Letter 5769
Darwin, C. R. to Darwin, Francis
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A cheque written out for FD has never been presented to CD's bankers.
Summary Add
Transcription
Down
8
My dear F.
On Jan. 29
What did you do with it? Did you send to Union Bank, or pay
it to some Tradesman? if in Cambridge, enquire about it, & let me
hear soon.— If you had lost it, you w
I hope the poor dear old ``Pelican on the House-top'' is
jolly,— I sh
Your affect. Father | C. Darwin
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- f1 5769.f1
The month is conjectured and the year established from entries in CD's Account books--banking account (Down House MS). See n. 2, below. - +
- f2 5769.f2
In CD's Account books--banking account a payment of £14 10s. to Francis Darwin is noted on 29 January 1868; alongside entries at the end of June 1868 is a note reading, `14.10 Frank old cheque not ticked off'. CD evidently placed a tick on his record of each cheque payment when the cheque was presented to his bankers. The 29 January payment does have a tick beside it, so presumably the cheque was eventually accounted for; however, no reply to this letter has been found. - +
- f3 5769.f3
CD had banked with the Union Bank of London since 1853 (see Correspondence vol. 5, letter to John Higgins, 11 April [1853]). Francis was an undergraduate at Cambridge University. - +
- f4 5769.f4
Presumably a loose reference to Ps. 101: 6--7: `I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert. I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top', and to George Howard Darwin. George was a fellow at Cambridge University. No letter from George to his family from this time has been found.