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Women’s scientific participation

Summary

Observers | Fieldwork | Experimentation | Editors and critics | Assistants Darwin’s correspondence helps bring to light a community of women who participated, often actively and routinely, in the nineteenth-century scientific community. Here is a…

Matches: 19 hits

… | Editors and critics | Assistants Darwin’s correspondence helps bring to light a …
… community. Here is a selection of letters exchanged between Darwin and his workforce of women …
… Observers Women: Letter 1194 - Darwin to Whitby, M. A. T., [12 August …
… silkworm breeds, or peculiarities in inheritance. Letter 3787 - Darwin, H. E. to …
… observations of cats’ instinctive behaviour. Letter 4258 - Becker, L. E. to Darwin, …
… plants in her garden. Letter 4523 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, [6 June 1864] …
… wife of American naturalist Asa Gray, responds to Darwin’s queries about Expression …
… him. Letter 6535 - Vaughan Williams , M. S. to Darwin, H. E., [after 14 October …
… Darwin's daughter, Henrietta. Letter 7179 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, [5 …
… dogs with Emma Darwin. Letter 8676 - Treat, M. to Darwin, [13 December 1872] …
… of her pet cats. Letter 8989 - Treat, M. to Darwin, [28 July 1873] Mary …
… Letter 9426 - Story-Maskelyne , T. M. to Darwin, [23 April 1874] Thereza …
… New Zealand. Letter 6453 - Langton, E. to Wedgwood, S. E., [9 November 1868] …
… Letter 5756 - Langton, E. & C. to Wedgwood S. E., [after 9 November 1868] Darwin …
… Letter 1701 - Morris, M. H. to Prior, R. C. A., [17 June 1855] Margaretta Hare Morris …
… lakes in Pennsylvania. Letter 3681 - Wedgwood, M. S. to Darwin, [before 4 August …
… on holiday in Llandudno. Letter 4823 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, H. E., [May 1865] …
… Lychnis diurna. Letter 8168 - Ruck, A. R . to Darwin, H., [20 January 1872] …
… lawn. Letter 8224 - Darwin to Ruck, A. R., [24 February 1872] Darwin …

Language: key letters

Summary

How and why language evolved bears on larger questions about the evolution of the human species, and the relationship between man and animals. Darwin presented his views on the development of human speech from animal sounds in The Descent of Man (1871),…

Matches: 13 hits

… human species, and the relationship between man and animals. Darwin presented his views on the …
… he first began to reflect on the transmutation of species. Darwin’s correspondence reveals the scope …
… whom he exchanged information and ideas. Letter 346: Darwin, C. R. to Darwin, C. S., 27 Feb …
… tell me you do not see what is new in Sir J. Herschell’s idea about the chronology of the old …
… Caucasian languages separated from one stock.” Letter 2070: Wedgwood, Hensleigh to Darwin, …
… because we can trace the elements into Latin, German &c. but I see much the same sort of thing …
… is the grinding down of former continents.” Letter 3054: Darwin, C. R. to Lyell, Charles, 2 …
… is perfectly logical.” Letter 5605: Darwin, C. R. to Müller, J. F. T., 15 Aug [1867] …
… do they scream & make loud noise?” Letter 7040: Wedgwood, Hensleigh to Darwin, C. R., …
… Chauncey Wright, Darwin discusses William Dwight Whitney’s theory that language evolves through the …
… Oxford professor Friedrich Max Müller, who opposed Darwin’s theory of evolution and its extension to …
… A. H. to Darwin, C. R., 27 July 1877 Darwin’s study of human nature had involved extensive …
… to eat, for this movement makes a sound like the letter m.” “For some time past I have been …

Referencing women’s work

Summary

Darwin's correspondence shows that women made significant contributions to Darwin's work, but whether and how they were acknowledged in print involved complex considerations of social standing, professional standing, and personal preference.…

Matches: 12 hits

… Darwin's correspondence shows that women made significant contributions to Darwin's work, …
… set of selected letters is followed by letters relating to Darwin's 1881 publication …
… work are referenced throughout Variation . Letter 2395 - Darwin to Holland, …
… her identity is both anonymised and masculinised. Letter 3316 - Darwin to Nevill, D …
… publicly as a science critic. Letter 4370 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, [April - May …
… Surrey”. Letter 4794 - Darwin to Lyell, C., [25 March 1865] Darwin asks …
… final publication. Letter 7223 - Darwin to Wedgwood, L. C., [9 June 1867 - 72] …
… Henrietta, about how best to reference her husband’s contribution to a chapter on music in …
… input. Letter 8719 - Darwin to Treat, M., [1 January 1873] Darwin asks …
… relating to Earthworms Letter 7428 - Wedgwood, F. to Darwin, [4 January …
… near his house. Letter 8168 - Ruck, A. R. to Darwin, H., [20 January 1872] …
… turf-based worm castings . Letter 7345 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, [15 June 1872] …

