From James Torbitt 24 February 1878
Summary
Wants CD to forward to Chancellor of Exchequer a letter which explains the progress he has made in his potato crossing. Wants to print a CD letter to arouse public interest in the work.
| Author: | James Torbitt |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 24 Feb 1878 |
| Classmark: | DAR 52: E2, DAR 178: 137 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11373 |
Matches: 5 hits
- … From James Torbitt 24 February 1878 …
- … DAR 52: E2, DAR 178: 137 James Torbitt Belfast 24 Feb 1878 Charles Robert Darwin …
- … 58 North Street | Belfast 24 Feby. 1878 Ch. Darwin Esqr. | Down Beckenham Kent. Dear Sir …
- … North Street, Belfast, 23rd February, 1878. To the Right Hon. Sir Stafford H. Northcote, …
- … were destroyed, leaving now (19th February, 1878), out of the original 5,000 seedlings of …
From James Torbitt 28 February 1878
Summary
Thanks for letter. Prepared to continue experiments if aided. Thinks of distributing new [potato] varieties. Believes seeds should be planted this spring.
| Author: | James Torbitt |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 28 Feb 1878 |
| Classmark: | DAR 144: 484 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11382 |
Matches: 9 hits
- … From James Torbitt 28 February 1878 …
- … DAR 144: 484 James Torbitt Belfast 28 Feb 1878 Charles Robert Darwin …
- … see letter to James Torbitt, 26 February 1878 and n. 4. CD had mentioned his illness and …
- … of the cause to further the potato work ( letter to James Torbitt, 26 February 1878 ). …
- … 58. North Street. | Belfast. 28 Feb y . 1878 Ch. Darwin Esq re . | 4 Bryanston S t . | …
- … to Joseph Dalton Hooker on 28 [February 1878], since he told Hooker that Torbitt did not …
- … his letters, see the letter to James Torbitt, 26 February 1878 . Thomas Henry Farrer and …
- … Joseph Dalton Hooker ; see letter to James Torbitt, 26 February 1878 and n. 2. …
- … In his letter of 26 February 1878 , CD had asked whether Torbitt would continue his potato …
From James Torbitt 6 March 1878
Summary
Problems of continuing with his crossing experiments; financial help from CD.
| Author: | James Torbitt |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 6 Mar 1878 |
| Classmark: | DAR 178: 138 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11403 |
Matches: 10 hits
- … From James Torbitt 6 March 1878 …
- … DAR 178: 138 James Torbitt Belfast 6 Mar 1878 Charles Robert Darwin …
- … Belfast 6 March 1878 Ch. Darwin Esqr. | Down Dear Sir Confirming my telegram of …
- … found. See letter to James Torbitt, 4 March 1878 . CD had enclosed a cheque for £100 to …
- … see letter to James Torbitt, 4 March 1878 ). William Carruthers , botanist to the Royal …
- … James Caird to T. H. Farrer, 2 March 1878 ). Torbitt had asked for permission to quote …
- … letter from James Torbitt, 24 February 1878 and enclosure). CD had agreed to send Torbitt …
- … his letter to T. H. Farrer, 2 March 1878 (see letter to …
- … James Torbitt, 4 March 1878 ). CD had agreed with the suggestion of William Carruthers …
- … see letter to James Torbitt, 4 March 1878 ). The enclosed note has not been found. In …
From James Torbitt 14 March 1878
Summary
Talk of a subscription to help JT’s experiments. Progress of experiment; loss of fungus-resistance in varieties as they age.
| Author: | James Torbitt |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 14 Mar 1878 |
| Classmark: | DAR 178: 139 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11424 |
Matches: 8 hits
- … From James Torbitt 14 March 1878 …
- … DAR 178: 139 James Torbitt Belfast 14 Mar 1878 Charles Robert Darwin …
- … s experiments (see enclosure to letter to T. H. Farrer, 7 March 1878 , and letter to T. …
- … H. Farrer, 13 March 1878 ). …
- … See letter to James Torbitt, 11 March [1878] . Victor Coates Kennedy’s report has not been …
- … to letter from James Torbitt, 8 October 1878 . Torbitt had sent packets of potato seeds to …
- … from CD’s letter to him of 11 March [1878] . The pathogen that caused potato late blight …
- … Belfast 14 th . March | 1878 Ch. Darwin Esq r | Down Dear Sir I most respectfully beg to …
From James Torbitt 15 March 1878
Summary
Potato crossing experiments. Encloses printed copies of letters from people who have grown his potato seed.
