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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: 27 hits
- … The year 1871 was an extremely busy and productive one for Darwin, seeing the …
- … 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 …
- … also brought a significant milestone for the family, as Darwin’s eldest daughter Henrietta was …
- … during several past years, has been a great amusement’. Darwin had been working fairly continuously …
- … promotes the sale’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 26 March 1871 ). The profits for Darwin were …
- … first two printings, Darwin wrote to Murray on 20 March 1871 , ‘It is quite a grand trade to be a …
- … in memory of the book’ ( letter to H. E. Darwin, 20 March 1871 ). Reaction …
- … to read it ( letter from James Crichton-Browne, 19 February 1871 ). The African explorer and …
- … pleasant or not’ (letter from W. W. Reade, 21 February 1871). The geologist William Boyd Dawkins …
- … to buy them’ ( letter from W. B. Dawkins, 23 February 1871 ). Thomas Henry Huxley marvelled that …
- … tide-marks!’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 20 February 1871 ). Asa Gray remarked, somewhat …
- … and pointed ears” (letter from Asa Gray, 14 April 1871) Like his previous book, …
- … arms and legs ( letter from C. L. Bernays, 25 February 1871 ). Samples of hair arrived from …
- … his own family circle, especially his cousin Hensleigh Wedgwood, whom Darwin had cited on the origin …
- … passing temptation of hunting it’ ( Descent 2: 392). Wedgwood, however, denied that a simple …
- … or remorse. The true essence of conscience, according to Wedgwood, was shame, and he went so far as …
- … by the presence of its master. ( Letter from Hensleigh Wedgwood, [3–9 March 1871] .) Some …
- … Morley. George and Henrietta remarked upon his dispute with Wedgwood. Darwin’s theory of the moral …
- … and morally bound. In one particularly long letter to Wedgwood, Darwin alluded to the pain of …
- … agreement is a satisfaction to me’ ( letter to Hensleigh Wedgwood, 9 March 1871 ). A …
- … home, Leith Hill Place in Surrey, and CD’s niece Lucy Wedgwood collected and weighed the dried …
- … & sherry’ ( letter from H. E. Litchfield to Charles and Emma Darwin, [5 November 1871] ). Her …
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Julia Wedgwood
Summary
Charles Darwin’s readership largely consisted of other well-educated Victorian men, nonetheless, some women did read, review, and respond to Darwin’s work. One of these women was Darwin’s own niece, Julia Wedgwood, known in the family as “Snow”. In July…
Matches: 13 hits
- … Though Charles Darwin’s readership largely consisted of other well-educated Victorian men, a …
- … to his work. One of the foremost was his niece, Julia Wedgwood. She was the eldest child of …
- … novel. Her first important periodical contributions were on Darwin, Lyell, the debate on the origins …
- … on religion and Eliot’s irregular private life. Wedgwood’s The Moral Ideal , the outcome …
- … management and free her to devote her time to her work. Emma Darwin was irritated by Wedgwood family …
- … of her teachers and the proximity of her uncle Charles Darwin, she ought, she said, “to have been …
- … of Science”, about On the Origin of Species . Wedgwood welcomed Darwin’s discoveries and sought …
- … churchmen were eventually reconciled with Darwinism. Darwin wrote to his niece: “I must tell you how …
- … that I find a very rare event with my critics”. ( Charles Darwin to F. J. Wedgwood, 11 July [1861] …
- … in animal and human behaviour, particularly in courtship. Darwin’s emphasis on man’s discovery of …
- … in Pauline doctrine. In her conclusion she reclaimed Darwin as a Theist. When Fanny Wedgwood …
- … of sexual selection] with approbation.” ( Charles and Emma Darwin to F. J. Wedgwood, [March 1871?] …
- … caused great offence to the Darwin sons but was accepted by Emma Darwin, with whom Wedgwood remained …
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Darwin’s queries on expression
Summary
When Darwin resumed systematic research on emotions around 1866, he began to collect observations more widely and composed a list of queries on human expression. A number of handwritten copies were sent out in 1867 (see, for example, letter to Fritz Muller…
Matches: 27 hits
- … When Darwin resumed systematic research on emotions around 1866, he began to collect …
- … ease of distribution sometime in late 1867 or early 1868. Darwin went over his questions, refining …
- … was the collection of observations on a global scale. Darwin was especially interested in peoples …
- … cultural and conventional, or instinctive and universal. Darwin used his existing correspondence …
- … and with the mouth a little drawn back at the corners?” Darwin’s questionnaire was an extension of …
- … was also carefully devised so as to prevent the feelings of Darwin’s remote observers from colouring …
