To John Lubbock 17 July 1870
Summary
CD would like questions on consanguineous marriages inserted in the Census to ascertain effects, if any, on fertility.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | John Lubbock, 4th baronet and 1st Baron Avebury |
| Date: | 17 July 1870 |
| Classmark: | DAR 261.7: 6 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-7281 |
Matches: 10 hits
- … CD would like questions on consanguineous marriages inserted in the Census to ascertain …
- … repeated assertion that consanguineous marriages lead to deafness & dumbness, blindness & …
- … more on the attitudes to consanguineous marriage around this time, see Anderson 1986 and …
- … Adam, William. 1865. Consanguinity in marriage. Fortnightly Review 2: 710–30, 3: 74–88. …
- … Anderson, Nancy Fix. 1986. Cousin marriage in Victorian England. Journal of Family History …
- … 285–301. Child, Gilbert William. 1862. On marriages of consanguinity. British and Foreign …
- … 71. Kuper, Adam. 2002. Incest, cousin marriage, and the origin of the human sciences in …
- … queries in relation to consanguineous marriages being inserted. As you are aware, I have …
- … In England & many parts of Europe the marriages of cousins are objected to from their …
- … confirmed , so that in this latter case the marriages of cousins might be discouraged. If …
From J. F. McLennan 3 February 1874
Summary
Discusses the evolution of marriage systems; considers the scheme of development CD proposes: 1. Polygyny and monogamy; 2. Polyandry; 3. Promiscuity; 4. Polygyny and monogamy in recurrence. Explains what he understands by promiscuity. JFM believes that polygyny, monogamy, and polyandry must have occurred in "every district from the first, and grown up together into systems sanctioned by usage first and then law". Considers polygyny necessarily the privilege of the few and, as a system, believes it had less to do than any other with the history of marriage. He sees polyandry as an advance from promiscuity and the stage at which contractual obligations between men and their wives begin.
| Author: | John Ferguson McLennan |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 3 Feb 1874 |
| Classmark: | McLennan 1896, pp. 50–5 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-9264 |
Matches: 18 hits
- … by a variety of avenues apart from marriage; notably through the totem and its extensive …
- … that female infanticide came later than marriage may have been in a missing letter to …
- … 1871. McLennan, John Ferguson. 1865. Primitive marriage: an inquiry into the origin …
- … Discusses the evolution of marriage systems; considers the scheme of development CD …
- … to do than any other with the history of marriage. He sees polyandry as an advance from …
- … 1874. Your scheme of the development of marriage systems is (1) Polygyny and monogamy; (2) …
- … elaborated the brief discussion of primitive marriage in Descent 2: 358–63 in a letter to …
- … annotated copy of McLennan’s Primitive marriage ( McLennan 1865 ) in the Darwin Library– …
- … of the form of capture in marriage ceremonies. Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black. …
- … than any other with the history of marriage on the whole. Your most important suggestion, …
- … youthful lover was constituted by a form of marriage after contract between the relatives …
- … be merely to say there was a time before marriage commenced—before any man had a wife . At …
- … what from that stage were the normal stages in the evolution of modes of marriage, …
- … or marriage systems. In …
- … the brute stage we may see analogies to marriage systems, e.g. the gorilla may be said to …
- … females, or of his females as his wives . Marriage began with the first consortships of …
- … of female infanticide was later than marriage —I incline to the opposite opinion, but it …
- … of the women, so far as the future of marriage was concerned. The first stage, then, if …
To superintendent of a lunatic asylum 20 January 1874
Summary
Would like recipient to ask inmates whether they are offspring of cousin marriages.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Superintendent of a lunatic asylum |
| Date: | 20 Jan 1874 |
| Classmark: | Bernard Quaritch (dealers) (2003, 2007) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-9251F |
Matches: 10 hits
- … Would like recipient to ask inmates whether they are offspring of cousin marriages. …
- … 18). In his later article on cousin marriage ( G. H. Darwin 1875a , p. 163), George …
- … Press. 1985–. Darwin, George Howard. 1875a. Marriages between first cousins in England and …
- … methods, to discover what proportion of all marriages are between first cousins; & he now …
