From J. F. McLennan 7 November 1876
Summary
L. H. Morgan has plagiarised his and Henry Maine’s works for years.
Encourages George Darwin to continue his work on consanguineous marriages.
Author: | John Ferguson McLennan |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | 7 Nov 1876 |
Classmark: | DAR 171: 23 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10664 |
From J. F. McLennan 24 July 1877
Summary
Asks for details on CD’s Descent references to female infanticide.
JFM’s work on the laws of incest finds strong evidence for man’s relation to animals.
Author: | John Ferguson McLennan |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | 24 July 1877 |
Classmark: | DAR 171: 24 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11069 |
From J. F. McLennan 30 July 1877
Summary
Sees abortion as a refinement of infanticide; all such practices originate in female infanticide. Herbert Spencer’s over-speculation.
Author: | John Ferguson McLennan |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | 30 July 1877 |
Classmark: | DAR 171: 25 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11082 |
From J. F. McLennan 30 November 1880
Summary
Thanks for reference [to Lorimer Fison and A. W. Howitt, Kamilaroi and Kurnai (1880)].
Irate against L. H. Morgan.
Author: | John Ferguson McLennan |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | 30 Nov 1880 |
Classmark: | DAR 171: 26 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-12877 |
From J. F. McLennan 6 March 1871
Summary
Thanks for copy of Descent. Dining with Vernon Lushington, who is jubilant over the book.
Author: | John Ferguson McLennan |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | 6 Mar 1871 |
Classmark: | DAR 171: 17 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-7549 |
From J. F. McLennan 24 March 1871
Summary
Unfortunately he has missed an opportunity to review Descent in Nature.
Author: | John Ferguson McLennan |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | 24 Mar 1871 |
Classmark: | DAR 171: 18 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-7618 |
From J. F. McLennan 21 August 1871
Summary
Thanks CD for helping with arrangements for an American edition [of Primitive marriage (1865)].
He is an old friend of CD’s son-in-law, R. B. Litchfield, and of John Lubbock.
Author: | John Ferguson McLennan |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | 21 Aug 1871 |
Classmark: | DAR 171: 19 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-7913 |
From J. F. McLennan 3 February 1874
Summary
Discusses the evolution of marriage systems; considers the scheme of development CD proposes: 1. Polygyny and monogamy; 2. Polyandry; 3. Promiscuity; 4. Polygyny and monogamy in recurrence. Explains what he understands by promiscuity. JFM believes that polygyny, monogamy, and polyandry must have occurred in "every district from the first, and grown up together into systems sanctioned by usage first and then law". Considers polygyny necessarily the privilege of the few and, as a system, believes it had less to do than any other with the history of marriage. He sees polyandry as an advance from promiscuity and the stage at which contractual obligations between men and their wives begin.
Author: | John Ferguson McLennan |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | 3 Feb 1874 |
Classmark: | McLennan 1896, pp. 50–5 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-9264 |
From J. F. McLennan 5 May 1874
Summary
Would like to see C. S. Wake’s paper ["Marriage among primitive peoples", Anthropologia 1 (1873–5): 197–207].
Will return L. H. Morgan’s work [? Systems of consanguinity (1871)].
Murray suggests Macmillan’s are more likely to reprint JFMcL’s Primitive marriage.
Author: | John Ferguson McLennan |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | 5 May 1874 |
Classmark: | DAR 171: 20 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-9442 |
From J. F. McLennan 8 May 1874
Summary
Thanks for issue of Anthropologia. Would be pleased if CD would write to Murray on his behalf.
Author: | John Ferguson McLennan |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | 8 May 1874 |
Classmark: | DAR 171: 21 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-9447 |
From J. F. McLennan 13 May 1874
Summary
Bernard Quaritch interested in reprinting Primitive marriage.
Author: | John Ferguson McLennan |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | 13 May 1874 |
Classmark: | DAR 171: 22 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-9458 |