- … and not the susceptibilities of a moral nature.” Darwin did not typically countenance such …
- … the collection of information to its display in print. After Darwin received all of the replies to …
- … except “yes” or “no.” “The same state of mind” Darwin would later assert in Expression of the …
- … uniformity.” Table of Correspondence about Darwin’s Questionnaire (click on the letter …
- … could available online ahead of schedule as part of the “Darwin and Human Nature” project, funded by …
- … Blair, R.H. 11 July 1871 Worcester College for the …
- … Brooke, C.A.J. 30 April 1871 Sarawak, Borneo …
- … Chaumont, F.S.B.F. de 11 March 1871 Woolston, …
- … Crichton-Browne, James 3 April 1871 West Riding …
- … Donders, F.C. 28 March 1871 Utrecht, Netherlands …
- … Foster, Michael 4 June [1871] Trinity College, …
- … Gray, Asa 14 April 1871 Cambridge, Massachusetts, …
- … Gray, Asa 10 & 14 March [1871] Cambridge, …
- … Abbey Place, London, England letter to Emma Darwin baby expression …
- … Penmaenmawr, Conway, Wales letter to Emma Darwin infant daughter …
- … Mivart, G.J. 26 Jan 1871 North Bank, London, England …
- … Reade, Winwood W. 1 Feb 1871 11 St Mary Abbot039;s …
- … Rejlander, O.G. [1871] Victoria Street, London, …
- … Smith, Andrew 1 Feb. 1871 11 Saint Mary Abbot039;s …
- … Smith, Andrew 17 April 1871 16 Alexander Square, …
- … astonishment Wedgwood, F.J. [1867-72] …
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: 22 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 …
- … plants in her garden. Letter 4523 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, [6 June 1864] …
- … a trip to Egypt. Letter 7223 - Darwin to Wedgwood, L. C., [8 June 1867 - 72] …
- … Darwin039;s daughter, Henrietta. Letter 7179 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, [5 …
- … her observations on the expression of emotion in dogs with Emma Darwin. Letter 8676 …
- … New Zealand. Letter 6453 - Langton, E. to Wedgwood, S. E., [9 November 1868] …
- … Letter 5756 - Langton, E. & C. to Wedgwood S. E., [after 9 November 1868] Darwin …
- … lakes in Pennsylvania. Letter 3681 - Wedgwood, M. S. to Darwin, [before 4 August …
- … on holiday in Llandudno. Letter 4823 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, H. E., [May 1865] …
- … any way he can. Letter 8144 - Darwin to Wedgwood, L. C., [5 January 1872] …
- … of hillside worm casting ridges. Letter 8169 - Wedgwood, L. to Darwin, [20 January, …
- … Wedgwood, S. E. & J. to Darwin, [10 November 1837] Emma’s sister, Sarah, passes on …
- … Letter 7433 - Wedgwood, F. to Darwin, [9 January 1871] Darwin’s brother-in-law, …
- … Letter 8113 - Treat, M. to Darwin, [20 December 1871] Mary Treat describes her …
- … E. to Darwin, W. E., [January 23rd 1887]: Emma Darwin tells her eldest son, William, …
- … E. to Darwin, W. E. , (March, 1862 - DAR 219.1:49) Emma Darwin updates her son, William, …
- … Letter 7605 - Darwin to Darwin, H. E., [20 March 1871] Darwin reports to …
- … Letter 7858 - Darwin to Wa llace, A. R., [12 July 1871] Darwin tells Wallace that …
- … is a great critic”, thought the article worth reprinting, Emma was less convinced. Letter …
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Henrietta Darwin's diary
Summary
Darwin's daughter Henrietta kept a diary for a few momentous weeks in 1871. This was the year in which Descent of Man, the most controversial of her father's books after Origin itself, appeared, a book which she had helped him write. The small…
Matches: 12 hits
- … Charles Darwin’s daughter Henrietta wrote the following journal entries in March and July 1871 in a …
- … excised within it, presumably by Henrietta herself. Darwin’s letters in 1870 and 1871 ( …
- … scepticism; many of her arguments are reminiscent of Darwin’s own discussion of religious belief in …
- … missions due to take place between 26 February and 5 March 1871 in four towns within the deanery of …
- … on a discussion with her cousin, Frances Julia (Snow) Wedgwood, about religion and free will in …
- … written one of Descent (see letter from Charles and Emma Darwin to F. J. Wedgwood, [March 1871?] …
- … period of their courtship. We are grateful to William Darwin for permission to publish the …
- … University Library. Henrietta Darwin | March 1871 1871 March— Sea Grove …
- … away what they have no equivalent for. July 4th 1871. How hard it is to wait—the …
- … I think I am a very happy woman. Sunday July 9 th . 1871 I want to think why I shd …
- … mission leaders in the Hampshire Advertiser , 21 January 1871, p. 7. 4 Probably John …
- … 6 Laura May Forster . 7 Frances Julia Wedgwood (Snow) and George Eliot. The …
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Darwin in letters, 1882: Nothing too great or too small
Summary
In 1882, Darwin reached his 74th year Earthworms had been published the previous October, and for the first time in decades he was not working on another book. He remained active in botanical research, however. Building on his recent studies in plant…
Matches: 25 hits