Henrietta Darwin's diary

Summary

Darwin's daughter Henrietta kept a diary for a few momentous weeks in 1871. This was the year in which Descent of Man, the most controversial of her father's books after Origin itself, appeared, a book which she had helped him write. The small…

Matches: 18 hits

… Charles Darwin’s daughter Henrietta wrote the following journal entries in March and …
… 1871 in a small lockable, leather-bound notebook now in the Darwin Archive of Cambridge University …
… within it, presumably by Henrietta herself. Darwin’s letters in 1870 and 1871 ( …
… reflect her concerns about the consequences of her father’s theories for religious belief, which he …
… discussed in the first entry and attended by Henrietta’s friend and relative Emily Caroline (Lena) …
… on a discussion with her cousin, Frances Julia (Snow) Wedgwood, about religion and free will in …
… on the expression of emotion (see letters from F. J. Wedgwood to H. E. and C. R. Darwin, [1867–72], …
… barrister and lecturer in music at the London Working Men’s College, and they were married in the …
… fresh in my mind I will give an account of it. Lena & Alice M. 2 were both mission women, …
… amongst whom of course was Lena had any knowledge of it. M r . W. spoke or preached as u like to …
… fits they didn’t attempt—but otherwise it must have m. resembled a Wesleyan revival—even down to the …
… her Father who w d be waiting for her—when down came M r . W. on his knees between them & …
… to reappear next day in the vestry where Lena took her & was m. gratified to find she had cried. …
… it is intense enjoyment I can well believe. I can imagine no m. intense feeling than must be felt by …
… of results. 7 Then I emboldened myself to discover m. of Sno’s creed than I ever have done …
… at fault in the outer world, how can we know that it is m trustworthy in the inner world. This view …
… worship of humanity—this I hope is only in its bud— I c d conceive a life wh. was filled & …
… 6 Laura May Forster . 7 Frances Julia Wedgwood (Snow) and George Eliot. The …

Natural Science and Femininity

Summary

Discussion Questions|Letters A conflation of masculine intellect and feminine thoughts, habits and feelings, male naturalists like Darwin inhabited an uncertain gendered identity. Working from the private domestic comfort of their homes and exercising…

Matches: 14 hits

… thoughts, habits and feelings, male naturalists like Darwin inhabited an uncertain gendered identity …
… feminine powers of feeling and aesthetic appreciation, Darwin and his male colleagues struggled to …
… Britain? Letters Letter 109 - Wedgwood, J. to Darwin, …
… pursuit of real, professional work on his return. Letter 158 - Darwin to Darwin, R. W., …
… colour and “beauty” of tropical vegetation. Letter 542 - Darwin to Wedgwood, C. S., [27 …
… meals, family time and walks into town with Emma. Letter 555 - Darwin to FitzRoy, R., …
… ‘ A Biographical Sketch of an Infant ’. Letter 2781 - Doubleday, H. to Darwin, [3 May …
… them in the north-facing borders of his garden. Letter 2864 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., …
… Published in Gardeners’ Chronicle , Darwin asks M. J. Berkeley to identify microscopical …
… the house immediately after a rain storm. Here, Darwin’s scientific investigation is inextricably …
… a fellow of Trinity would be far more useful in George’s pursuit of a profession. Gove maintained …
… experiments he is undertaking in his home to test Wallace’s theory that birds reject highly-coloured …
… in his home. Letter 6453 - Langton, E. to Wedgwood, S. E., [9 November 1868] …
… on the bedroom wallpaper. Letter 10821 - Graham C. C. to Darwin, [30 January 1877] …

Darwin in letters, 1882: Nothing too great or too small

Summary

In 1882, Darwin reached his 74th year Earthworms had been published the previous October, and for the first time in decades he was not working on another book. He remained active in botanical research, however. Building on his recent studies in plant…

