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To [John Hawkshaw?]   1 January [1860]1

Down Bromley Kent

Jan 1st.—

My dear Sir

I have real pleasure in signing Mr. Bonney’s certificate, which I herewith return.—2

I am delighted to hear that you are interested in my Book3 & I remain | My dear Sir | Yours sincerely | C. Darwin

[Enclosure]

Paid Coutts March 27/604

The Rev: Thomas George Bonney M.A Fellow of St. John’s Coll: Cambridge St. Peter’s College Westminster5 being desirous of admission into the Geological Society of London, We, the undersigned, recommend him as a proper person to become a Fellow thereof.

Feby. 4th. 1860

John Hawkshaw, From Personal knowledge.

Charles Darwin

James Simpson

Jos. Prestwich6

T. Harlin

Proposed Feb 15/60

Notice of Ballot Feb 29th.

Elected March 14/60

No 1930

Footnotes

1
The year is established from the date of Thomas George Bonney’s election as a member of the Geological Society of London. There is a letter from John Hawkshaw dated February 1860 in the archives of the Geological Society asking the recipient to arrange for the other signatures to be added to the enclosed form.
2
The certificate has been transcribed in its final state in the archives of the Geological Society.
3
Origin had been published in November 1859.
4
Coutts was a well-known London bank. Members of the Geological Society who lived in London paid thirty guineas on joining, or three guineas a year (H. B. Woodward 1907, p. 60).
5
Bonney taught mathematics at St Peter’s College, Westminster (also known as Westminster School; ODNB).

Bibliography

Origin: On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1859.

Woodward, Horace B. 1907. The history of the Geological Society of London. London: Geological Society.

Summary

Returning Thomas George Bonney’s certificate, which it was a pleasure to sign.

Delighted that JH is interested in his book [Origin?]

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-2633F
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
John Hawkshaw
Sent from
Down
Source of text
Dominic Winter Auctioneers (dealers) (10 April 2019, lot 139), Geological Society of London (Membership certificates, 1860, p. 116)
Physical description
ALS 1p encl 1p

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 2633F,” accessed on 24 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2633F.xml

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