| Author: | James Torbitt |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 15 Mar 1878 |
| Classmark: | DAR 178: 140 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11426 |
Matches: 6 hits
- … From James Torbitt 15 March 1878 …
- … DAR 178: 140 James Torbitt Belfast 15 Mar 1878 Charles Robert Darwin …
- … See enclosure to letter to T. H. Farrer, 7 March 1878 , and letter to T. …
- … H. Farrer, 13 March 1878 and n. 1). CD’s note …
- … See letter to James Torbitt, 11 March [1878] . Torbitt enclosed two printed documents …
- … Belfast 15 Mar | 1878 Ch. Darwin Esqr. | Down My dear Sir I am exceedingly obliged for …
From James Torbitt 15 March 1878
Summary
Enclosure: printed copies of letters from people who have grown his potato seed (pages from Torbitt 1876).
| Author: | James Torbitt |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 15 Mar 1878 |
| Classmark: | DAR 178: 140 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11426F |
From James Torbitt 17 March 1878
Summary
Life history of potato varieties. Changes in fruit, flower, and seed production with increasing age of a variety.
| Author: | James Torbitt |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 17 Mar 1878 |
| Classmark: | DAR 178: 141 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11430 |
Matches: 5 hits
- … support for Torbitt’s experiments (see letter from J. D. Hooker, 12 March 1878 ). …
- … From James Torbitt 17 March 1878 …
- … DAR 178: 141 James Torbitt Belfast 17 Mar 1878 Charles Robert Darwin …
- … see letter from James Torbitt, 15 March 1878 ). The ‘Skerry Blue’ potato is an Irish …
- … Sydenham | Belfast 17 th . March 1878 Charles Darwin Esqr | Down My dear Sir, The …
From James Torbitt 24 March 1878
Summary
Sales of [potato] varieties have reduced amount of money needed [for experiments].
| Author: | James Torbitt |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 24 Mar 1878 |
| Classmark: | DAR 178: 142 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11440 |
Matches: 7 hits
- … From James Torbitt 24 March 1878 …
- … DAR 178: 142 James Torbitt Belfast 24 Mar 1878 Charles Robert Darwin …
- … See letter to James Torbitt, 21 March [1878] . CD had sent a cheque for £100 to enable …
- … not be obtained (see letter to James Torbitt, 4 March 1878 ). See also letter from T. …
- … H. Farrer, 20 March 1878 , and letter from …
- … James Caird, 21 March 1878 . …
- … Sydenham | Belfast 24 March | 1878 My dear Sir, Illness has delayed my reply. Sales of …
From James Torbitt 24 March 1878
Summary
Thanks for CD’s criticism and advice. The difficult question of whether varieties "wear out".
| Author: | James Torbitt |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 24 Mar 1878 |
| Classmark: | DAR 178: 143 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11441 |
Matches: 7 hits
- … From James Torbitt 24 March 1878 …
- … DAR 178: 143 James Torbitt Belfast 24 Mar 1878 Charles Robert Darwin …
- … See letter to James Torbitt, 20 March 1878 . See …
- … letter to James Torbitt, 20 March 1878 and n. 2. CD had mentioned Thomas Andrew Knight’s ‘ …
- … Knight 1795 ). See letter to James Torbitt, 21 March [1878] and n. 3. CD had sent a cheque …
- … Torbitt to continue his potato experiments (see letter to James Torbitt, 4 March 1878 ). …
- … Sydenham | Belfast 24 March | 1878 Charles Darwin Esqr e | Down. My dear Sir, You are …
From James Torbitt 3 April 1878
Summary
Thanks for £100; will pay for planting this year’s varieties.
| Author: | James Torbitt |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 3 Apr 1878 |
| Classmark: | DAR 178: 144 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11462 |
Matches: 5 hits
- … From James Torbitt 3 April 1878 …
- … DAR 178: 144 James Torbitt Belfast 3 Apr 1878 Charles Robert Darwin …
- … of £50 in May and August (see letter to James Torbitt, 4 March 1878 , and letter from …
- … James Torbitt, 24 March 1878 ). CD, however, sent the cheque for £100 back to Torbitt …
- … government funding for the experiments (see letter to James Torbitt, 31 March 1878 ). …
From James Torbitt 26 June 1878
Summary
Progress of experiments. Wants CD’s advice on best way to cross-fertilise his plants.
