From Alfred Wrigley 2 January 1868
Grammar School, | Clapham. S.
Jany. 2. | 1868
My dear Mr Darwin
I beg to express my gratification on reading your letter of this day.1 The place on the Sandhurst List won by Leonard is remarkably good: and is such as would ensure him, were he pass through Sandhurst, a Commission without purchase.2 So high a place is rarely obtained without Classics—and considering that Leonard ‘took up’ no Classics3—and was somewhat doubtful in English, for half a dozen words mis-spelt might have seriously damaged him—considering also that he first turned his attention to Geology and Mineralogy during the last term—and that his Mathematics were specially shaped for Woolwich requirements4—I am highly gratified by his achievement—but particularly by the evidence of external authorities thus afforded of the sterling qualities of the boy’s mind and attainments.
He has much before him—but all will be comparatively easy to him with the student habits he has acquired and sedulously practised.
Permit me to express the pleasure with which I perused your letter respecting Horace.5
I am My dear Sir | Yours very sincerely | Alfred Wrigley
Charles R Darwin Esqre. | &c &c &c
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Pritchard, Charles. 1886. Annals of our school life. Oxford: Horace Hart.
Smyth, John George. 1961.Sandhurst: the history of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, 1741–1961. London: Wakefield and Nicolson.
Summary
Expresses his gratification on reading of Leonard Darwin’s high placing on the Sandhurst list.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-5773
- From
- Alfred Wrigley
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Clapham Grammar School
- Source of text
- DAR 181: 180
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 5773,” accessed on 18 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-5773.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 16