- … In 1882, Darwin reached his 74th year Earthworms had been published the previous …
- … for scientific colleagues or their widows facing hardship. Darwin had suffered from poor health …
- … of his scientific friends quickly organised a campaign for Darwin to have greater public recognition …
- … Botanical observation and experiment had long been Darwin’s greatest scientific pleasure. The year …
- … to Fritz Müller, 4 January 1882 ). These were topics that Darwin had been investigating for years, …
- … working at the effects of Carbonate of Ammonia on roots,’ Darwin wrote, ‘the chief result being that …
- … for some hours in a weak solution of C. of Ammonia’. Darwin’s interest in root response and the …
- … London on 6 and 16 March, respectively. In January, Darwin corresponded with George John …
- … letter from Arthur de Souza Corrêa, 28 December 1881 ). Darwin had a long-running interest in such …
- … experiments had been conducted to lend support to Darwin’s theory of pangenesis (see …
- … and was no longer able to take his daily strolls (Henrietta Emma Litchfield, ‘Charles Darwin’s death …
- … E. Litchfield to G. H. Darwin, 17 March 1882 (DAR 245: 319)) Emma wrote ten days later: ‘You will …
- … been a good deal plagued with dull aching in the chest’ (Emma Darwin to G. H. Darwin, [ c . 28 …
- … benefit & he escaped pain entirely yesterday’ (letter from Emma Darwin to G. H. Darwin, 6 April …
- … wrote to George, who had visited Down on 11 April (Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242)). ‘Father was taken …
- … H. Darwin, [19 April 1882] (DAR 245: 320)). It was left to Emma to convey the sorrowful news to his …
- … which I hope were never very violent’ ( letter from Emma Darwin to J. D. Hooker, [20 April 1882 …
- … were not wanting to tell me how you felt for me— Hope [Wedgwood] expresses a feeling that I should …
- … they were the most overflowing in tenderness’ (letter from Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin, 10 May 1882 …
- … was eagerly awaited by his family, including his cousin Emma Wedgwood. In long letters to her sister …
- … plied him with questions without any mercy’ ( letter from Emma Wedgwood to F. E. E. Wedgwood, [28 …
- … steps’ ( letter to Alexander Agassiz, 28 August [1871] ; see also Correspondence vol. 19, …
- … names to appear’ ( letter to Louisa Stevenson, 8 April 1871 ). It was Darwin’s name that was …
- … who had undertaken observations years earlier. In 1871, he had asked Henry Johnson to observe the …
- … vol. 19, letter to Henry Johnson, 23 December 1871 , and Earthworms , pp. 221–8). Darwin …
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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: 22 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 …
- … income was essential to enjoy a gentlemanly lifestyle. For Darwin, who could rely on the financial …
- … 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 …
- … Museum or some other learned place’ (letter from E. A. Darwin, 18 August [1832] ). Writing to Fox …
- … the late 1830s, and in correspondence with his fiancée, Emma Wedgwood, in 1838 and 1839, as can be …
- … of England. The whole family took the sacrament, although Emma used to make the children turn around …
- … and Charles were buried; later Darwin’s brother Erasmus, Emma’s sister Sarah, Emma herself, and …
- … church involvement can be attributed to the influence of Emma, whose religious scruples are …
- … [1850] and n. 6; and letter to J. B. Innes, 29 May [1871] ). Their true friendship does …
- … request favourably—’ (letter from J. B. Innes, 26 May 1871 ). Indeed Innes had such a high …
- … school and organ funds (letter to J. B. Innes, 13 January 1871 ). Down’s next clergyman …
- … very dull sermons’ (letter to J. B. Innes, 18 January [1871] ). Mr Powell was happy to take up …
- … qualifications’ (letter from J. B. Innes, 5 June 1871 ). Particularly in the early days of …
- … Ffinden strongly disapproved of the Darwins. In his eyes, Emma’s Unitarian leanings and Darwin’s …
- … schools in this period, the Down school was Anglican. Emma wished it to be used as a reading room …
- … even altered the habits of the household in order to allow Emma and the children to attend his …
- … increase his desire to actually attend Sunday services with Emma and the children. Darwin’s life in …
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] …
- … typically-male readers. Letter 7124 - Darwin to Darwin, H. E., [8 February 1870] …
- … to Darwin, E., [8 November 1872] Ann Cupples asks Emma to pass on thanks to Darwin for …
- … Letter 7624 - Bathoe, M . B. to Darwin, [25 March 1871] Mary Bathoe responds …
- … Letter 7644 - Barnard, A. to Darwin, [30 March 1871] J. S. Henslow’s daughter, …
- … 7411 - Pfeiffer, E. J. to Darwin, [before 26 April 1871] The poet Emily Pfeiffer …
- … Letter 8055 - Hennell, S. S. to Darwin, [7 November 1871] Sarah Hennell writes to Darwin …
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What did Darwin believe?