| Author: | James Torbitt |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 26 June 1878 |
| Classmark: | DAR 178: 145 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11568 |
Matches: 5 hits
- … From James Torbitt 26 June 1878 …
- … DAR 178: 145 James Torbitt Belfast 26 June 1878 Charles Robert Darwin …
- … see letter from James Torbitt, 3 April 1878 . Torbitt had sent CD varieties of potato ( …
- … proof variety of potato grown in Scotland; see letter to James Torbitt, 4 March 1878 . …
- … 58 North Street | Belfast 26 June 1878 Charles Darwin Esqr | Down My dear Sir, I think you …
From James Torbitt 12 September 1878
Summary
Has forwarded what he believes to be a new species of Solanum.
| Author: | James Torbitt |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 12 Sept 1878 |
| Classmark: | DAR 178: 146 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11689 |
Matches: 4 hits
From James Torbitt 16 September 1878
Summary
Apologises for his error over the Solanum.
Thanks CD for his good wishes; JT believes he will increase yield and disease-resistance by his crossing and selection.
| Author: | James Torbitt |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 16 Sept 1878 |
| Classmark: | DAR 178: 147 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11696 |
Matches: 5 hits
- … From James Torbitt 16 September 1878 …
- … DAR 178: 147 James Torbitt Belfast 16 Sept 1878 Charles Robert Darwin …
- … See letter from James Torbitt, 12 September 1878 . Torbitt had sent CD what he thought was …
- … see the letter from James Torbitt, 24 February 1878 ; for his brief report on the year’s …
- … activities, see the letter from James Torbitt, 12 December 1878 . …
From James Torbitt 8 October 1878
Summary
Forwards letter from Victor Kennedy reporting on the growth of JT’s potatoes in W. Ireland.
| Author: | James Torbitt |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 8 Oct 1878 |
| Classmark: | DAR 178: 148 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11721 |
Matches: 4 hits
From James Torbitt [after 18 October 1878]
Summary
Forwards letter from George Callwell reporting what a large and disease-free potato crop JT’s seed yields.
| Author: | James Torbitt |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | [after 18 Oct 1878] |
| Classmark: | DAR 178: 149 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11724 |
Matches: 4 hits
- … From James Torbitt [after 18 October 1878] …
- … DAR 178: 149 James Torbitt unstated [after 18 Oct 1878] Charles Robert Darwin …
- … to letter from James Torbitt, 8 October 1878 . Victor Coates Kennedy had reported little …
- … Lismoyne, | Dunmurry, | Co. Antrim. 18 October 1878 Sir, I will be obliged if you can give …
From James Torbitt 12 December 1878
Summary
Has examined this year’s crop, which looks good; will prepare a report.
| Author: | James Torbitt |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 12 Dec 1878 |
| Classmark: | DAR 178: 150 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11787 |
Matches: 7 hits
- … From James Torbitt 12 December 1878 …
- … DAR 178: 150 James Torbitt Belfast 12 Dec 1878 Charles Robert Darwin …
- … See letter to James Torbitt, 28 June 1878 . Torbitt was a wine merchant and grocer. CD had …
- … himself (see, for example, letter to T. H. Farrer 26 March [1878] , and letter from …
- … James Torbitt, 3 April 1878 ). …
- … 58 North Street | Belfast 12 Decr 1878 Charles Darwin Esqr | Down My dear Sir, with …
- … s and about two thousand varieties of 1878. The sound and diseased tubers of each variety, …
| letter | (16) |
| Darwin, C. R. | (16) |
| Darwin, C. R. | (16) |
| Torbitt, James | (16) |
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: 29 hits
- … is to lessen injury to leaves from radiation In 1878, Darwin devoted most of his …
- … scientific man’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 14 December [1878] ). Writing to Ernst Haeckel on …
- … plants.’ Movement in plants In the spring of 1878, Darwin started to focus on the …
- … come up arched’ ( letter to Sophy Wedgwood, 24 March [1878–80] ). While Darwin was studying the …
- … of apex’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, [11 May 1878] ). Having found plants responsive to …
- … at my blunder’ ( letter to John Tyndall, 22 December [1878] ). Son abroad Darwin’s …
- … kind to him’ ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 18 June [1878] ). While Francis was away, Darwin …
