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Darwin's health

Summary

On 28 March 1849, ten years before Origin was published, Darwin wrote to his good friend Joseph Hooker from Great Malvern in Worcestershire, where Dr James Manby Gully ran a fashionable water-cure establishment. Darwin apologised for his delayed reply to…

Matches: 21 hits

  • March 1849, ten years before  Origin  was published, Darwin wrote to his good friend Joseph Hooker
  • Manby Gully ran a fashionable water-cure establishment. Darwin apologised for his delayed reply to
  • See the letter At various periods in his life Darwin suffered from gastrointestinal
  • fatigue, trembling, faintness, and dizziness. In 1849, Darwins symptoms became so severe that he
  • for three months while he took Dr Gullys water cure. In Darwins letter to Hooker, he described Dr
  • See the letter After returning from Malvern, Darwin continued his hydropathic
  • 1863. In a letter to Hooker in April of 1861for example, Darwin used his delicate physiology to
  • Edward Wickstead Lane, and at Ilkley with Dr Edmund Smith, Darwin sought advice from his consulting
  • of a fashionable spinal ice treatment. In April 1864, Darwin attributed his improved health to Dr
  • to JDHooker, 13 April [1864] ) Why was Darwins so ill? Historians and others have
  • that there were psychological or psychosomatic dimensions to Darwins most severe periods of crisis. …
  • troubles, see Correspondence vol. 2, letter to Caroline Wedgwood, [May 1838] , and letter to
  • vomitingin a letter to W. D. Fox, [7 June 1840] ( Correspondence vol. 2). He suffered from
  • almost daily (see Correspondence vol. 12, letter from Emma Darwin to W. D. Fox, [6 May 1864] …
  • 38, 47, 64). Fainting androckinghad been recorded in Emma Darwins diary (DAR 242) on several
  • sensationshas been found. On Darwins reliance on Emma Darwins companionship and care see, for
  • Hooker, 1 June [1865] and 27 [or 28 September 1865] . Emma or another member of the household
  • … , and Correspondence vol. 2, letter to Sarah Elizabeth Wedgwood, [28 August 1837] ). His
  • alive’. See also Correspondence vol. 12, letter from Emma Darwin to J. D. Hooker, 17 March
  • October 1863 (see Correspondence vol. 11, letter from Emma Darwin to W. D. Fox, 8 December
  • of chalk, magnesia, and other antacids in March 1864 (see Emma Darwins diary, DAR 242, and n. 8, …

Darwin’s reading notebooks

Summary

In April 1838, Darwin began recording the titles of books he had read and the books he wished to read in Notebook C (Notebooks, pp. 319–28). In 1839, these lists were copied and continued in separate notebooks. The first of these reading notebooks (DAR 119…

Matches: 24 hits

  • In April 1838, Darwin began recording the titles of books he had read and the books he wished
  • used these notebooks extensively in dating and annotating Darwins letters; the full transcript
  • … *128). For clarity, the transcript does not record Darwins alterations. The spelling and
  • book had been consulted. Those cases where it appears that Darwin made a genuine deletion have been
  • a few instances, primarily in theBooks Readsections, Darwin recorded that a work had been
  • of the books listed in the other two notebooks. Sometimes Darwin recorded that an abstract of the
  • own. Soon after beginning his first reading notebook, Darwin began to separate the scientific
  • the second reading notebook. Readers primarily interested in Darwins scientific reading, therefore, …
  • editorsidentification of the book or article to which Darwin refers. A full list of these works is
  • 765. in Geograph. Soc?? Review of this in Edin. Phil Jour. 1840. June [Anon. 1840]. Report of
  • 26Account of Domestic &ampForeign  Bees [Jardine ed. 1840]: (Athenæum 1840 p. 195) …
  • A. Necker 1823] read Lindleys Horticulture [Lindley 1840]— Chapter on Races improvement of
  • Admiral Von Wrangels Travels [Wrangel 1840].— Sir Ker Porters Travels in Caucasus [R. K. …
  • Instinct by D r . Alison [W. P. Alison 1847]. No 19. July. 1840 27 Annales des Sciences
  • 12v.] Bowerbanks Book on Fossil Fruit [Bowerbank 1840] must be studied Liebigs
  • 1833] (Boot) Leslie life of Constable [Leslie 1843]. (Emma) (read) M rs  Frys Life
  • Public Library. 3  ‘BooksReadis in Emma Darwins hand. 4  “”Traité …
  • 6  The text from page [1v.] to page [6] is in Emma Darwins hand and was copied from Notebook C, …
  • to old Aristotle.’ ( LL 3: 252). 10  Emma Darwin wrote7 thinstead of3 d “ …
  • 12  A mistranscription forEntozoaby Emma Darwin. See Notebook C, p. 266 ( Notebooks ). …
  • wroteTransactto replaceJournalwritten in Emma Darwins hand. 16  Emma Darwin
  • … (Liebig 1851). 50  Probably Elizabeth Wedgwood. 51  This note is a
  • …  The text from page [1a] to half way down page [5a] is in Emma Darwins hand and is a copy of CDs
  • in ink by CD. 73  This entry was written by Emma Darwin. 74  “8 … …

