skip to content

Darwin Correspondence Project

To Thomas Blunt   5 April [1867]1

Down. | Bromley. | Kent. S.E.

April 5th

My dear Sir

I write merely a line to thank you for your kind note.— We knew that your partnership was dissolved, but added the name from habit.—2

I most sincerely congratulate you on the success of your son in his scientific studies. Science runs in your blood.—3

The loss of my poor sister, Susan, has been a great one to many; & now after so many years there is no longer any connection between our family & Shrewsbury.4

With every good wish | Believe me | My dear Sir | Yours sincerely | Ch. Darwin

Footnotes

The year is established by the reference to Susan Elizabeth Darwin’s death; see n. 4, below.
CD’s letter to Blunt and Blunt’s reply have not been found. Post Office directory entries suggest that the partnership of Blunt and Salter was dissolved sometime between 1863 and 1870; Blunt continued in business as a chemist with his son, Thomas Porter Blunt (Post Office directory of Gloucestershire, with Bath, Bristol, Herefordshire, and Shropshire 1863, 1870).
Thomas Porter Blunt took a first class degree in natural sciences at Oxford University in December 1864 (Oxford University calendar 1865).
Susan died in October 1866; she had lived at the Darwin family home, The Mount, in Shrewsbury. After her death, the house was sold. (See Correspondence vol. 14.)

Bibliography

Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.

Oxford University calendar. Oxford: J. H. Parker et al.; Oxford University Press. 1810–.

Post Office directory of Gloucestershire, with Bath, Bristol, Herefordshire, and Shropshire: Post Office directory of Gloucestershire, with Bath, Bristol, Herefordshire, and Shropshire. Post Office directory of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, and the City of Bristol. Post Office directory of Shropshire, Herefordshire, and Gloucestershire, with the City of Bristol. London: Kelly & Co. 1856–79.

Summary

Congratulates TB on his son’s success in scientific studies.

Susan Darwin’s death [Oct 1866] has severed last ties of family with Shrewsbury.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-5487
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
Thomas Blunt
Sent from
Down
Source of text
Houghton Library, Harvard University (Albert Stephens Borgman autograph collection MS Am 1631: 95)
Physical description
ALS 2pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 5487,” accessed on 19 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-5487.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 15

letter