- … work, I scribble to you ( letter to Francis Darwin, 7 [July 1878] ). Two weeks later he wrote: ‘I …
- … to discuss it with’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, 20 [July 1878] ). It is unclear why the …
- … reported ( letter from Francis Darwin, [after 7 July 1878] ): ‘The oats have only just begun to …
- … Francis wrote ( letter from Francis Darwin, [before 17 July 1878] ), ‘a strong horizontal axis …
- … rather’ ( letter from Francis Darwin, [before 3 August 1878] ). One day Francis observed that the …
- … out one’ ( letter from Francis Darwin, [after 7 July 1878] ). Sachs’s confidence was apparently …
- … him,’ he reported ( letter from Francis Darwin, [22 June 1878] ). ‘Sachs doesn’t consider that …
- … all evils’ ( letter from Francis Darwin, [24 and 25 July 1878] ). Babies and animals …
- … he added a week later ( letter to Francis Darwin, 14 July [1878] ). Darwin had of course observed …
- … have said a gee-gee’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, 17 July [1878] ). On 12 September , Darwin …
- … will always do so’ ( letter to G. J. Romanes, 20 August [1878] ). Darwin remarked that a monkey …
- … in your house!’ ( letter to G. J. Romanes, 2 September [1878] ). More remarkable cases of …
- … of a thieving wasp’ ( letter from G. J. Romanes, 21 June 1878 ). An inspiration In …
- … ( letter from J.-B. Dumas and Joseph Bertrand, 5 August 1878 ). Despite his many botanical …
- … to me quite ridiculous’ ( letter to John Price, 2 April [1878] ). When a wealthy businessman tried …
- … ( letter from Edmund Mojsisovics von Mojsvár, 28 April 1878 ). ‘What a wonderful change in the …
- … The Swiss botanist Arnold Dodel-Port announced on 12 June 1878 the first issue of an atlas with …
- … come together’ ( letter from Arnold Dodel-Port, 18 June 1878 ). In countries where …
- … are without you’ (letters from Carl Kraus, [31?] January 1878 and 10 February 1878 ). Darwin …
- … been school-boys’ ( letter to Karl von Scherzer, 1 April 1878 ). More critics Closer …
- … matter’ ( letter from H. N. Ridley, [before 28 November 1878] ). Darwin received a copy of the …
- … care of himself ’ ( letter from J. B. Innes, 1 December 1878 ). Darwin did not think the Oxford …
Darwn's letters from 1878 online
Summary
Investigating the movements and 'sleep' of plants, being entertained by the mental faculties of his young grandson Bernard, finally elected a corresponding member of the French Académie des sciences, trying to secure a government grant to support…
Wearing his knowledge lightly: From Fritz Müller, 5 April 1878
Summary
Darwin received letters from so many people and wrote so many fascinating letters himself, that it’s hard to choose from many letters that stand out, but one of this editor’s favourites, that always brings a smile, is a letter from Fritz Müller written 5…
Matches: 1 hits
- … smile, is a letter from Fritz Müller written 5 April 1878 . Müller was a German naturalist …
Diagrams and drawings in letters
Summary
Over 850 illustrations from the printed volumes of The Correspondence of Charles Darwin have been added to the online transcripts of the letters. The contents include maps, diagrams, drawings, sketches and photographs, covering geological, botanical,…
Matches: 1 hits
- … specimen, both sides of which are reproduced, 29 January 1878 S. B. J. Skertchly's …
Power of movement in plants
Summary
Sources|Discussion Questions|Experiment Family experiments Darwin was an active and engaged father during his children's youth, involving them in his experiments and even occasionally using them as observational subjects. When his children…
3.8 Leonard Darwin, interior photo
Summary
< Back to Introduction Leonard Darwin, who created the distinctive image of his father sitting on the verandah at Down House, also portrayed him as a melancholy philosopher. His head, brightly lit from above, emerges from the enveloping darkness; he…
Matches: 6 hits
- … when he took his photographs. This one must be before August 1878, when it was reproduced as a …
- … copies in the Darwin archive say the photograph was taken in 1878. The latter date is accepted by …
- … Leonard wrote to his father from Brompton Barracks in April 1878 enclosing two photographs …
- … of the photograph at Down House that he took it in 1878. It was this photograph which …
- … date of creation undated; probably early 1878 computer-readable date c.1878-01-01 to c …