Matches: 23 hits

… In 1882, Darwin reached his 74th year Earthworms had been published the previous …
… for scientific colleagues or their widows facing hardship. Darwin had suffered from poor health …
… ‘I feel a very old man, & my course is nearly run’ ( letter to Lawson Tait, 13 February 1882 ) …
… came on 19 April. Plans were made for a burial in St Mary’s churchyard in Down, where his brother …
… of his scientific friends quickly organised a campaign for Darwin to have greater public recognition …
… Botanical observation and experiment had long been Darwin’s greatest scientific pleasure. The year …
… fertility of crosses between differently styled plants ( letter from Fritz Müller, 1 January 1882 …
… contents, if immersed for some hours in a weak solution of C. of Ammonia’. Darwin’s interest in root …
… François Marie Glaziou (see Correspondence vol. 28, letter from Arthur de Souza Corrêa, 20 …
… vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and beets. Romanes’s experiments had been conducted to lend …
… asymmetric, thus facilitating cross-fertilisation. Darwin’s aim, he said, was just to ‘have the …
… 1882 ). Earthworms and evolution Darwin’s last book, Earthworms , had been …
… V). The conservative Quarterly Review , owned by Darwin’s publisher John Murray, carried an …
… them half the worm had disappeared down the frog’s throat. I watched them for a quarter of an hour …
… our homes, would in this case greatly suffer’ ( letter to C. A. Kennard, 9 January 1882 ). Kennard …
… judged, intellectually his inferior, please ( letter from C. A. Kennard, 28 January 1882 ). …
… dull aching in the chest’ (Emma Darwin to G. H. Darwin, [ c . 28 March 1882] (DAR 210.3: 45)). …
… were not wanting to tell me how you felt for me— Hope [Wedgwood] expresses a feeling that I should …
… to some Estancia,’ wrote Hughes, ‘as the scenery &c. will amply repay your trouble’ ( letter …
… where he had witnessed an earthquake in 1835 ( letter from R. E. Alison, [March–July 1835 ]). …
… History, that I went as Naturalist on the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle round the World & collected in …
… will be months before I am able to work’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, [ c . 10 April 1864] ). To …
… and journals by Lyell’s sister-in-law Katherine (see K. M. Lyell ed. 1881, 2: 445–6). A complete …

Women as a scientific audience

Summary

Target audience? | Female readership | Reading Variation Darwin's letters, in particular those exchanged with his editors and publisher, reveal a lot about his intended audience. Regardless of whether or not women were deliberately targeted as a…

Matches: 20 hits

… Female readership | Reading Variation Darwin's letters, in particular those …
… a broad variety of women had access to, and engaged with, Darwin's published works. A set of …
… Were women a target audience? Letter 2447 - Darwin to Murray, J., [5 April 1859] …
… that his views are original and will appeal to the public. Darwin asks Murray to forward the …
… her to read to check that she can understand it. Letter 7312 - Darwin to Darwin, F. …
… from all but educated, typically-male readers. Letter 7124 - Darwin to Darwin, H. E …
… he seeks her help with tone and style. Letter 7329 - Murray , J. to Darwin, [28 …
… got hold of it first. Darwin’s female readership Letter …
… with which to work. She has transcribed parts of Darwin’s papers, including diagrams, to share with …
… "epistolary acquaintance" of his, Sara Hennell . Hennell's writings show a " …
… of Herbert Spencer. Letter 7624 - Bathoe, M . B. to Darwin, [25 March 1871] …
… range of evidence in order to raise questions about Darwin’s conclusions, in particular his …
… - Barnard, A. to Darwin, [30 March 1871] J. S. Henslow’s daughter, Anne, responds to …
… to an asylum with her father. Letter 7651 - Wedgwood, F. J. to Darwin, H. E., …
… thinking”. Letter 8778 - Forster, L. M . to Darwin, H. E., [20 February …
… in Expression . Letter 10072 - Pape, C. to Darwin, [16 July 1875] …
… questionnaire. Letter 10390 - Herrick, S. M. B. to Darwin, [12 February 1876] …
… in her garden. Letter 13650 Kennard, C. A. to Darwin, [28 January 1882] …
… Variation . Letter 6126 - Binstead, C. H. to Darwin, [17 April 1868] …
… of Variation . Letter 6237 - Bullar, R. to Darwin, [9 June 1868] …

Darwin in letters, 1878: Movement and sleep

Summary

In 1878, Darwin devoted most of his attention to the movements of plants. He investigated the growth pattern of roots and shoots, studying the function of specific organs in this process. Working closely with his son Francis, Darwin devised a series of…

