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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,…

Matches: 5 hits

  • … Below is a list of Darwin's correspondents with the number of letters for each one. …
  • … Dareste, Camille (9) Darwin family (1) …
  • … Darwin, H. E. (60) Darwin, Horace (30) …
  • … Peacock, George (2) Pearce, Horace (1) …
  • … Royle, J. F. (7) Ruck, Amy (6) Ruck, …

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: 18 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 wifepoor creature, has won
  • regarding the ailments that were so much a feature of Darwin family life. But the calm was not to
  • of the next generation of the family, with Francis and Amys child expected in September. Their joy
  • and his baby son Bernard now part of the household, and Darwin recasting his work on dimorphic and
  • had involved much time and effort the previous year, and Darwin clearly wanted to focus his
  • When Smith, Elder and Company proposed reissuing two of Darwins three volumes of the geology of
  • single-volume edition titled Geological observations , Darwin resisted making any revisions at
  • volume, Coral reefs , already in its second edition. Darwin was neverthelessfirmly resolved not
  • meticulous correction of errors in the German editions made Darwin less anxious about correcting the
  • to Carus. ( Letter to J. V. Carus, 24 April 1876. ) Darwin focused instead on the second
  • concentrated on themeans of crossing’, was seen by Darwin as the companion to Cross and self
  • models of typewriter. Francis Darwin and his wife, Amy, carefully prepared for its arrival. Amy made
  • for the real machine.’ It was the mechanically minded Horace, however, who was the first to type a
  • it is. ’ After describing how youplay on keys ’, Horace pointed out that in less than a day he
  • to present it to the Royal Society. He was pleased that Horace was off to Birmingham to lecture to
  • for the first time to a large and healthy boy, the son of Amy and Francis. Just four days later, …
  • Frankhis life will be a mere wreck’, Darwin lamented. Amy had been loved by the whole family and

Casting about: Darwin on worms

Summary

Earthworms were the subject of a citizen science project to map the distribution of earthworms across Britain (BBC Today programme, 26 May 2014). The general understanding of the role earthworms play in improving soils and providing nutrients for plants to…

Matches: 13 hits

  • for plants to flourish can be traced back to the last book Darwin wrote, snappily-titled The
  • on their habits, which was published in 1881. Despite Darwins fears that a book on earthworms might
  • out in his Natural History of Selborne of 1789 (a book Darwin claimed hadmuch influence on my
  • a new field in natural history, and almost a century later Darwin argued that all fields had passed
  • variety of strange things he persuaded people to do. Darwin concluded that worms had no sense
  • a metal whistle and to being shouted at, but also to Francis Darwin playing the bassoon, and to Emma
  • traces of earthworm activity at Stonehenge , and Horace was later charged with making sure that 18
  • ridges and furrows through the action of worms. Meanwhile Amy Ruck, Franciss future wife, was in
  • realising that this negative evidence was also valuable to Darwin. Thomas Henry Farrer , …
  • existence of worms at that altitude. By the 1870s, Darwin was also drawing on the work of
  • him. Soon worm excrement was trusted to postal services, and Darwin acquired casts from India and
  • observations he had gathered to write a book on the subject. Darwin brought to the topic the
  • bigger souls than anyone wd suppose’ ( letter to W. E. Darwin, 31 January [1881] (CUL DAR 210.6: …

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: 24 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 Darwins son George dominated the second
  • and traveller Alexander von Humboldts 105th birthday, Darwin obliged with a reflection on his debt
  • … ). The death of a Cambridge friend, Albert Way, caused Darwins 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 weeks 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 Darwins cousin Hensleigh Wedgwood. Those
  • imposter’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 27 January 1874 ). Darwin agreed that it wasall imposture’ …
  • stop word getting to America of thestrange newsthat Darwin had alloweda spirit séanceat his
  • the first three months of the year and, like many of Darwins 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. vvii), Darwin reasserted the priority of his work. …
  • were also doing well. Despite ill health, his youngest son Horace began the year by taking the
  • without being bad & have done pretty well’ ( letter to Horace Darwin, 9 January [1874] ). …
  • Kent. After a months trial Darwin wrote to the firm about Horaces illness: ‘My son is most
  • Airy ed. 1881). Darwins third son Francis married Amy Ruck, the sister of a friend of
  • …  (butterwort) for Darwins work on insectivorous plants. Amy drew a plant and Francis was
  • nearly so much in Switzerland ( letter from Francis and Amy Darwin, 8 August [1874] ). …
  • D. F. Nevill, 18 September [1874] ).Franciss new wife, Amy, drew the plant ( letter to Francis

Referencing women’s work

Summary

Darwin's correspondence shows that women made significant contributions to Darwin's work, but whether and how they were acknowledged in print involved complex considerations of social standing, professional standing, and personal preference.…