Summary
What did Darwin really believe about God? the Christian revelation? the implications of his theory of evolution for religious faith? These questions were asked again and again in the years following the publication of Origin of species (1859). They are…
Matches: 25 hits
- … What did Darwin really believe about God? the Christian revelation? the implications of …
- … rhetoric of crusading secularists, many of whom take Darwin as an icon. But Darwin was very …
- … Letters became an important medium through which Darwin’s readers sought to draw him out on matters …
- … the religious implications of his work. Letters written to Darwin by persons unknown to him became …
- … own. Mary Boole’s letter In December 1866 Darwin received a letter from Mary Boole, a …
- … See the letter Boole, like a number of Darwin’s readers, found a way of reconciling the …
- … with some form of religious belief. But when Boole asks Darwin about specific points of belief, such …
- … See the letter In his response to Boole, Darwin implies that certain questions are beyond …
- … into such territory in this letter to a stranger. Emma Darwin In what is …
- … matters many years earlier with his cousin and fiancée, Emma Wedgewood. In their correspondence, …
- … but we gain a sense of what the couple discussed from Emma’s words to him: My reason …
- … It is clear from other correspondence that one of Emma’s most cherished beliefs was in an afterlife. …
- … she means so in eternity. There is a marked tension in Emma’s letter between reason and feeling, and …
- … to himself, and allowed his differences of belief with Emma to remain for the most part submerged. …
- … members of the Darwin family, offer a fuller perspective on Emma’s religious beliefs. The documents …
- … over Scriptural or doctrinal authority, as a foundation for Emma’s views. They also show that Emma’s …
- … was another important religious tradition in the Darwin and Wedgwood families. Josiah Wedgwood, who …
- … Unitarian school in Shrewsbury. The circle with whom he and Emma socialised when in London included …
- … were regular guests of Darwin’s brother Erasmus, and of Emma’s brother, Hensleigh Wedgwood and his …
- … liturgy. But we know, from Francis Darwin’s comments, that Emma used to make the family turn round …
- … to recite the creed, with its Trinitarian formula. Emma’s copy of the New Testament, …
- … to have been inauthentic, or added by later authors. Emma’s Bible also contains some …
- … or on the origin of human races in Descent of man (1871). Some leading Darwinians found …
- … (London: John Murray). Darwin, Charles. 1871. Descent of man and selection in relation to …
- … writer. Wallace, Alfred Russel. Naturalist. Wedgwood, Josiah. Master potter and …
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Darwin and vivisection
Summary
Darwin played an important role in the controversy over vivisection that broke out in late 1874. Public debate was sparked when the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals brought an unsuccessful prosecution against a French physiologist who…
Matches: 20 hits
- … Darwin played an important role in the controversy over vivisection that broke …
- … on live animals in Britain. In December 1874, Darwin was asked to sign a memorial by the …
- … draft legislation that would protect animals from suffering. Darwin was sympathetic to the cause, …
- … (letter to H. E. Litchfield, 4 January [1875] ). Darwin also worried that any bill passed by a …
- … to T. H. Huxley, 14 January 1875 ). In the event, Darwin became closely involved with the …
- … for assistance in preparing a bill for Parliament. Darwin almost never involved himself in …
- … recent research on insectivorous plants. Indeed, some of Darwin’s plant experiments, such as …
- … and because it failed to mention anaesthetics. Darwin’s indebtedness and allegiance to …
- … heart’ ( Correspondence vol. 19, letter to ?, 19 May [1871] ). As a magistrate in Down, he had …
- … subscriber to the RSPCA, he had campaigned with his wife Emma against the use of steel traps on game …
- … to put an end to any suffering before his eyes’. Darwin was clearly disturbed by the prospect …
- … vol. 19, letter to E. R. Lankester, 22 March [1871] ). In the same year, Darwin had published …
- … some animals possessed social sympathies akin to conscience. Darwin even described an animal …
- … 1: 40). Vivisection was a sensitive subject within Darwin’s family. In his letter of 14 …
- … of a network of reformers and philanthropists that included Darwin’s brother, Erasmus, and his …
- … (men of course) or I might get one or two’ (letter from Emma Darwin to F. P. Cobbe, 14 January …
- … after night, prepares and sets instruments of torture’ ( Emma Darwin (1904) 2: 201). …
- … (letter from J. S. Burdon Sanderson, 12 February 1875 ). Darwin was in London from 31 March to 12 …
- … to Burdon Sanderson, who drafted a memorial, sending it to Darwin on 7 April (letter from J. S. …
- … of the British Association for the Advancement of Science in 1871 that outlined principles for …
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: 11 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, …
- … second is a single letter from naturalist A. R. Wallace to Darwin on design and natural selection. …
- … of each fragment at the base of my precipice”. Darwin and Wallace Letter 5140 …
- … members of his own family. Letter 441 — Wedgwood, Emma to Darwin, C. R., [21–22 Nov …
- … conscientious doubts”. Letter 471 — Darwin, Emma to Darwin, C. R., [c. Feb 1839] …
- … Letter 8070 — Darwin, C. R. to Abbot, F. E., 16 Nov [1871] Darwin explains why he must …
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Science: A Man’s World?