1.2 George Richmond, marriage portrait

Summary

< Back to Introduction Few likenesses of Darwin in his youth survive, although more may once have existed. In a letter of 1873 an old Shrewsbury friend, Arthur Mostyn Owen, offered to send Darwin a watercolour sketch of him, painted many years…

Matches: 17 hits

  • … &lt; Back to Introduction Few likenesses of Darwin in his youth survive, although more
  • old Shrewsbury friend, Arthur Mostyn Owen, offered to send Darwin a watercolour sketch of him, …
  • is unknown.   Thus the surviving portraits of Darwin as a young manother than cartoon
  • House, celebrated his marriage in January 1839 to his cousin Emma Wedgwood; the one of Darwin is
  • work can be gauged from a letter which Hooker wrote to Darwin some years later, complaining, with
  • But despite this tendency to prettify, Richmond registered Darwins receding hairline, and the
  • theories.   As early as February 1839, Elizabeth Wedgwood had written to her sister Emma: ‘My
  • Italyor would a portrait by Holmes be preferable?’ Emma in response promised, ‘I will go and get
  • not return from Italy until August or September 1839. Josiah Wedgwood himself wrote to his daughter
  • However, it seems that the pair of portraits dating from 1840 which is now at Down House had a
  • arrangingto send you Richmonds pictures of self and Emma’: ‘selfpresumably means Charles, and
  • the dates of various Darwin family commissions. In 1840 there were indeed entries (unpriced) for
  • was being assembled, so that both the Darwin and the Wedgwood families would have one. It is
  • lent Richmonds watercolour drawings of Charles and Emma, with a note that the one of Charles had an
  • of her motherthe only one she knew aboutto 1840. However, in Emma Darwin: A Century of
  • Murray, 1887), vol. 3, p. 371. Henrietta Litchfield (ed.), Emma Darwin: A Century of Family
  • University Press, 1933), frontispiece. Barbara and Hensleigh Wedgwood, The Wedgwood Circle 1730

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: 24 hits

  • The seven-year period following Darwin's return to England from the Beagle  voyage was one
  • a family Busy as he was with scientific activities, Darwin found time to re-establish family
  • close contact. In November 1838, two years after his return, Darwin became engaged to his cousin, …
  • daughter, Anne Elizabeth, moved to Down House in Kent, where Darwin was to spend the rest of his
  • his greatest theoretical achievement, the most important of Darwins activities during the years
  • identifications of his bird and fossil mammal specimens, Darwin arrived at the daring and momentous
  • in species. With this new theoretical point of departure Darwin continued to make notes and explore
  • present in the version of 1859. Young author Darwins investigation of the species
  • the  Beagle  had returned to England, news of some of Darwins findings had been spread by the
  • great excitement. The fuller account of the voyage and Darwins discoveries was therefore eagerly
  • suitable categories for individual experts to work upon, Darwin applied himself to the revision of
  • of the surveying voyage of H.M.S. Adventure and Beagle. Darwins volume bore the title  Journal
  • visited by H.M.S. BeagleAlso in November 1837, Darwin read the fourth of a series of papers to
  • to the Society of 9 March 1838), had been developed by Darwin from a suggestion made by his uncle, …
  • Agassiz (see Barrett 1973, Rudwick 1974, and L. Agassiz 1840). In another paper, “On the
  • … (Simpson 1961, p. 53). Marriage Darwin married Emma Wedgwood in January 1839. His
  • … ( Correspondence vol. 2, Appendix III). The letters that Emma and Darwin subsequently exchanged
  • correspondence is that Darwin had evidently communicated to Emma that he had doubts about religion, …
  • as she was, from marrying him. Just after their marriage, Emma states that she has the impression
  • were no doubts as to how one ought to act’ ( Letter from Emma Darwin, [  c.  February 1839] ). …
  • My stomach as usual has been my enemy In 1840 the illness was different. As he wrote to
  • life. ‘My stomach’, he wrote to FitzRoy, [20 February 1840] , ‘as usual has been my enemybut D
  • reasonable diagnosis (see Colp 1977). The illness of 1840 appears to have been the
  • descendants, twelve letters from Darwin to Kemp in the years 1840 to 1843 have come to light; they