- … not the offspring of a 1 st . cousin marriage, bore the same surname. I w d . not think …
- … contact for information about cousin marriage. George was second in the final examination …
- … William Farr had corresponded with CD about cousin marriage in 1868 and had supported CD’ …
- … attempt to have questions on cousin marriage added to the 1871 census (see Correspondence …
- … be; for we shall either find that such marriages are injurious, or that we may persevere …
- … if in the cases of 1 st . cousin marriage, ( i) the surname of the father & maiden- …
To James Crichton-Browne 5 January 1874
Summary
Requests help for George Darwin’s investigation of marriages of first cousins. Seeks to determine proportion of first-cousin offspring among the insane, deaf and dumb, blind, etc.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | James Crichton-Browne |
| Date: | 5 Jan 1874 |
| Classmark: | DAR 143: 347 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-9227 |
Matches: 11 hits
- … help for George Darwin’s investigation of marriages of first cousins. Seeks to determine …
- … 1873b. On beneficial restrictions to liberty of marriage. Contemporary Review 22: 412–26. …
- … to have a question about cousin marriages added to the 1871 census (see Correspondence …
- … On beneficial restrictions to liberty of marriage’ ( G. H. Darwin 1873a ). …
- … later researches in an article on cousin marriage in 1875 ( G. H. Darwin 1875a ). CD was …
- … Darwin, George Howard. 1875a. Marriages between first cousins in England and their …
- … in trying, by several independent methods, to discover what proportion of all marriages …
- … are marriages between first cousins; and he now feels pretty confident that his results …
- … principles it seemed best to avoid such marriages. Now if you are willing to give your …
- … proportion of the offspring of first cousin marriages amongst the insane, deaf and dumb, …
- … shall thus be informed either that such marriages are injurious, or that we may persevere …
From J. F. McLennan 21 August 1871
Summary
Thanks CD for helping with arrangements for an American edition [of Primitive marriage (1865)].
He is an old friend of CD’s son-in-law, R. B. Litchfield, and of John Lubbock.
| Author: | John Ferguson McLennan |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 21 Aug 1871 |
| Classmark: | DAR 171: 19 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-7913 |
Matches: 9 hits
- … for an American edition [of Primitive marriage (1865)]. He is an old friend of CD’s son- …
- … married to Richard Buckley Litchfield ; the marriage took place on 31 August 1871 (CD’s ‘ …
- … 17 July 1871] and n. 2. Primitive marriage ( McLennan 1865 ) was reissued as Studies in …
- … in Descent as an authority on mating and marriage customs and on infanticide in native …
- … 1871. McLennan, John Ferguson. 1865. Primitive marriage: an inquiry into the origin …
- … of the form of capture in marriage ceremonies. Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black. …
- … in ancient history: comprising a reprint of primitive marriage: an inquiry into the origin …
- … of the form of capture in marriage ceremonies . London: Bernard Quaritch. McLennan, John …
- … quarters for a New Edition of Primitive Marriage which is out of print & in regard to …
From J. F. McLennan 5 May 1874
Summary
Would like to see C. S. Wake’s paper ["Marriage among primitive peoples", Anthropologia 1 (1873–5): 197–207].
Will return L. H. Morgan’s work [? Systems of consanguinity (1871)].
Murray suggests Macmillan’s are more likely to reprint JFMcL’s Primitive marriage.
| Author: | John Ferguson McLennan |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 5 May 1874 |
| Classmark: | DAR 171: 20 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-9442 |
Matches: 8 hits
- … Would like to see C. S. Wake’s paper ["Marriage among primitive peoples", Anthropologia …
- … Murray suggests Macmillan’s are more likely to reprint JFMcL’s Primitive marriage . …
- … 1871. McLennan, John Ferguson. 1865. Primitive marriage: an inquiry into the origin …
- … of the form of capture in marriage ceremonies. Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black. Morgan, …
- … to Charles Staniland Wake’s article ‘Marriage among primitive peoples’ ( Wake 1873 ), and …
- … CD referred to McLennan’s Primitive marriage ( McLennan 1865 ) extensively in Descent , …
- … 1967. Wake, Charles Staniland. 1873. Marriage among primitive peoples. [Read 2 November …
- … him to undertake a reprint of “Primitive Marriage” for me. He was very civil but had never …
McLennan, John Ferguson. 1865. Primitive marriage: an inquiry into the origin of the form of capture in marriage ceremonies. Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black.
