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Darwin Correspondence Project

To S. P. Woodward   10 July 1848

Down Farnborough Kent

July 10th./48

My dear Sir

I have much pleasure in stating that from your long connection with the Museum of the Geological Society & from your general knowledge of Geology and Palæontology, in my opinion, you would be enabled to render very material service in taking care of & in arranging the specimens in the Fossil department of the British Museum.1

With my wishes for your success,—I beg to remain | Dear Sir | Yours faithfully | C. Darwin

S. P. Woodward Esqre

Footnotes

Woodward was sub-curator of the Geological Society of London from 1839 to 1845 and assisted CD by preparing specimens from the collections for him to study while he was working on Volcanic islands (see Correspondence vol. 2, letters to S. P. Woodward, [14 January 1843] and 29 [September 1843]). Woodward’s application was successful; he was appointed first-class assistant in the department of geology and mineralogy in the British Museum in 1848, and in that capacity provided CD with information and specimens for his work on fossil cirripedes (Correspondence vol. 4, letters to S. P. Woodward, 21 March [1850] and [April 1850 – January 1851]; DNB; Fossil Cirripedia (1851)). For Woodward’s career at the British Museum, see Stearn 1981, pp. 229–30.

Bibliography

Stearn, William T. 1981. The Natural History Museum at South Kensington: a history of the British Museum (Natural History), 1753–1980. London: Heinemann in association with the British Museum (Natural History).

Summary

Is pleased to support SPW’s application for a position in the fossil department at the British Museum.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-1189A
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
Samuel Pickworth Woodward
Sent from
Down
Source of text
British Museum (Central Archive Staff Applications and Testimonials: S. P. Woodward CE33/710/45)
Physical description
ALS 2pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 1189A,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-1189A.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 13 (Supplement)

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