Summary
Discussion Questions|Letters Darwin's correspondence show that many nineteenth-century women participated in the world of science, be it as experimenters, observers, editors, critics, producers, or consumers. Despite this, much of the…
Matches: 14 hits
- … Discussion Questions | Letters Darwin's correspondence show that many nineteenth …
- … Letters Darwin’s Notes On Marriage [April - July 1838] In these notes, …
- … of family, home and sociability. Letter 489 - Darwin to Wedgwood, E., [20 January 1839] …
- … theories, & accumulating facts in silence & solitude”. Darwin also comments that he has …
- … Letter 3715 - Claparède, J. L. R. A. E. to Darwin, [6 September 1862] Claparède …
- … are not those of her sex”. Letter 4038 - Darwin to Lyell, C., [12-13 March 1863] …
- … critic”. Letter 4377 - Haeckel, E. P. A. to Darwin, [2 January 1864] Haeckel …
- … works”. Letter 4441 - Becker, L. E. to Darwin, [30 March 1864] Lydia Becker …
- … to study nature. Letter 4940 - Cresy, E. to Darwin, E., [20 November 1865] …
- … of physiology at Bedford College for girls. Appealing to Emma’s “feminine sympathies”, Cresy is keen …
- … masculine nor pedantic”. Letter 6976 - Darwin to Blackwell, A. B., [8 November 1869] …
- … , (1829). Letter 7329 - Murray, J. to Darwin, [28 September 1870] Written …
- … them ears”. Letter 8055 - Hennell, S. S. to Darwin, [7 November 1871] Sarah …
- … Letter 8079 - Norton, S. R. to Darwin, [20 November 1871] Sarah Norton passes on to …
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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: 25 hits
- … 1874 was one of consolidation, reflection, and turmoil for Darwin. He spent the early months working …
- … dispute over an anonymous review that attacked the work of Darwin’s son George dominated the second …
- … and traveller Alexander von Humboldt’s 105th birthday, Darwin obliged with a reflection on his debt …
- … ). The death of a Cambridge friend, Albert Way, caused Darwin’s cousin, William Darwin Fox, to …
- … from W. D. Fox, 8 May [1874] ). Such reminiscences led Darwin to the self-assessment, ‘as for one …
- … I feel very old & helpless The year started for Darwin with a week’s visit to …
- … Andrew Clark, whom he had been consulting since August 1873. Darwin had originally thought that …
- … ( letter to B. J. Sulivan, 6 January [1874] ). Darwin mentioned his poor health so frequently in …
- … 1874 ). Séances, psychics, and sceptics Darwin excused himself for reasons of …
- … by George Henry Lewes and Marian Evans (George Eliot), but Darwin excused himself, finding it too …
- … the month, another Williams séance was held at the home of Darwin’s cousin Hensleigh Wedgwood. Those …
- … imposter’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 27 January 1874 ). Darwin agreed that it was ‘all imposture’ …
- … stop word getting to America of the ‘strange news’ that Darwin had allowed ‘a spirit séance’ at his …
- … the first three months of the year and, like many of Darwin’s enterprises in the 1870s, were family …
- … 21, letter to Smith, Elder & Co., 17 December [1873] ). Darwin himself had some trouble in …
- … and letter to Charles Lyell, [13 January 1874] ). Darwin blamed his illness for the …
- … . In his preface ( Coral reefs 2d ed., pp. v–vii), Darwin reasserted the priority of his work. …
- … for the absence of coral-reefs in certain locations. Darwin countered with the facts that low …
- … satisfaction. Assisted in the wording by his wife, Emma, and daughter Henrietta, he finally wrote a …
- … fourth son, Leonard, who had joined the Royal Engineers in 1871, went to New Zealand as photographer …
- … a comfortable cabin ( see letter from Leonard Darwin to Emma Darwin, [after 26 June -- 28 September …
- … to become Darwin’s secretary. They rented Down Lodge and Emma Darwin wrote, ‘They have . . . made …
- … the average in prettiness & snugness’ ( letter from Emma Darwin to J. B. Innes, 12 October …
- … letter to Down School Board, [after 29 November 1873] ). Emma saw a ‘great blessing’ in the rumour …
- … dead uncle’s position of vicar of Deptford ( letter from Emma Darwin to J. B. Innes, 12 October …
Darwin in public and private
Summary
Extracts from Darwin's published works, in particular Descent of man, and selected letters, explore Darwin's views on the operation of sexual selection in humans, and both his publicly and privately expressed views on its practical implications…
Matches: 13 hits
- … The following extracts and selected letters explore Darwin's views on the operation of sexual …
- … in relation to sex , (London: John Murray, 1st ed., 1871), vol. 1., pp. 207 – 208. 3) “Man …