Matches: 24 hits

… lessen injury to leaves from radiation In 1878, Darwin devoted most of his attention to …
… in this process. Working closely with his son Francis, Darwin devised a series of experiments to …
… spent an extended period in Würzburg at Julius Sachs’s botanical institute, one of most advanced …
… from botanical research was provided by potatoes, as Darwin took up the cause of an Irish …
… would rid Ireland of famine. Several correspondents pressed Darwin for his views on religion, …
… closed with remarkable news of a large legacy bequeathed to Darwin by a stranger as a reward for his …
… Hooker, ‘or as far as I know any scientific man’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 14 December [1878] ). …
… Sophy to observe the arching shoots of Neottia (bird’s nest orchid) near her home in Surrey: ‘If …
… or arched.… Almost all seedlings come up arched’ ( letter to Sophy Wedgwood, 24 March [1878–80] ). …
… when he finds out that he missed sensitiveness of apex’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, [11 May 1878] …
… Darwin complained. ‘I am ashamed at my blunder’ ( letter to John Tyndall, 22 December [1878] ). …
… apart. At the start of June, Francis left to work at Sach’s laboratory in Germany, not returning …
… accursed German language: Sachs is very kind to him’ ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 18 June …
… be obtained at Down House, but Francis thought Horace’s abilities were a match for German instrument …
… here is far from well made.’ (Jemmy or Jim was Horace’s nickname.) Francis was occasionally …
… letter from Francis Darwin, [after 7 July 1878] ). Sachs’s confidence was apparently matched by his …
… Anne Westwood, and the proud grandparents. Many of Darwin’s letters conveyed news of the boy. ‘All …
… faculties. He seemed to take special note of the child’s use of language and power of judgment. …
… own research on animal instinct and intelligence. ‘Frank’s son, nearly 2 years old (& we think …
… a young monkey, so as to observe its mind’? Darwin’s suggestion was seconded: ‘Frank says you ought …
… Record”’ ( letter from Edmund Mojsisovics von Mojsvár, 28 April 1878 ). ‘What a wonderful change …
… Samuel Haughton. ‘If I do write’, George worried, ‘I’m pretty sure to get in Haughton’s ill favour …
… opponent’ ( Correspondence vol. 24, letter to T. C. Eyton, 22 April 1876 ). ‘When I first read …
… secretary, Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil ( letter to R. A. T. Gascoyne-Cecil, 18 May 1878 ). …

Religion

Summary

Design|Personal Belief|Beauty|The Church Perhaps the most notorious realm of controversy over evolution in Darwin's day was religion. The same can be said of the evolution controversy today; however the nature of the disputes and the manner in…

Matches: 15 hits

… the most notorious realm of controversy over evolution in Darwin's day was religion. The same …
… nineteenth century were different in important ways. Many of Darwin's leading supporters were …
… much as possible. A number of correspondents tried to draw Darwin out on his own religious views, …
… of departure reviews of Origin . The second is a single letter from naturalist A. R. Wallace to …
… everything is the result of “brute force”. Letter 2855 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, 3 …
… on this issue. Letter 3256 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, 17 Sept [1861] Darwin …
… about an angel. Letter 3342 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, 11 Dec [1861] Darwin …
… questions about design. Letter 6167 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, 8 May [1868] …
… constant watching of an intelligent ‘chooser’ like man's selection to which you so often …
… to Graham, William, 3 July 1881 Darwin praises Graham’s Creed of science , but disagrees …
… chance” but has horrid doubt whether convictions of man’s mind, which has been developed from lower …
… Belief This collection of letters explores Darwin’s reluctance to take a definitive position …
… members of his own family. Letter 441 — Wedgwood, Emma to Darwin, C. R., [21–22 Nov …
… to Darwin, C. R., [c. Feb 1839] Emma discusses Darwin’s religious doubts. She fears his work …
… only He can give me.” Letter 5303 — Boole, M. E. to Darwin, C. R., 13 Dec 1866 In …

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: 20 hits

… 1874 was one of consolidation, reflection, and turmoil for Darwin. He spent the early months working …
… dispute over an anonymous review that attacked the work of Darwin’s son George dominated the second …
… been the naturalist and traveller Alexander von Humboldt’s 105th birthday, Darwin obliged with a …
… be done by observation during prolonged intervals’ ( letter to D. T. Gardner, [ c . 27 August …
… pleasures of shooting and collecting beetles ( letter from W. D. Fox, 8 May [1874] ). Such …
… And … one looks backwards much more than forwards’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 11 May [1874] ). …
… August 1873. Darwin had originally thought that Clark’s dietary treatment would ‘do wonders’, but as …
… was an illusory hope.— I feel very old & helpless’ ( letter to B. J. Sulivan, 6 January [1874] …
… in London, his son George organised a séance at Erasmus’s house. The event was led by the medium …
… another Williams séance was held at the home of Darwin’s cousin Hensleigh Wedgwood. Those present …
… to get the two men on each side of him to hold each other’s hands, instead of his, ‘& that he …
… Descent was published in November 1874 ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 12 November 1874 ). Though …
… on subsequent print runs would be very good ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 12 November 1874 ). …
… of books in relation to the Origin, of which I have the M.S. half completed; but I have started the …
… in a few hours dissolve the hardest cartilage, bone & meat &c. &c.’ ( letter to W. D. …
… whether at the ‘close of the putrefaction of flesh, skin &c, any substance is produced before …
… details of an Australian variety of sundew ( letter from T. C. Copland, 23 June 1874 ). …
… Sharpe for promotion at the British Museum ( letter to R. B. Sharpe, 24 November [1874] ). He …
… Darwin replied, ‘I have so poor a metaphysical head that M r Spencer’s terms of equilibration …
… for a Serbian translation of Origin ( letter from M. M. Radovanović, 17 September 1874 ), …