Matches: 17 hits

  • Darwin's correspondence shows that women made significant contributions to Darwin's work, …
  • set of selected letters is followed by letters relating to Darwin's 1881 publication
  • throughout Variation . Letter 2395 - Darwin to Holland, Miss, [April 1860] …
  • anonymised and masculinised. Letter 3316 - Darwin to Nevill, D. F., [12 November
  • Nevill is referenced by name for herkindnessin Darwins Fertilisation of Orchids . …
  • critic. Letter 4370 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, [April - May 1865] Darwin
  • asfriends in Surrey”. Letter 4794 - Darwin to Lyell, C., [25 March 1865] …
  • B”. Letter 7060 - Wedgwood, F. J. to Darwin, [1867 - 72] Darwins
  • in the final publication. Letter 7223 - Darwin to Wedgwood, L. C., [9 June 1867 - …
  • in Expression . Letter 5817 - Darwin to Huxley, T. H., [30 January 1868
  • baby in Mary Barton. Letter 8321 - Darwin to Litchfield, H. E., [13 May
  • … - Ruck, A. R. to Darwin, H., [20 January 1872] Amy Ruck reports the results of her
  • … - Ruck, A. R. to Darwin, H., [1 February 1872] Amy Ruck sends a second report of her
  • Darwin asks hisgeologist in chief for N. Wales”, Amy Ruck, to provide observations and take
  • Darwin, H., [1 November 1877] Darwin asks his sons, Horace and Francis, to observe
  • … - Darwin, H. to Darwin, [7 October 1880] Horace writes to his father with information
  • St Tibbs Row. Darwin proudly referenced the work of "My son Horace" in Vegetable Mould

Emma Darwin

Summary

Emma Darwin, Charles Darwin's wife and first cousin, was born Emma Wedgwood, the eighth and youngest child of Josiah Wedgwood II and Bessy Allen. Her father was the eldest son of the famous pottery manufacturer, Josiah Wedgwood I. Her mother was one…

Matches: 6 hits

  • … Emma Darwin, Charles Darwin's wife and first cousin, was born Emma Wedgwood, the eighth and …
  • … father's eldest sister, Susannah, had married Robert Waring Darwin of Shrewsbury, and had six …
  • … Henrietta Emma, George Howard, Elizabeth, Francis, Leonard, Horace, and Charles Waring). Two of …
  • … cared for their grandson Bernard, Francis's son: his mother, Amy, died a few days after his …
  • … she lived with her daughter Elizabeth. Francis, George, and Horace also lived in Cambridge. …
  • … home. A great deal of her correspondence survives in the Darwin Archive–CUL, along with her …

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: 11 hits

  • … |  Editors and critics  |  Assistants Darwins 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
  • garden. Letter 4523 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, [6 June 1864] Darwins
  • … . Letter 5745 - Barber, M. E. to Darwin, [after February 1867] Mary Barber
  • Letter 6535 - Vaughan Williams , M. S. to Darwin, H. E., [after 14 October 1869] …
  • Letter 8611 - Cupples, A. J. to Darwin, E., [8 November1872] Anne Jane Cupples, …
  • observations on the expression of emotion in dogs with Emma Darwin. Letter 8676 - …
  • and offers to observe birds, insects or plants on Darwins behalf. Letter 8683 - …
  • … - Ruck, A. R . to Darwin, H., [20 January 1872] Amy Ruck reports the results of her

Darwin's 1874 letters go online

Summary

The full transcripts and footnotes of over 600 letters to and from Charles Darwin in 1874 are published online for the first time. You can read about Darwin's life in 1874 through his letters and see a full list of the letters. The 1874 letters…

Matches: 9 hits

  • and footnotes of over 600 letters to and from Charles Darwin in 1874 are published online for
  • the Catholic zoologist St George Jackson Mivart caused Darwin and his son George. In an
  • licentiousness’. After re-reading what George had written, Darwin wrote:   I cannot
  • of [a] lying scoundrel.—  ( Letter to GHDarwin, 1 August [1874] ) The
  • behaviour in scientific society. Find out more about how Darwin and his family and friends dealt
  • WDFox, 11 May [1874] ) At the age of 65, Darwin had reflective moments, although his
  • Letter to DFNevill, 18 September [1874] ) Darwins family continued to prosper. His
  • son Francis, having given up his medical career, married Amy Ruck and came to live in Down village
  • Letter to JDHooker, 30 November [1874] ) Darwins continuing loyalty to his friends

