter from E. B. Aveling, 27 September [1881] ). …
- … was nearly 40 years ago!’ Darwin, himself, told Thomas Farrer on 28 August , ‘The death of my …
- … the terms of the 1876 Cruelty to Animals Act ( letter to T. L. Brunton, 19 November 1881 ). Darwin …
Darwin in letters, 1874: A turbulent year
Summary
The year 1874 was one of consolidation, reflection, and turmoil for Darwin. He spent the early months working on second editions of Coral reefs and Descent of man; the rest of the year was mostly devoted to further research on insectivorous plants. A…
Matches: 19 hits
- … 1874 was one of consolidation, reflection, and turmoil for Darwin. He spent the early months working …
- … mostly devoted to further research on insectivorous plants. A vicious dispute over an anonymous …
- … and traveller Alexander von Humboldt’s 105th birthday, Darwin obliged with a reflection on his debt …
- … one of the greatest men the world has ever produced. He gave a wonderful impetus to science by …
- … pleasures of shooting and collecting beetles ( letter from W. D. Fox, 8 May [1874] ). Such …
- … And … one looks backwards much more than forwards’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 11 May [1874] ). …
- … was an illusory hope.— I feel very old & helpless’ ( letter to B. J. Sulivan, 6 January [1874] …
- … inferred that he was well from his silence on the matter ( letter from Ernst Haeckel, 26 October …
- … Erasmus’s house. The event was led by the medium Charles E. Williams, and was attended by George …
- … Mr Williams was ‘a cheat and an imposter’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 27 January 1874 ). Darwin …
- … that he was thus free to perform his antics’ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 29 January [1874] ). This …
- … allowed ‘a spirit séance’ at his home ( letter from T. G. Appleton, 2 April 1874 ). Back …
- … sweetly all the horrid bother of correction’ ( letter to H. E. Litchfield, 21 [March 1874] ). The …
- … and disease in the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii; letters from T. N. Staley, 12 February 1874 and …
- … I have pounded the enemy into a jelly’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 14 April 1874 ). The technical …
- … and never mind where it goes’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 16 April 1874 ). The second …
- … artificial gastric juice for about a week ( letter from E. E. Klein, 14 May 1874 ). John Burdon …
- … try to get it exhibited at a Royal Society of London soirée (see letter from Anton Dohrn, 6 April …
- … do—It is enough to kill anyone’, and asked Thomas Henry Farrer to attempt to influence the …
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: 21 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 …
- … and observations. Financial support for science was a recurring issue, as Darwin tried to secure a …
- … life and other bits of family history. On 1 January , a distant cousin, Charles Harrison Tindal, …
- … my grandfather’s character is of much value to me’ ( letter to C. H. Tindal, 5 January 1880 ). …
- … have influenced the whole Kingdom, & even the world’ ( letter from J. L. Chester, 3 March 1880 …
- … delighted to find an ordinary mortal who could laugh’ ( letter from W. E. Darwin to Charles and …
- … much powder & shot’ ( Correspondence vol. 27, letter from Ernst Krause, 7 June 1879 , and …
- … a grievance to hang an article upon’ ( letter from W. E. Darwin, [28 January 1880] ). …
- … , sending one or both to his daughter Henrietta ( letter to H. E. Litchfield, 1 February [1880] ). …
- … he will have the last word’, she warned ( letter from H. E. Litchfield, [1 February 1880] ). ‘He …
- … him Darwinophobia? It is a horrid disease’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 3 February 1880 ). …
- … I was, also, rarely fit to see anybody’ ( letter to S. H. Haliburton, 13 December 1880 ). …
- … aided in any way direct attacks on religion’ ( letter to E. B. Aveling, 13 October 1880 ). Finally …
- … about 21 years since the Origin appeared”‘ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 11 [April] 1880 ). While …
- … been developed through natural selection’ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 11 May 1880 ). Worthy …
- … claim is not that he is in need, so much as that he can’t find employment’ ( Correspondence vol. …
- … prevailing superstitions of this country!’ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, [after 26 November 1880] ). …
- … so private subscriptions were raised, with Darwin, Thomas Farrer, and James Caird leading the …
Darwin in letters, 1877: Flowers and honours
Summary
Ever since the publication of Expression, Darwin’s research had centred firmly on botany. The year 1877 was no exception. The spring and early summer were spent completing Forms of flowers, his fifth book on a botanical topic. He then turned to the…
Matches: 23 hits
- … Ever since the publication of Expression , Darwin’s research had centred firmly on botany. The …
- … spent completing Forms of flowers , his fifth book on a botanical topic. He then turned to the …
- … of bloom, each of these projects would culminate in a major publication. Darwin’s botany was …
- … assisted his father’s research on movement and bloom, and Darwin in turn encouraged his son’s own …
- … by his engagement to Sara Sedgwick, an American from a family that the Darwins had befriended. The …
- … from Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. Closer to home, Darwin received an honorary Doctorate of …
- … sites for possible earthworm activity. Now in his 69th year, Darwin remained remarkably productive, …
- … no controversy. In his autobiographical reflections, Darwin remarked: ‘no little discovery of …
- … the fertility of individual flowers and plants across a range of common species, such as the …
- … of respect and affection’. He hinted as much in his letter of 4 June : ‘you will see I have done …
- … have shared Hooker’s suspicion of ambitious gardeners ( letter from W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 25 August …
- … method of recording leaf motion for extended periods. In a letter to Thiselton-Dyer of 11 October …
- … … tap one of the young leaves with a delicate twig’ ( letter to R. I. Lynch, 14 September 1877 ). …
- … , or to the vibratory flagella of some Infusoria’ ( letter from F. J. Cohn, 5 August 1877 ). …
- … in July 1877 (F. Darwin 1877b), and Darwin sent Cohn’s letter vindicating his son’s research to …
- … of Kosmos covering the German debate (letters to W. E. Gladstone, 2 October 1877 and 25 …
- … his sense of form and of motion was exact and lively’ ( letter from W. E. Gladstone, 23 October …
- … found him as soft & smooth as butter’ ( letter to C. E. Norton, 16 March 1877 ). Hooker was …
- … the gospel of dirt the order of the day’ ( letter from E. A. Darwin, 27 January [1877] ). Carlyle …
- … Siebold’s study of medical monstrosity ( letter from C. T. E. Siebold, 10 October 1877 ). An …
- … to the mark hereafter is another question’ ( letter to G. H. Darwin, 30 May [1877] ). In the end, …
- … of a Roman villa near Thomas Farrar’s home in Surrey; and Farrer sent him a ‘worm journal’ with …
- … between sagging of pavemts & castings’ ( letter to G. H. Darwin, 21 November [1877] ). It is …
