From O. A. Ainslie 23 November 1880
48— Lincolns Inn Fields—
Novr. 23d 1880—
Private
My ⟨de⟩ar Dr Darwin
I observe with s⟨ome⟩ regret, that a relative of Mrs Darwin, has passed ⟨a⟩way—1 I suppose, that she was the recent proprietor of Tromer Lodge—formerly called Pond House— My lamented Father—the Revd. Robert Ainslie—visited Down, & had ⟨an in⟩terview with Miss Wed⟨g⟩wood—when he was re⟨ctor⟩ at Roundhill Crescen⟨t,⟩ Brighton—& some few years or so—2 I b⟨elieve⟩—befo⟨re⟩ his illness—which ultimately obliged him to give up his p⟨ ⟩ work— Now, I u⟨ndersto⟩od then, & have a⟨lwa⟩ys understood, that ⟨the⟩ transfer of Tro⟨m⟩er Lodge to the Purchasers, was in opposition to a higher offer, which was made at the Auction Mart— This of co⟨u⟩rse rests as it is— My Father had not funds to appeal. ⟨ ⟩ there were some ⟨p⟩ieces of Basso Relievo ⟨le⟩ft in the Drawing ⟨Ro⟩om & I suppose still the⟨re⟩, which he laid a ⟨cla⟩im to on the occasion of his visit ⟨to⟩ Miss Wedgewood.
If one of his creditors, who was the principal, who led him into his ⟨dif⟩ficulties, which he so nob⟨ly con⟩tended with, had ⟨ ⟩ a few years ea⟨rlier⟩ ⟨ ⟩tle and I would ⟨ ⟩ have ⟨ ⟩ our fa⟨ther’s⟩ ⟨ ⟩me” ⟨h⟩ouse.”— He die⟨d,⟩ I c⟨onsider, a victim to ⟨his⟩ generosity, & the negl⟨ect⟩ of th⟨e⟩ Public to a ⟨ ⟩ Man—who if he had n⟨ot⟩ had a considerable ⟨pri⟩vate property woul⟨d⟩ not have died so ⟨ ⟩ as he did— ⟨2 or 3 words⟩ in writing ⟨2 or 3 words⟩ whom I we⟨ll⟩ remember, as a Boy myself,—& who was once an acquaintance & ⟨on f⟩riendly terms with m⟨y fa⟩ther— is to request t⟨hat, i⟩n the event of Tr⟨omer⟩ Lodge bei⟨ng⟩ again in ⟨the⟩ market, I may ha⟨ve the e⟩arliest intim⟨atio⟩n of the fact, thro⟨ugh so⟩me member of you⟨r or⟩ your wife’s famil⟨y o⟩r ⟨in the⟩ possible event of ⟨y⟩our ⟨ ⟩ to be lamented decease.
⟨ ⟩ also to ask you to ⟨k⟩indly inform me—⟨(pri⟩vately) whether the ⟨1 or 2 words⟩ old deeds of the ⟨ ⟩ ⟨ ⟩ve been transferred ⟨2 or 3 words⟩ (as I believe) Possessor3
With the greatest ⟨2 or 3 words⟩ the honour ⟨ ⟩ ⟨Da⟩rwin Yrs mo⟨st⟩ ⟨ ⟩ Ainslie
Dr Charles Darwin— F⟨RS⟩
Footnotes
Bibliography
Emma Darwin (1904): Emma Darwin, wife of Charles Darwin. A century of family letters. Edited by Henrietta Litchfield. 2 vols. Cambridge: privately printed by Cambridge University Press. 1904.
Summary
Has learned of death of Sarah Elizabeth Wedgwood, former proprietor of Tromer Lodge, and writes about his deceased father’s earlier attempts to purchase this property. Requests information on any future transfer of it.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-12842
- From
- Oliver Alexander Ainslie
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- London, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, 48
- Source of text
- DAR 159: 11a (fragile)
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp damaged
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 12842,” accessed on 10 June 2023, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-12842.xml
