Rolfe was an annual subscriber to the Down Friendly Club and the Down Coal and Clothing Club, of which CD was treasurer (Freeman 1978); in addition CD distributed Rolfe’s annual subscriptions to a day school and a Sunday school in Down (see Correspondence vol. 7, letter to John Lubbock, 14 December [1859]). The Down Friendly Club was a local savings and insurance society, while the Coal and Clothing Club existed to supply working-class parishioners with cheap coal and clothing in exchange for regular savings; the account books, kept by CD, are in the Darwin Archive–Down House. In 1864, CD recorded the receipt of Rolfe’s annual donation of £10 10s. in his Account book–banking account (Down House MS) on 18 November under the heading ‘L^d. Cranworth cheque for charities’. On the same day CD noted in his Account book–cash account (Down House MS), ‘L^d Cranworth. Charities 9.9.0 to M^r Stephens 1.1.0 F. Club’. Thomas Sellwood Stephens was curate at Down (Freeman 1978). On CD’s philanthropic work at Down, see Moore 1985, p. 466.

Rolfe had for the last two years sent his cheque for the Down charities in November (see Correspondence vol. 10, letter from R. M. Rolfe, 28 November 1862, and Correspondence vol. 11, letter from R. M. Rolfe, [20 November 1863]).