Darwin, C. R. to Hurst & Blackett
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Offers letters to Eliza Meteyard for her book [The life of Josiah Wedgwood (1865–6)].
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Transcription
Down. | Bromley. | Kent. S.E.
Nov 15
Gentlemen
I see that Miss Meteyard is preparing a life of my grandfather Josiah Wedgwood. I have in my possession a good many letters to him from
D
They are chiefly on semi-scientific subjects & probably would only be useful as shewing what subjects were occupying Mr Wedgwood's mind & the dates of them.
Perhaps you will forward this to Miss Meteyard
I am Gentleman | Yours faithfully | Charles Darwin
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- f1 4672.f1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter to J. D. Hooker, [22--3 November 1863] (Correspondence vol. 11). - +
- f2 4672.f2
The novelist and journalist Eliza Meteyard had been researching the life of Josiah Wedgwood I since the 1850s (see Meteyard 1970, introduction, and B. Wedgwood and Wedgwood 1980, p. 271). The first volume of her Life of Josiah Wedgwood (Meteyard 1865--6) was published by Hurst and Blackett in April 1865. It is not known how CD learned that the book was in preparation. - +
- f3 4672.f3
In the first volume of her biography, Meteyard acknowledges the receipt of letters sent to her by CD (see Meteyard 1865--6, 1: xv, 436). The letters between Josiah Wedgwood and Erasmus Darwin are at Down House.