- … and has a more inventive genius…” Descent (1871), vol. 2, pp. 316 – 317. 4) …
- … greater tenderness and less selfishness…” Descent (1871), vol. 2, pp. 326 – 327. 5) “The …
- … merely the use of the senses and hands….” Descent (1871), vol. 2, pp. 327. 6) “…Thus man …
- … is in ornamental plumage to the peahen.” Descent (1871), vol. 2, pp. 328 – 329. 7) …
- … chiefly to her adult daughters….” Descent (1871), vol. 2, p. 329. 8) “Man is more …
- … should have gained the power of selection…” Descent (1871), vol. 2, pp. 371 – 372. …
- … of dark eyebrows. Letter 489 – Darwin to Wedgwood, E., [20 January 1859] …
- … progenitor. Letter 7123 - Darwin to Darwin, H. E., [March 1870] Darwin …
- … impeding general perusal. Letter 8146 – Darwin to Treat, M., [5 January 1872] …
- … of her work on Drosera. Letter 10546 – Darwin to Editor of The Times , [23 June …
- … progress of physiology. Letter 10746 – Darwin to Dicey, E. M., [1877] …
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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: 26 hits
- … On 6 March 1868, Darwin wrote to the entomologist and accountant John Jenner Weir, ‘If any …
- … he ought to do what I am doing pester them with letters.’ Darwin was certainly true to his word. The …
- … and sexual selection. In Origin , pp. 87–90, Darwin had briefly introduced the concept of …
- … process. In a letter to Alfred Russel Wallace in 1864, Darwin claimed that sexual selection was ‘the …
- … 12, letter to A. R. Wallace, 28 [May 1864] ). Darwin’s theory of sexual selection as …
- … 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 …
- … which was devoted to sexual selection in the animal kingdom. Darwin described his thirst for …
- … in January 1868. A final delay caused by the indexing gave Darwin much vexation. ‘My book is …
- … 1867 and had expected to complete it in a fortnight. But at Darwin’s request, he modified his …
- … the text. This increased the amount of work substantially. Darwin asked Murray to intervene, …
- … … though it would be a great loss to the Book’. But Darwin’s angry letter to Murray crossed one from …
- … blank’ ( letter from W. S. Dallas, 8 January 1868 ). Darwin sympathised, replying on 14 January …
- … as stone, if it were not quite mollified by your note’. Darwin enclosed a cheque to Dallas for £55 …
- … and descent in the Fortnightly Review , and asked Darwin for comments. Darwin was clearly …
- … ‘fast passing away’ that sparked the most discussion. Darwin wrote to Hooker on 23 February , …
- … authorship. John Murray thought it was by Gray himself, but Darwin corrected him: ‘D r Gray would …
- … of Science, Robertson published a rejoinder, arousing Darwin’s ire still further: ‘he is a scamp …
- … all sorts of subjects In writing Variation , Darwin had been careful to acknowledge …
- … great influx of unsolicited letters from persons unknown to Darwin, offering additional facts that …
- … 1868 . The letter was addressed to ‘the Rev d C. Darwin M.d’; Binstead evidently assumed Darwin …
- … at Cambridge, George Robert Crotch, writing to his mother Emma in a letter dated [after 16 October …
- … Langton wrote from the south of France to Sarah Elizabeth Wedgwood on 9 Novembe r, describing …
- … and received a number of reports from family members. Emma Darwin’s niece, Cicely Mary Hawkshaw, …
- … old daughter Katherine ( letter from C. M. Hawkshaw to Emma Darwin, 9 February [1868] ). Darwin’s …
- … other national papers, and within a few days Darwin and Emma were receiving letters of …
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Darwin in letters, 1864: Failing health
Summary
On receiving a photograph from Charles Darwin, the American botanist Asa Gray wrote on 11 July 1864: ‘the venerable beard gives the look of your having suffered, and … of having grown older’. Because of poor health, Because of poor health, Darwin…
Matches: 25 hits
- … On receiving a photograph from Charles Darwin, the American botanist Asa Gray wrote on 11 July …
- … … of having grown older’. This portrait, the first of Darwin with his now famous beard, had been …
- … 52 hours without vomiting!! In the same month, Darwin began to consult William Jenner, …
- … prescribed a variety of antacids and purgatives, and limited Darwin’s fluid intake; this treatment …
- … the dimorphic aquatic cut-grass Leersia . In May, Darwin finished his paper on Lythrum …
- … he had set aside the previous summer. In October, Darwin let his friends know that on his …
- … to the surgeon and naturalist Francis Trevelyan Buckland, Darwin described his symptoms in some …