Darwin in letters, 1880: Sensitivity and worms

Summary

‘My heart & soul care for worms & nothing else in this world,’ Darwin wrote to his old Shrewsbury friend Henry Johnson on 14 November 1880. Darwin became fully devoted to earthworms in the spring of the year, just after finishing the manuscript of…

Matches: 23 hits

… heart & soul care for worms & nothing else in this world,’ Darwin wrote to his old …
… to adapt to varying conditions. The implications of Darwin’s work for the boundary between animals …
… studies of animal instincts by George John Romanes drew upon Darwin’s early observations of infants, …
… Controversy and Erasmus Darwin Darwin’s most recent book, Erasmus Darwin , had been …
… generations. He continued to receive letters about Erasmus’s life and other bits of family history. …
… Tindal, sent a cache of letters from two of Darwin’s grandfather’s clerical friends, full of lively …
… the eagerness of the two learned divines to see a pig’s body opened is very amusing’, Darwin replied …
… have influenced the whole Kingdom, & even the world’ ( letter from J. L. Chester, 3 March 1880 …
… Darwin’s Life . ‘In an endeavour to explain away y r . treatment of [William Alvey Darwin],’ …
… delighted to find an ordinary mortal who could laugh’ ( letter from W. E. Darwin to Charles and …
… by anticipation the position I have taken as regards D r Erasmus Darwin in my book Evolution old …
… to the end’, added her husband Richard ( letter from R. B. Litchfield, 1 February 1880 ). Even the …
… family shake their heads in the same dismal manner as you & M r . Murray did, when I told them …
… structural differentiations’ ( letter from F. M. Balfour, [22 November 1880] ). George Romanes, …
… in a book about beetles the impressive words “captured by C. Darwin”. … This seemed to me glory …
… have been forestalled: ‘I had hoped to call & see whether M rs . Biddulph would admit me, &amp …
… ‘but the subject has amused me’ ( letter to W. C. McIntosh, 18 June 1880 ). Members of the family …
… Darwin to Emma Darwin, [18 September 1880] ). Darwin’s Wedgwood nieces, Sophy and Lucy, were asked …
… We find that the light frightens them’ ( letter to Sophy Wedgwood, 8 October [1880] ). The …
… Darwin encouraged the experiment, but conceded, ‘M rs . Romanes is quite right not to allow the …
… great doctrines …“Come of Age”‘ ( letter from W. C. Williamson to Emma Darwin, 2 September 1880 ). …
… of several close family members. Emma’s brother Josiah Wedgwood III died on 11 March. Like Emma, he …
… & am never happy except when at work’ ( letter to J. M. Herbert, 25 December [1880] ). …

Scientific Networks

Summary

Friendship|Mentors|Class|Gender In its broadest sense, a scientific network is a set of connections between people, places, and things that channel the communication of knowledge, and that substantially determine both its intellectual form and content,…

Matches: 11 hits

… and colonial authorities. In the nineteenth-century, letter writing was one of the most important …
… when strong institutional structures were largely absent. Darwin had a small circle of scientific …
… in times of uncertainty, controversy, or personal loss. Letter writing was not only a means of …
… section contains two sets of letters. The first is between Darwin and his friend Kew botanist J. D. …
… confessing a murder”. Letter 736 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., 23 Feb [1844] …
… Darwin and Gray Letter 1674 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, Asa, 25 Apr [1855] Darwin …
… reform, Darwin opposes appending first describer’s name to specific name. Letter 1220 — …
… relates personal matters. Hooker has received Darwin’s earlier letter [ 1202 ]. He thanks …
… to Darwin and Lyell for Athenæum . He mentioned Darwin’s work on complemental males in barnacles …
… Catherine’s and his own. He also notes that Hensleigh [Wedgwood] thinks he has settled the free-will …
… and corrections. Letter 5745 — Barber, M. E. to Darwin, C. R., [after Feb 1867] In …

Science: A Man’s World?