Darwin’s observations on his children

Summary

Charles Darwin’s observations on the development of his children, began the research that culminated in his book The Expression of the emotions in man and animals, published in 1872, and his article ‘A biographical sketch of an infant’, published in Mind…

Matches: 28 hits

  • Charles Darwins observations on the development of his children,[1began the
  • is available below . As with much of his other work, Darwin gathered additional information on the
  • lunatics, the blind, and animals. And as early as 1839 Darwin had begun to collect information on
  • the expression of emotions. As the following transcript of Darwins notes reveals, he closely
  • William Erasmus, the stages of his development suggesting to Darwin those expressions which are
  • an aspect of Darwins character clearly perceived by Emma during their engagement: ‘You will be
  • period but in far less detail. By September 1844, Henrietta Emma was one year old, and there are a
  • 1850; and Horace, born 18 May 1851. It appears to have been Emma who resumed the observations on the
  • the notebook and, with the exception of two brief entries by Emma, made all the notes until July
  • certainly during first fortnight at sudden sounds. &amp; at Emmas moving 3 [11]  When
  • … &amp; inwards as in sleep.[14] Six weeks old &amp; 3 days, Emma saw him smilenot only with
  • his eyes becoming fixed &amp; the movements of his arms ceasing. Emma argues that his smiles were
  • made in the little noises he was uttering that he recognized Emma by sight when she came close to
  • been caused by the novelty of the situation producing fear. Emma thinks that when he was vaccinated
  • gives the first notice that he is going to cry. Feb 27. 1840 When nine weeks &amp; three days
  • whole expression appearing pleased.— Recognizes Emma Anne &amp; myself perfectlydoes not find
  • was called.— 29 th . Cried at the sight of Allen Wedgwood[32Is able to catch hold of a
  • Ladywere repeated.— 26 th . Cried, when Emma left off playing the pianoforte.— Did this
  • Anny says Papa pretty clearly—[40A few days ago Emma gave her doll, but she sensibly shuddered, …
  • to play with in farther part of room, she immediately led Emma by the hand towards the tea-chest. I
  • on quite suddenly.—[43] On the 13 th . of March Emma positively ascertained that what the
  • things &amp; when choleric he will hurl books or sticks at Emma. About a month since; he was running
  • … “oh kind Doddy” “kind Doddy”— April 2 d . Emma had left her handkerchief on the other side
  • th ——42. Willys observation on dress very curious: Emma put on a pair of boots, which she had not
  • … [6Correspondence  vol. 2, letter from Emma Wedgwood, [23 January 1839] . [7]  …
  • preceding sentence and the following text toFeb 27. 1840on page 6 is in Emma Darwins hand. …
  • stayed with CD and Emma Darwin between 21 March and 2 May 1840 (Emma Darwins diary). If Emma Darwin
  • December, rather than 4, and 28 days, not 29, in February (1840 was a leap year) when calculating

Natural Science and Femininity

Summary

Discussion Questions|Letters A conflation of masculine intellect and feminine thoughts, habits and feelings, male naturalists like Darwin inhabited an uncertain gendered identity. Working from the private domestic comfort of their homes and exercising…

