Domestic life
From the long letters exchanged with his sisters during the Beagle voyage, through correspondence about his marriage to his cousin, Emma Wedgwood, the births—and deaths—of their children, to the contributions of his sons and daughters to his scientific work, Darwin’s letters show how important his family was to him. Once settled at Down House in Kent, where he and Emma moved in 1842, he worked constantly surrounded by family—and servants. His entire household, wife, children, and servants, contributed in various ways to his working life.
Find out more about:
- Darwin’s childhood
- Darwin’s thoughts on marriage
- Darwin’s notebook of observations on his children
- The death of Charles and Emma’s daughter, Anne Elizabeth Darwin
- What it was like to visit the Darwins at Down. Read Jane Gray’s description of a visit in 1868.
- Virginian Isitt: was she Darwin’s secretary?