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Darwin Correspondence Project

To J. S. Henslow   26 December [1855]

Down Bromley Kent

Dec. 26th

My dear Henslow.

Will you look over the little book on Clubs sent with this.— It amused me, but it has frightened me about our Club,1 of which I am Treasurer & in fact Guardian. By the way our Club is in some degree your offspring.— What I want to hear is whether you think enrolled Clubs can be in such a dangerous state as he makes all Clubs to be in. I have thought of sending full statement to some Actuary for his opinion: can you give me any advice.—

Secondly, I have thought to advise our Club not to grant pensions for it has, as yet, not granted one.

Thirdly, do you think it wd be possible to enact a rule that the Club should buy off any member who went to reside at distance; but I fear that members would object, & I presume an Actuary would have to calculate value in each case. What think you? certainly a Club has very little check over a distant member.—

Will you return little book, which has been lent me by Mr. Innes.—2

Yours most truly | C. Darwin

Footnotes

CD was treasurer of the Down Friendly Club as well as of the Down Coal and Clothing Club.
John Innes, perpetual curate of Down.

Summary

Sends a book on clubs, which has raised some worrisome questions about the [Down Friendly] Club. Asks JSH’s advice.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-1801
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
John Stevens Henslow
Sent from
Down
Source of text
DAR 93: A48–A49
Physical description
ALS 4pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 1801,” accessed on 20 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-1801.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 5

letter