Young, Charlotte (1809–87)
Matches: 4 hits
- … England, Church of England baptisms, marriages and burials, 1538–1812 (Ancestry.com, …
- … England, Church of England baptisms, marriages and burials, 1538–1813 (Ancestry.com, …
- … Gloucestershire, England, Church of England marriages and banns, 1754–1938 (Ancestry.com, …
- … birth index, 1837–1983. England and Wales marriage index, 1837–1983. England and Wales …
To Daniel Oliver 23 April [1861]
Summary
Congratulations on DO’s marriage.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Daniel Oliver |
| Date: | 23 Apr [1861] |
| Classmark: | Newcastle University Special Collections (Spence Watson/Weiss Archive GB186 SW/6/3) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3125F |
From J. F. McLennan 7 November 1876
Summary
L. H. Morgan has plagiarised his and Henry Maine’s works for years.
Encourages George Darwin to continue his work on consanguineous marriages.
| Author: | John Ferguson McLennan |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 7 Nov 1876 |
| Classmark: | DAR 171: 23 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10664 |
Matches: 7 hits
- … for years. Encourages George Darwin to continue his work on consanguineous marriages. …
- … in ancient history: comprising a reprint of primitive marriage: an inquiry into the origin …
- … of the form of capture in marriage ceremonies . London: Bernard Quaritch. Marginalia : …
- … for which his paper on consanguineous marriages shows such aptitude that at once he must …
- … published a reprint of his Primitive marriage with other essays under the title Studies in …
- … and John Lubbock’s views on communal marriage, see McLennan 1876 , pp. 329–71 and 423–49, …
- … Darwin had published a paper on cousin marriage in 1875 ( G. H. Darwin 1875 ). Edward …
From W. M. Hacon 10 November 1879
Summary
Negotiations on Horace’s marriage-settlement.
| Author: | William Mackmurdo Hacon |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 10 Nov 1879 |
| Classmark: | DAR 166: 25 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-12307 |
Matches: 6 hits
- … Negotiations on Horace’s marriage-settlement. …
- … s brother William James Farrer to discuss the marriage settlement of Horace Darwin and Ida …
- … Ida, and Horace remarrying, a child from the first marriage would inherit a greater amount …
- … than would children from the second marriage (see letter to W. M. Hacon, 8 November [ …
- … part into a new settlement, on the second marriage,—the part to be determined by a ratio …
- … the number of the children of the first marriage,—or at all events depending upon such …
From John Lubbock 25 March 1867
Summary
Discusses the practice of exogamy; asks if any animals have an instinctive repugnance to inbreeding.
| Author: | John Lubbock, 4th baronet and 1st Baron Avebury |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 25 Mar 1867 |
| Classmark: | DAR 170: 56 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-5459 |
Matches: 7 hits
- … Bibliography McLennan, John Ferguson. 1865. Primitive marriage: an inquiry into the origin …
- … of the form of capture in marriage ceremonies. Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black. OED : …
- … you have read M c Lennans “Primitive marriage”. He refers the curious practise of Exogamy …
- … I should have thought that the objection to marriage between near relations might have had …
- … reference is to John Ferguson McLennan’s Primitive marriage: an inquiry into the origin …
- … of the form of capture in marriage ceremonies ( McLennan 1865 ). The terms exogamy (the …
- … consequent need to capture women for marriage from other groups ( McLennan 1865 , pp. …
To John Murray 9 May [1874]
Summary
Recommends that JM consider publishing a new edition of J. F. McLennan’s Primitive marriage [1865]. CD considers it very valuable and not too indelicate.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | John Murray |
| Date: | 9 May [1874] |
| Classmark: | National Library of Scotland (John Murray Archive) (Ms. 42152 ff. 347–347A) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-9451 |
Matches: 7 hits
- … edition of J. F. McLennan’s Primitive marriage [1865]. CD considers it very valuable and …
- … 1871. McLennan, John Ferguson. 1865. Primitive marriage: an inquiry into the origin …
- … of the form of capture in marriage ceremonies. Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black. …
- … in Descent as an authority on mating and marriage customs and on infanticide in native …
- … publish a new Edit. of his Primitive marriage & that you said you had never heard of it & …
- … to John Ferguson McLennan and his book Primitive marriage: an inquiry into the origin …
- … of the form of capture in marriage ceremonies ( McLennan 1865 ); see letters from J. F. …
To H. E. Litchfield 16 February [1874?]