Summary

Discussion Questions|Letters Darwin's correspondence show that many nineteenth-century women participated in the world of science, be it as experimenters, observers, editors, critics, producers, or consumers. Despite this, much of the…

Matches: 12 hits

… Discussion Questions | Letters Darwin's correspondence show that many nineteenth …
… Letters Darwin’s Notes On Marriage [April - July 1838] In these notes, …
… an hour “with poor Mrs. Lyell sitting by”. Letter 3715 - Claparède, J. L. R. A. E. to …
… whose attractions are not those of her sex”. Letter 4038 - Darwin to Lyell, C., [12-13 …
… ornaments in the making of feminine works”. Letter 4441 - Becker, L. E. to Darwin, [30 …
… the young, especially ladies, to study nature. Letter 4940 - Cresy, E. to Darwin, E., …
… Jnr. seeks Darwin-family support for Elizabeth Garrett’s candidacy for the position of Professorship …
… author, is a man. Letter 7314 - Kovalevsky, S. to Darwin, [1 September 1870] …
… is left of them ears”. Letter 8055 - Hennell, S. S. to Darwin, [7 November 1871] …
… natural thinking”. Letter 8079 - Norton, S. R. to Darwin, [20 November 1871] …
… women. Letter 10746 – Darwin to Dicey, E. M., [1877] Darwin gives his …
… patience. Letter 13607 – Darwin to Kennard, C. A., [9 January 1882] Darwin …

Darwin in letters, 1872: Job done?

Summary

'My career’, Darwin wrote towards the end of 1872, 'is so nearly closed. . . What little more I can do, shall be chiefly new work’, and the tenor of his correspondence throughout the year is one of wistful reminiscence, coupled with a keen eye…

Matches: 21 hits

… ‘My career’, Darwin wrote towards the end of 1872, ‘is so nearly closed. . . What little more I can …
… of On the origin of species , intended to be Darwin’s last, and of Expression of the …
… books brought a strong if deceptive sense of a job now done: Darwin intended, he declared to Alfred …
… anything more on 'so difficult a subject, as evolution’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 27 July …
… and papers, and the latter formed the subject of Darwin’s last book, The formation of …
… , published in the year before his death. Despite Darwin’s declared intention to take up new work, …
… , shortly after correcting the proofs, and Darwin’s concern for the consolidation of his legacy is …
… editions were costly to incorporate, and despite Darwin’s best efforts, set the final price at 7 s. …
… condition as I can make it’, he wrote to the translator ( letter to J. J. Moulinié, 23 September …
… let alone the fifth. Printing of the proofs of Moulinié’s translation of the fifth English edition …
… This complex operation, combined with Moulinié’s increasingly poor health, led to yet further delay, …
… be reset. The investment in stereotype reinforced Darwin’s intention to make no further changes to …
… Whale & duck most beautiful’ ( letter from A. R. Wallace, 3 March 1872 ). I …
… `chiefly perhaps because I do it badly’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 3 August [1872] ). …
… than offended by `that clever book’ ( letter to J. M. Herbert, 21 November 1872 ) and invited …
… from his ignorance, he feels no doubts’ ( letter to F. C. Donders, 17 June 1872 ). Right up to the …
… Charlton Bastian’s recent book on the origin of life (H. C. Bastian 1872; Wallace 1872d) left him …
… Lord Sackville Cecil, to attend a séance ( letter from M. C. Stanley, 4 June 1872 ). There was …
… others described the way their hands blushed (letter from M. I. Snow, 29 [November 1872 or later] …
… to contain wormcasts from India. Darwin’s niece Lucy Wedgwood, who had started her observations the …
… life which surprised & gratified me more’ ( letter to J. M. Herbert, 21 November 1872 ). Fox …

Darwin in letters, 1876: In the midst of life

Summary

1876 was the year in which the Darwins became grandparents for the first time. And tragically lost their daughter-in-law, Amy, who died just days after her son's birth. All the letters from 1876 are now published in volume 24 of The Correspondence…

Matches: 20 hits

… The year 1876 started out sedately enough with Darwin working on the first draft of his book on the …
… Down House measured by the ongoing tally of his and Emma’s backgammon games. ‘I have won, hurrah, …
… regarding the ailments that were so much a feature of Darwin family life. But the calm was not to …
… of the next generation of the family, with Francis and Amy’s child expected in September. Their joy …
… to William on 11 September just hours after Amy’s death. For once, the labour of checking proofs …
… dimorphic and trimorphic plants in new ways. New Year's resolutions Darwin began …
… quantity of work’ left in him for ‘new matter’ (letter to Asa Gray, 28 January 1876). The …
… to a reprint of the second edition of Climbing plants ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 23 February …
… not even to look at a single proof ’. Perhaps Carus’s meticulous correction of errors in the German …
… & I for blundering’, he cheerfully observed to Carus. ( Letter to J. V. Carus, 24 April 1876. …
… provided evidence for the ‘advantages of crossing’ (letter to Asa Gray, 28 January 1876). Revising …
… effected by his forthcoming pamphlet, Darwin confounded (C. O’Shaughnessy 1876), which, he …
… and who had succeeded in giving him pain ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 17 June 1876 ). Although …
… in an anonymous article, which impugned not only George’s but also Darwin’s respectability (see …
… that Mivart still had the capacity to damage George’s reputation. ‘I care little about myself but Mr …
… year’s experiments’ ( letter from G. J. Romanes, [ c . 19 March 1876] ). A less welcome reaction …
… and ardent naturalist Thomas Edward ( letter from F. M. Balfour, 11 December 1876 ; letter to …
… In the same month, Darwin heard that his sister Caroline Wedgwood continued to languish in …
… and agriculturists in France ( letter from E. M. Heckel, 27 December 1876 ). In England, the …
… in harmony with yours’ ( letter from George Henslow, [ c. 7 December 1876] ). A more typical …