- … November and December were also marked by the award to Darwin of the Royal Society’s Copley Medal; …
- … been unsuccessfully nominated the two previous years. As Darwin explained to his cousin William …
- … it was conferred, brought a dramatic conclusion to the year. Darwin also wrote to Fox that he was …
- … progress’ in Britain. Challenging convention Darwin’s concern about the acceptance of …
- … vol. 11). In a letter of [27 January 1864] , Darwin wrote to Hooker: ‘The only approach to work …
- … produce tendrils However, the queries that Darwin, describing himself as ‘a broken-down …
- … tendrils’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [8 February 1864] ). Darwin’s excitement about his …
- … ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 2 June [1864] ). When Darwin asked Oliver whether the tendrils of …
- … for his teacherly tone, explaining that he had felt that Darwin had misunderstood some accepted …
- … ( letter from Daniel Oliver, [17 March 1864] ). Though Darwin replied with his typical humility …
- … habits of climbing plants’ (‘Climbing plants’), which Darwin submitted to the Linnean Society in …
- … was often the case, he was interested in transitional forms. Darwin came to think, for example, that …
- … and tendril-bearers. At the end of his paper, Darwin used species from the genus Lathyrus …
- … garden, taking notes by dictation. His niece Lucy Caroline Wedgwood sent observations of …
- … household news, were sometimes written by Darwin’s wife, Emma, or by Henrietta. Darwin’s own replies …
- … case of Dimorphism’ in Menyanthes ( letter from Emma and Charles Darwin to W. E. Darwin, [20 …
- … of man , and selection in relation to sex ( Descent ) in 1871. Along with other publications in …
- … he saw few people outside the family and, according to Emma Darwin’s diary and his own ‘Journal’, …
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Virginia Isitt: Darwin’s secretary?
Summary
In an undated and incomplete draft letter to a “Miss I.”, Emma Darwin appears to be arranging for Miss I. to come to Down for a trial period as a secretary. When the letter first came to light, no one had heard of the mysterious “Miss I.” and, as far as we…
Matches: 10 hits
- … an undated and incomplete draft letter to a “Miss I.”, Emma Darwin appears to be arranging for Miss …
- … of the mysterious “Miss I.” and, as far as we knew, Darwin never employed a secretary. Members of …
- … carefully return them to you— It is so very doubtful Mr Darwin being able to dictate to his own …
- … Station at any hour of the afternoon that you will fix— Mr Darwin is so m[uch]. of an invalid that I …
- … us but I hope you will A second letter in the Darwin Archive–CUL (DAR 219.9: 95), …
- … Port Elizabeth Collegiate School; he had been unaware of the Darwin connection. Additionally, he …
- … in education at the Convent College in Arras. In 1871, Darwin was receiving letters relating …
- … had recently married. So, it is possible that he and Emma were more than usually receptive to the …
- … situation. There is no further mention of Virigina Isitt in Darwin’s correspondence, nor has …
- … the Darwins used their influence to further her career, as Darwin had helped the gardener John Scott …
Darwin as mentor
Summary
Darwin provided advice, encouragement and praise to his fellow scientific 'labourers' of both sexes. Selected letters Letter 2234 - Darwin to Unidentified, [5 March 1858] Darwin advises that Professor C. P. Smyth’s observations are not…
Matches: 11 hits
- … Darwin provided advice, encouragement and praise to his fellow scientific …
- … Selected letters Letter 2234 - Darwin to Unidentified, [5 March 1858] Darwin …
- … on insufficient grounds. Letter 3934 - Darwin to Scott, J., [21 January 1863] …
- … material worthy of publication. Letter 4185 - Darwin to Scott, J., [25 & 28 May …
- … worker you are!”. Letter 7605 - Darwin to Darwin, H. E., [20 March 1871] …
- … book’s “lucid vigorous style”. In consultation with Emma, Darwin offers Henrietta “some little …
- … so many observations without aid. Letter 8146 - Darwin to Treat, M., [5 January 1872] …
- … scientific journal”. Letter 8171 - Darwin to Wedgwood, L., [21 January 1872] …
- … stooping over holes for hours which “tried my head”. Darwin notes that Lucy is worth her weight in …
- … he had repeated the experiment. Letter 9580 - Darwin to Darwin, G. H. D., [1 August …
- … be submitted to the publisher. Letter 9613 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [30 August 1874 …
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Darwin in letters, 1872: Job done?