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: 28 hits

  • Ever since the publication of Expression , Darwins research had centred firmly on botany. The
  • of these projects would culminate in a major publication. Darwins botany was increasingly a
  • had moved back to Down House after the death of his wife, Amy, the previous year. He assisted his
  • The year 1877 was more than usually full of honours. Darwin received two elaborate photograph albums
  • 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
  • … (‘Recollections’, p. 419). During the winter and spring, Darwin was busy preparing the manuscript of
  • and presented to the Linnean Society of London. In the book, Darwin adopted the more recent term
  • as dimorphic without comparing pollen-grains & stigmas’, Darwin remarked to Joseph Dalton
  • measurements of the size and number of pollen-grains, Darwin compared the fertility of individual
  • primrose and purple loosestrife. In the course of his work, Darwin found a number of other
  • dreadful work making out anything about dried flowers’, Darwin complained to Asa Gray on 8 March
  • which include heterstyled species. This pleases me.’. Darwin dedicated the book to Gray, ‘as a small
  • separate publications together into a larger whole enabled Darwin to advance more speculative views
  • both pollen and seeds’ ( Forms of flowers , p. 344). Darwin was typically pessimistic about the
  • be sold’. His publisher knew from previous experience that Darwin was a poor judge of sales, and
  • after completing his manuscript of Forms of flowers , Darwin took up the problem ofbloomin
  • characteristic whose purpose was little understood. Darwin had begun studying bloom in August 1873, …
  • exchanged between Down and Kew over the next six months. Darwin corresponded most often with the
  • been for your kindness, we sh d . have broken down’, Darwin wrote back on 5 September . ‘As it
  • injury from pure water resting on leaves’. In the end, Darwin did not publish on the subject, but
  • on leaves and the distribution of the stomata’ (F. Darwin 1886). Alongside his work on bloom, …
  • closely to the leaves and required a tolerable shake’. Darwin gained another valuable observer in
  • T. Thiselton-Dyer, 25 August 1877 ). At Down House, Darwin and Francis devised a method of
  • made the journey along with Emma. George, Francis, and Horace also attended. The ceremony was held
  • that had gradually sunk from the burrowing of worms. Horace started building awormographto
  • buried ( letter from Francis Darwin, [28 October 1877?] ). Horace went with Francis to examine the

The "wicked book": Origin at 157

Summary

Origin is 157 years old.  (Probably) the most famous book in science was published on 24 November 1859.  To celebrate we have uploaded hundreds of new images of letters, bringing the total number you can look at here to over 9000 representing more than…

Matches: 7 hits

  • book appeared.   You can now see examples of letters to Darwin from nearly 250 different people, and
  • Lyell , and Joseph Hooker , the two men who arranged for Darwins and Wallaces ideas to be made
  • Asa Gray who was an important sounding board for Darwins emerging ideas, and Thomas Huxley
  • scrap from 1857 comparing his views on species to DarwinsOthers, like Hugh Falconer , …
  • the less well-known scientific collaborators who became Darwin's correspondents, Mary Treat
  • William, George, Henrietta , Francis , Leonard, and Horace. Franciss fiancée, Amy  Ruck, was
  • of water thrown over me on rising William Darwin Fox , Charless cousin and another

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: 28 hits

  • evolution, sexual selection, and the expression of emotions, Darwin was able to devote 1873 almost
  • … (1875) and  Cross and self fertilisation  (1876). Darwins son Francis became increasingly
  • career to become his fathers scientific secretary. Darwin had always relied on assistance from
  • Franciss decision. A large portion of the letters Darwin received in 1873 were in response
  • 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 Galtons 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
  • 12 January [1873] ).  Drosera  was the main focus of Darwins study of insectivorous plants, a
  • and alkaloids, and even electrical stimulation. On sending Darwin a specimen of the carnivorous  …
  • … ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 12 January 1873 ). Darwin found that the glandular hairs on the
  • to bend inward, so that the plant closed like a fist. Darwin was fascinated by this transmission of
  • plants , p. 63). The plants secreted a viscid fluid, which Darwin suspected attracted insects by
  • … ., p. 17). Through a series of painstaking experiments, Darwin determined that the secretions
  • botanist Mary Treat, who performed experiments suggested by Darwin on the North American species  …
  • … . He began to perform experiments modelled on those of Darwin, feeding the plant egg and raw meat, …
  • guide to animal experimentation that Klein had co-authored. Darwin contacted two of the  Handbook
  • London, and director of the Brown InstitutionDarwin sent an abstract of his preliminary
  • muscle and nerve tissue of animals. Burdon Sanderson visited Darwin at Down in July and was drawn
  • To test whether the plants had a nerve-like structure, Darwin suggested electrical experiments on  …
  • coil. He was so impressed by the results that he sent Darwin the news by telegraph in September, and
  • the Advancement of Science later that month. Finally, Darwin enlisted the chemist Edward
  • enzyme. Cross- and self-fertilisation Darwins other main focus of botanical
  • work that had been going on for many years. Darwin resumed these studies in February. He received
  • … ( letter to T. H. Farrer, 14 August 1873 ). Darwin worried, however, that his own
  • in May to request permission to translate it into German. Darwin was vexed, and begged his publisher
  • from his son Francis. While visiting his fiancée, Amy Ruck, in Wales, Francis observed bees gnawing
  • for his childrens health. He wrote to George and Horace (who was also often sickly), “you both my