Darwin in letters, 1868: Studying sex

Summary

The quantity of Darwin’s correspondence increased dramatically in 1868 due largely to his ever-widening research on human evolution and sexual selection.Darwin’s theory of sexual selection as applied to human descent led him to investigate aspects of the…

Matches: 23 hits

… On 6 March 1868, Darwin wrote to the entomologist and accountant John Jenner Weir, ‘If any …
… he ought to do what I am doing pester them with letters.’ Darwin was certainly true to his word. The …
… and sexual selection. In Origin , pp. 87–90, Darwin had briefly introduced the concept of …
… in satisfying female preference in the mating process. In a letter to Alfred Russel Wallace in 1864, …
… book would take the form of a ‘short essay’ on man ( letter to Ernst Haeckel, 3 July 1868 ). But …
… as well say, he would drink a little and not too much’ ( letter to Albert Günther, 15 May [1868] ) …
… had expected to complete it in a fortnight. But at Darwin’s request, he modified his original plan, …
… Murray to intervene, complaining on 9 January , ‘M r . Dallas’ delay … is intolerable … I am …
… though it would be a great loss to the Book’. But Darwin’s angry letter to Murray crossed one from …
… remuneration I shall look rather blank’ ( letter from W. S. Dallas, 8 January 1868 ). Darwin …
… your note’. Darwin enclosed a cheque to Dallas for £55 s ., and recommended to Murray that Dallas …
… Generally favourable accounts appeared in some of London’s leading weeklies such as the Saturday …
… Gazette , was by George Henry Lewes, well-known in London’s literary circles and an author of …
… Darwin for comments. Darwin was clearly impressed by Lewes’s reviews. On 7 August 1868 , he wrote …
… by Owen’. John Edward Gray, a colleague of Richard Owen’s in the British Museum, agreed about the …
… . It is a disgrace to the paper’ ( letter from A. R. Wallace, 24 February [1868] ). The review was …
… Science, Robertson published a rejoinder, arousing Darwin’s ire still further: ‘he is a scamp & …
… April 1868 . The letter was addressed to ‘the Rev d C. Darwin M.d’; Binstead evidently assumed …
… I did not see this, or rather I saw it only obs[c]urely, & have kept only a few references.’ …
… Langton wrote from the south of France to Sarah Elizabeth Wedgwood on 9 Novembe r, describing …
… of her two-month old daughter Katherine ( letter from C. M. Hawkshaw to Emma Darwin, 9 February …
… rest mostly on faith, and on accumulation of adaptations, &c) … Of course I understand your …
… host, his usually phlegmatic brother Erasmus exclaimed, ‘M rs Cameron there are six people in …

Darwin in letters, 1865: Delays and disappointments

Summary

The year was marked by three deaths of personal significance to Darwin: Hugh Falconer, a friend and supporter; Robert FitzRoy, captain of the Beagle; and William Jackson Hooker, director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and father of Darwin’s friend…

Matches: 20 hits

… In 1865, the chief work on Charles Darwin’s mind was the writing of The variation of animals and …
… from this, the editing of excerpts from Fritz Müller’s letters on climbing plants to make another …
… to comment on a paper on Verbascum (mullein) by CD’s protégé, John Scott, who was now working in …
… Argyll, appeared in the religious weekly, Good Words . Darwin received news of an exchange of …
… Butler, and, according to Butler, the bishop of Wellington. Darwin’s theory was discussed at an …
… in the Gardeners’ Chronicle . At the end of the year, Darwin was elected an honorary member of …
… significance to Darwin: Hugh Falconer, a friend of Darwin’s and prominent supporter of (though not a …
… of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and J. D. Hooker’s father, died in August. There was also a …
… letters. The death of Hugh Falconer Darwin’s first letter to Hooker of 1865 suggests …
… having all the Boys at home: they make the house jolly’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 7 January [1865] …
… had failed to include among the grounds of the award ( see letter from Hugh Falconer to Erasmus …
… his letters to Darwin, and Darwin responded warmly: ‘Your letter is by far the grandest eulogium …
… may well rest content that I have not laboured in vain’ ( letter to Hugh Falconer, 6 January [1865] …
… always a most kind friend to me. So the world goes.—’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 2 February [1865] …
… Darwin had received a copy of Müller’s book, Fü r Darwin , a study of the Crustacea with reference …
… … inheritance, reversion, effects of use & disuse &c’, and which he intended to publish in …
… He wrote to Hooker, ‘I doubt whether you or I or any one c d do any good in healing this breach. …
… on Hooker’s behalf, ‘He asks if you saw the article of M r . Croll in the last Reader on the …
… Correspondence vol. 13, CD’s ‘Journal’, Appendix I). Wedgwood and Darwin relatives visited Down …
… ‘As for your thinking that you do not deserve the C[opley] Medal,’ he rebuked Hooker, ‘that I …