Summary
'My career’, Darwin wrote towards the end of 1872, 'is so nearly closed. . . What little more I can do, shall be chiefly new work’, and the tenor of his correspondence throughout the year is one of wistful reminiscence, coupled with a keen eye…
Matches: 29 hits
- … ‘My career’, Darwin wrote towards the end of 1872, ‘is so nearly closed. . . What little …
- … of On the origin of species , intended to be Darwin’s last, and of Expression of the …
- … of man and selection in relation to sex , published in 1871, these books brought a strong if …
- … 27 July [1872] ). By the end of the year Darwin was immersed in two of the studies that …
- … of books and papers, and the latter formed the subject of Darwin’s last book, The formation of …
- … worms , published in the year before his death. Despite Darwin’s declared intention to take up new …
- … begun many years before. In his private life also, Darwin was in a nostalgic frame of mind, …
- … The last word on Origin The year opened with Darwin, helped by his eldest son William, …
- … on 30 January , shortly after correcting the proofs, and Darwin’s concern for the consolidation of …
- … and sixth editions were costly to incorporate, and despite Darwin’s best efforts, set the final …
- … closely involved in every stage of publication of his books, Darwin was keen to ensure that this …
- … to bring out the new edition in the United States, Darwin arranged with Murray to have it …
- … had to be reset. The investment in stereotype reinforced Darwin’s intention to make no further …
- … A worsening breach The criticisms against which Darwin had taken the greatest trouble to …
- … objections to the theory of natural selection’, Darwin refuted point by point assertions published …
- … Although Mivart was among those who wrote in January to wish Darwin a happy new year, before the …
- … critical and anonymously published review of Descent . Darwin’s supporters had rallied to his …
- … The republication of Wright’s paper had been arranged by Darwin himself (see Correspondence vol. …
- … so bigotted a person as I am made to appear’, complained Darwin ( letter to St G. J. Mivart, 5 …
- … that he would willingly acknowledge himself at fault if only Darwin would renounce `fundamental …
- … letter to St G. J. Mivart, 8 January [1872] ). Despite Darwin’s request that he drop the …
- … ( letter from St G. J. Mivart, 10 January 1872 ). Darwin, determined to have the last word in …
- … 11 January [1872] ). 039;I hate controversy,’ Darwin wrote later in the year, possibly with this …
- … ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 3 August [1872] ). Darwin's theories under siege …
- … sexual selection in human evolution, continued to trouble Darwin. ‘At present natural selection is …
- … about the level of support for his theories abroad and Darwin, directing operations from the safe …
- … 13 December 1872 ). 039;Here is a bee039; Darwin discussed the reception of his …
- … to contain wormcasts from India. Darwin’s niece Lucy Wedgwood, who had started her observations the …
- … out such a litany of ill health to one correspondent that Emma protested: `My wife commands me to …
Volume appendices
Summary
Here is a list of the appendices from the print volumes of the Correspondence of Charles Darwin with links to adapted online versions where they are available. Appendix I in each volume contains translations of letters in foreign languages and these can…
Matches: 16 hits
- … from the print volumes of the Correspondence of Charles Darwin with links to adapted online …
- … When not specified Appendix II is a chronology of Darwin’s life in the period covered by the volume, …
- … 1 II Darwin’s Beagle records 1 III …
- … 1 V Darwin’s early notes on coral reef formation …
- … 2 IV Darwin’s notes on marriage 2 V …
- … 2 VI Darwin and William Kemp on the vitality of seeds …
- … 3 III Darwin’s notes arising from conversations with Joseph Dalton Hooker …
- … 4 II Darwin’s study of the Cirripedia 4 …
- … 5 II Death of Anne Elizabeth Darwin …
- … 6 III Dates of composition of Darwin’s manuscript on species …
- … 7 III Abstract of Darwin’s species theory …
- … 7 V Death of Charles Waring Darwin 7 VI …
- … 9 V Correspondence between Erasmus Darwin and Josiah Wedgwood I, concerning …
- … 9 X Darwin's memoir of John Stevens Henslow …
- … 10 IX Diplomas presented to Charles Darwin …
- … 19 VI Henrietta Emma Darwin’s journal 1871 …