skip to content

Darwin Correspondence Project

To Sara Sedgwick   29 September [1877]1

Down, | Beckenham, Kent. | (Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.)

Sept. 29th

My dear Sara

I must tell you how deeply I rejoice over my son’s good fortune—2 You will believe me, when I say that for very many years I have not seen any woman, whom I have liked & esteemed so much as you.— I hope & firmly believe that you will be very happy together, notwithstanding that you may find Southampton rather a dull place, about which my son feels such great fears. His dread that you are sacrificing too much in giving up your American home is natural, but I trust will prove groundless.—3 Judging from my own experience life would be a most dreary blank without a dear wife to love with all one’s soul.

I can say with absolute truth that no act or conduct of William has ever in his whole life caused me one minute’s anxiety or disapproval. His temper is beautifully sweet & affectionate & he delights in doing little kindnesses. That you may be happy together is my strong desire, & I thank you from the bottom of my heart for having accepted him.

My dear Sara | Yours affectionately | Charles Darwin

Footnotes

The year is established by the reference to Sara Sedgwick and William Erasmus Darwin’s engagement (see n. 2 below).
William Darwin and Sara Sedgwick were married on 29 November 1877 (Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242)). See also letter from J. D. Hooker, 19 October 1877.
William was a partner in a bank in Southampton. Sara Sedgwick’s family lived in Massachussetts.

Summary

Rejoices that SS has accepted his son [William]. Judging from his own experience "life would be a most dreary blank without a dear wife to love with all one’s soul".

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-11158
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
Sara Sedgwick/Sara Darwin
Sent from
Down
Source of text
The British Library (Surrogate RP 9524)
Physical description
ALS 3pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 11158,” accessed on 29 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-11158.xml

letter