Darwin in letters, 1837–1843: The London years to 'natural selection'

Summary

The seven-year period following Darwin's return to England from the Beagle voyage was one of extraordinary activity and productivity in which he became recognised as a naturalist of outstanding ability, as an author and editor, and as a professional…

Matches: 15 hits

… The seven-year period following Darwin's return to England from the Beagle voyage was one …
… a family Busy as he was with scientific activities, Darwin found time to re-establish family …
… close contact. In November 1838, two years after his return, Darwin became engaged to his cousin, …
… touching in the concern they show for one another’s sensibilities. Early in 1839 the couple set up …
… daughter, Anne Elizabeth, moved to Down House in Kent, where Darwin was to spend the rest of his …
… theoretical achievement, the most important of Darwin’s activities during the years 1837–43 was …
… a result of thinking about the significance of John Gould’s and Richard Owen’s identifications of …
… volume of the Narrative of the surveying voyage of H.M.S. Adventure and Beagle. Darwin’s volume …
… by Darwin from a suggestion made by his uncle, Josiah Wedgwood II, during one of Darwin’s visits to …
… discovered that contain lists of Darwin’s plants (see D. M. Porter 1981). Charles Lyell …
… letters have suffered an even more severe loss. In a letter to Lyell’s sister-in-law, Katharine …
… of fact . . . on the origin & variation of species” ( Letter to J. S. Henslow, [November 1839] …
… that he had a sound solution to what J. F. W. Herschel in a letter to Lyell had called the ‘mystery …
… all crosses between all domestic birds & animals dogs, cats &c &c very valuable—' …
… 1961, p. 53). Marriage Darwin married Emma Wedgwood in January 1839. His hopes and …

Darwin and the Church

Summary

The story of Charles Darwin’s involvement with the church is one that is told far too rarely. It shows another side of the man who is more often remembered for his personal struggles with faith, or for his role in large-scale controversies over the…

Matches: 19 hits

… The story of Charles Darwin’s involvement with the church is one that is told far too rarely. It …
… unique window into this complicated relationship throughout Darwin’s life, as it reveals his …
… belief (and doubt) than many non-conformist denominations. Darwin’s parents attended a Unitarian …
… A nominal adherence to the Anglican Church’s teachings was still essential for admittance to many of …
… the necessary studies to be a clergyman. During Darwin’s lifetime, the vast majority of the …
… with the pursuit of scientific interests. Indeed, Darwin’s Cambridge mentor, John Stevens Henslow, …
… clergymen naturalists. A nostalgic piece in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine described the early …
… on every side his own snug ivy-covered house’ (Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine (1887): 321). …
… & I can see it even through a grove of Palms.—’ (letter to Caroline Darwin, 25–6 April [1832] …
… wrote to the contrary: ‘I am sorry to see in your last letter that you still look forward to the …
… near the British Museum or some other learned place’ (letter from E. A. Darwin, 18 August [1832] …
… it is a sort of scene I never ought to think about—’ (letter to W. D. Fox, [9–12 August] 1835 ). …
… late 1830s, and in correspondence with his fiancée, Emma Wedgwood, in 1838 and 1839, as can be read …
… went dutifully to the local Anglican church of St Mary’s each Sunday. All the children were baptised …
… their children Mary and Charles were buried; later Darwin’s brother Erasmus, Emma’s sister Sarah, …
… However, what remains is cordial; in the first extant letter of the correspondence, Darwin wrote to …
… a letter of 1854 in which he said, From all I have seen of M r Innes’ conduct towards the poor …
… Innes informed Darwin that though he ‘heard all good of M r . Ffinden’s moral character, his …
… an interesting letter from Darwin to the evangelist J. W. C. Fegan. Darwin whole-heartedly supported …

Darwin’s observations on his children

Summary

Charles Darwin’s observations on the development of his children, began the research that culminated in his book The Expression of the emotions in man and animals, published in 1872, and his article ‘A biographical sketch of an infant’, published in Mind…

Matches: 26 hits

… Charles Darwin’s observations on the development of his children,[1] began the …
… is available below . As with much of his other work, Darwin gathered

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