Matches: 10 hits

  • thoughts, habits and feelings, male naturalists like Darwin inhabited an uncertain gendered identity
  • feminine powers of feeling and aesthetic appreciation, Darwin and his male colleagues struggled to
  • Letters Letter 109 - Wedgwood, J. to Darwin, R. W., [31 August 1831] Darwin
  • professional work on his return. Letter 158 - Darwin to Darwin, R. W., [8 &amp; 26
  • and taking in the aesthetic beauty of the world around him. Darwin describes thestrikingcolour
  • made up of meals, family time and walks into town with Emma. Letter 555 - Darwin to
  • an Infant ’. Letter 2781 - Doubleday, H. to Darwin, [3 May 1860] Doubleday
  • borders of his garden. Letter 2864 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [12 July 1860] …
  • saw anything so beautiful”. Letter 4230 - Darwin to GardenersChronicle, [2 July 1863] …
  • in his home. Letter 6453 - Langton, E. to Wedgwood, S. E., [9 November 1868] …

Earthworms

Summary

As with many of Darwin’s research topics, his interest in worms spanned nearly his entire working life. Some of his earliest correspondence about earthworms was written and received in the 1830s, shortly after his return from his Beagle voyage, and his…

Matches: 12 hits

  • Questions | Experiment Earthworms and Wedgwood cousins As with many of
  • months before he died in March 1882. In the same way that Darwin cast a wide net when seeking
  • of his own family, in particular his nieces, Lucy and Sophy Wedgwood, the daughters of Emma Darwin& …
  • selection. His book Fertilisation of Orchids (1862) was Darwin's &quot;flank movement
  • was a study of incredible empirical detail that demonstrates Darwin's creative experimental
  • … (be it geology or evolutionary theory) was a subject that Darwin had contemplated from his earliest
  • SOURCES Papers Darwin, C.R. 1840. On the formation of mould. Transactions of the
  • Letters Letter 385 - Sarah Elizabeth Wedgwood &amp; Josiah Wedgwood to Darwin, 10
  • were fertilised. Letter 8137 - William Darwin to Charles Darwin, 1 January 1872
  • of stone at Stonehenge. In his reply of two days later, Darwin wrote, “Your letter &amp; facts are
  • 8144 , 8169 , and 8171 - Between Charles Darwin and Lucy Wedgwood, January 1872
  • for her observations. Letter 12745 - Darwin to Sophy Wedgwood, 8 October 1880

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 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 &amp; 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 &amp; 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. …
  • for the absence of coral-reefs in certain locations. Darwin countered with the facts that low
  • whole coastline of a large island. Dana also thought that Darwin had seen fringing reefs as proof of
  • satisfaction. Assisted in the wording by his wife, Emma, and daughter Henrietta, he finally wrote a
  • a comfortable cabin ( see letter from Leonard Darwin to Emma Darwin, [after 26 June -- 28 September
  • to become Darwins secretary. They rented Down Lodge and Emma Darwin wrote, ‘They have . . . made
  • the average in prettiness &amp; snugness’ ( letter from Emma Darwin to J. B. Innes, 12 October
  • letter to Down School Board, [after 29 November 1873] ). Emma saw agreat blessingin the rumour
  • dead uncles position of vicar of Deptford ( letter from Emma Darwin to J. B. Innes, 12 October

Darwin’s first love

Summary

Darwin’s long marriage to Emma Wedgwood is well documented, but was there an earlier romance in his life? How was his departure on the Beagle entangled with his first love? The answers are revealed in a series of flirtatious letters that Darwin was…