Summary
On the "doubtful & obscure" subject of marriage of cousins, CD believes, that judging from the analogy of animals, no direct evil would follow from their marriage. He would, however, expect the offspring of unrelated parents to be somewhat superior in size and vigour. The injury from the increase of any bad tendency common to the family seems to CD more to be feared than mere consanguinity; "the good effects of crossing distinct families I look at as great & undoubted".
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Henrietta Emma Darwin; Henrietta Emma Litchfield |
| Date: | 16 Feb [1874?] |
| Classmark: | The John Rylands Library, The University of Manchester |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-8207 |
Matches: 8 hits
- … would tend to counterbalance any evil from marriages between healthy and somewhat closely …
- … On the "doubtful & obscure" subject of marriage of cousins, CD believes, that judging from …
- … no direct evil would follow from their marriage. He would, however, expect the offspring …
- … subject is doubtful & obscure. In the marriage of cousins there is obviously danger from …
- … no direct evil would follow from the marriage of cousins. Nevertheless I sh d . quite …
- … that Henrietta’s concern about cousin marriage was inspired by George Howard Darwin’s …
- … whatever to lead to the belief that the marriage of cousins on male or female side would …
- … we may infer that with mankind the marriages of nearly related persons, some of whose …
From R. A. Job 23 December 1879
Summary
RAJ is the son of cousins and wishes to marry his cousin. Is anxious for information on consanguineous marriages and on the advisability of his proposed marriage.
| Author: | Robert Arthur Job |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 23 Dec 1879 |
| Classmark: | DAR 168: 64 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-12369 |
Matches: 5 hits
- … to marry his cousin. Is anxious for information on consanguineous marriages and on the …
- … advisability of his proposed marriage. …
- … Howard Darwin had published on cousin marriage ( G. H. Darwin 1875a ; see also G. H. …
- … 1873b. On beneficial restrictions to liberty of marriage. Contemporary Review 22: 412–26. …
- … Darwin, George Howard. 1875a. Marriages between first cousins in England and their …
From W. M. Hacon 7 November 1879
Summary
Reports bargaining with William Farrer on Horace’s marriage-settlement.
| Author: | William Mackmurdo Hacon |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 7 Nov 1879 |
| Classmark: | DAR 166: 24 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-12299 |
Matches: 7 hits
- … Reports bargaining with William Farrer on Horace’s marriage-settlement. …
- … who was a solicitor, to discuss the marriage settlement of Horace Darwin and Ida Farrer ( …
- … to be made on his niece’s intended marriage. I informed him that you were prepared to …
- … daughter and your son Francis on their marriages—viz—£5000. He remarked that he thought …
- … arrangements. Each party to the proposed marriage could have the first life interest in …
- … equally at 21 or (as to daughters) at marriage. And in default of children each party’ …
- … the life-interests revert to his or her marriage. M r William Farrer thinks the powers of …
From Andrew Smith 16 May 1871
Summary
Disagrees with CD and especially with Lubbock and McLennan about communal marriage. [See Descent 2: 361–3.]
| Author: | Andrew Smith |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 16 May 1871 |
| Classmark: | DAR 89: 179–80 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-7760 |
Matches: 6 hits
- … and especially with Lubbock and McLennan about communal marriage. [See Descent 2: 361–3. ] …
- … John Lubbock and John Ferguson McLennan’s views on the natural history of marriage and the …
- … practice of ‘communal marriage’ in Descent 2: 358–61. CD’s annotated copies of Lubbock …
- … John Murray. McLennan, John Ferguson. 1865. Primitive marriage: an inquiry into the origin …
- … of the form of capture in marriage ceremonies. Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black. …
- … M’Lenan touching what constitutes marriage among primitive people I agree with you to a …
Notes on marriage [July 1838]
Summary
Published as an appendix to vol. 2 of the Correspondence; see https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/tags/about-darwin/family-life/darwin-marriage. Debates with himself the pros and cons of marriage. Considers plans for future.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | [July 1838] |
| Classmark: | DAR 210.8: 2 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-420 |
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Coral reefs in Commentary
Coral reefs in Commentary
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Darwin in letters, 1874: A turbulent year
Summary
The year 1874 was one of consolidation, reflection, and turmoil for Darwin. He spent the early months working on second editions of Coral reefs and Descent of man; the rest of the year was mostly devoted to further research on insectivorous plants. A…
Matches: 1 hits
- … The year 1874 was one of consolidation, reflection, and turmoil for Darwin. He spent the early …