Matches: 26 hits

  • Darwins long marriage to Emma Wedgwood is well documented, but was there an
  • answers are revealed in a series of flirtatious letters that Darwin was supposed to destroy. …
  • at my fury and revengeHad nineteen-year-old Darwin followed this instruction in a
  • Fanny Mostyn Owen, wrote a series of revealing letters to Darwin, giving glimpses into their
  • not know whether Fanny burnt the letters she received from Darwin, but he carefully kept the letters
  • father, William Mostyn Owen, ‘ the Governor ’. Darwin first heard about Fanny when he was an
  • The high-spirited, fun-loving Fanny, two years older than Darwin, clearly established the terms of
  • her love of the dramatic, and most of all her inclusion of Darwin in a make-believe private world, …
  • Forest  that shaped the relationship she developed with Darwin. The characters include Peter, a
  • In Fannys first letter, and in many others she wrote to Darwin, he was postilion to her housemaid, …
  • words, convey a warmth of character that was first noted by Darwins sister Catherine. After staying
  • Sarah, both recently back from France, Catherine wrote to Darwin in Edinburgh. ‘I never saw such
  • wrote over the first set of writing. Before the Penny Post (1840), envelopes were rarely used. …
  • on the social life of Brighton, she also demanded that Darwin send herShrewsbury scandal’. ‘You
  • black mysteries  after so long an absence ’. Darwin, however, did leave Shrewsbury before
  • a clergymanFannys slow response to the news of Darwins departure came with the excuse that she
  • like any thing but what  I am , a  Housemaid ’. Darwins feelings were probably more
  • he had not heard from her. Writing before the end of Darwins first Cambridge term, Fanny
  • they think, of a  Housemaid  writing to M r  Charles Darwin— &#039That summer, while away
  • …   A gift with wings At Cambridge, Darwins new-found passion for entomology
  • … ’, she declared herselfvery much obligdfor Darwins gift. The swallow tail ‘has absolutely  …
  • she had not played billiards or gone riding. When Darwin did not return to Shrewsbury for
  • Hunters  —and  Paint brush Drivers !!! ’ Darwin was still as enraptured as ever by the Owens of
  • Fanny Owen, 27 January [1830] (DAR 204: 47), referring to Darwin as a Beetle Hunter and herself as
  • cons of marriage, Darwin decided to propose to his cousin Emma Wedgwood. Their engagement letters
  • it appears that Darwin did live happily ever after with Emma. …

Darwin and Fatherhood

Summary

Charles Darwin married Emma Wedgwood in 1839 and over the next seventeen years the couple had ten children. It is often assumed that Darwin was an exceptional Victorian father. But how extraordinary was he? The Correspondence Project allows an unusually…

Matches: 14 hits

  • Charles Darwin married Emma Wedgwood in 1839 and over the next seventeen years the couple had ten
  • an unusually large number of letters sent by members of the Darwin family to be studied. However, in
  • required them to work long hours away from their family. Darwin was unusual in being able to pursue
  • this part of Kent asextraordinarily rural &amp; quiet’ (Darwin to his sister Catherine,  [24 July
  • left their children in the care of servants in the country. Darwin frequently expressed regrets that
  • meetings and social events in the capital. As a result, Darwin rarely spent a day without the
  • they employed eight servants including two nursery maids. Emma actively supervised and assisted with
  • … ‘visitsto see their father when he was working (Darwin to his wife Emma,  [7-8 February 1845] ). …
  • childrens development in diaries and letters. However, Darwin was unusual for the systematic
  • was far more typical of mid-nineteenth-century fathers was Darwins intense involvement in his
  • to incessant anxiety &amp; movement on account of Etty.’ (Darwin to W. D. Fox18 October [1860] …
  • … (Darwin to W. D. Fox10 October [1850] ) as he and Emma tried to choose suitable schools and
  • children in letters to friends, and the choices that he and Emma made were deliberately conventional
  • the age of twenty-six. This meant that in old age Darwin and Emma continued to share Down House with

Syms Covington

Summary

When Charles Darwin embarked on the Beagle voyage in 1831, Syms Covington was ‘fiddler & boy to Poop-cabin’. Covington kept an illustrated journal of his observations and experiences on the voyage, noting wildlife, landscapes, buildings and people and,…

Matches: 6 hits

  • When Charles Darwin embarked on the  Beagle  voyage in 1831, Syms Covington was ‘ …
  • After teaching Covington to shoot and skin birds, Darwin employed him as his servant in 1833. …
  • England. On the  Beagles return to England in 1836, Darwin kept Covington in his employ, paying
  • Agricultural Company run by Phillip Parker King (whom  Darwin had met in Australia in 1836 ). …
  • 280 miles south of Sydney, where he then lived. In 1852 Darwin had  asked about the gold rush  and
  • accommodation, a post office, and possibly a general store. Darwins  last letter  to Covington