- … to his father, enclosing unidentified photographs, 25 April 1878. Woodburytype reproduction of …
Photograph album of German and Austrian scientists
Summary
The album was sent to Darwin to mark his birthday on 12 February 1877 by the civil servant Emil Rade, and contained 165 portraits of German and Austrian scientists. The work was lavishly produced and bound in blue velvet with metal embossing. Its ornate…
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…
Movement in Plants
Summary
The power of movement in plants, published on 7 November 1880, was the final large botanical work that Darwin wrote. It was the only work in which the assistance of one of his children, Francis Darwin, is mentioned on the title page. The research for this…
Matches: 4 hits
- … son Francis worked in this laboratory in the summers of 1878 and 1879, he encountered some of the …
- … Movement in plants , p. 179. In May 1878, Darwin had pointed out the importance of …
- … his experiments on the function of bloom. By December 1878, Darwin was thinking about the …
- … accuracy ( letter from J. D. Cooper, 13 December 1878 ). The method would be expensive, so Darwin …
4.31 'La Lune Rousse', Gill cartoon
Summary
< Back to Introduction A drawing of Darwin by André Gill borrows a satirical trope found in The Hornet, Fun and Punch, showing him with a large caricatured head joined to the body of an ape. However, La Lune Rousse is distinctively French in…
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: 4 hits
- … experiments. Francis went to Germany in the summer of 1878 for more experience in physiological …
- … this to you’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, [1 August 1878] ). The last years also saw Darwin …
- … and Earthworms , pp. 221–8). Darwin resumed contact in 1878. On receiving Darwin’s letter, …
- … at wormbs”’ ( letter from Mary Johnson, [after 22 July 1878] ). Edition complete …
Darwin’s Photographic Portraits
Summary
Darwin was a photography enthusiast. This is evident not only in his use of photography for the study of Expression and Emotions in Man and Animal, but can be witnessed in his many photographic portraits and in the extensive portrait correspondence that…
Dining at Down House
Summary
Sources|Discussion Questions|Experiment Dining, Digestion, and Darwin's Domestic Life While Darwin is best remembered for his scientific accomplishments, he greatly valued and was strongly influenced by his domestic life. Darwin's…
Matches: 1 hits
- … Leonard Darwin to George Darwin, 8 February [1878] Darwin’s youngest son, Leonard (Lenny), …
1.13 Louisa Nash, drawing
Summary
< Back to Introduction This sketch portrait of Darwin was drawn by Louisa A‘hmuty Nash as a memento of her friendship with the Darwin family and a token of her unbounded admiration and affection for Darwin himself. She and her husband, the lawyer…
Matches: 3 hits
1.12 Marian Huxley, drawing
Summary
< Back to Introduction Portrayals of Darwin by women in his social circle cannot be lumped together as the products of adoring amateurs. In 1878 he was sketched by Marian (‘Mady’) Huxley, who was then only in her late teens, but already a trained and…
Cross and self fertilisation
Summary
The effects of cross and self fertilisation in the vegetable kingdom, published on 10 November 1876, was the result of a decade-long project to provide evidence for Darwin’s belief that ‘‘Nature thus tells us, in the most emphatic manner, that she abhors…
Matches: 1 hits
- … A. W. Rimpau, 10 December 1877 ). By the end of February 1878, Murray was ready to print the second …
4.33 'Harper's Weekly', Bellew caricature
Summary
< Back to Introduction In a page of comic drawings by Frank Bellew, ostensibly his ‘Sketches in the New York Aquarium’, yet another joke about Darwin’s simian connections makes an appearance. ‘The Chimpanzee’ sits on a fancy bed amid the straw…
4.30 'La Petite Lune', Gill cartoon
Summary
< Back to Introduction La Petite Lune was a sister paper of La Lune Rousse, and was published, edited and illustrated by André Gill, through 1878-9. It featured a series of caricatures titled ‘Les hommes illustrés’, to which this belongs. Gill again…
2.23 Hope Pinker statue, Oxford Museum
Summary
< Back to Introduction Henry Richard Hope Pinker’s life-size statue of Darwin was installed in the Oxford University Museum on 14 June 1899. It was the latest in a series of statues of great scientific thinkers, the ‘Founders and Improvers of Natural…
3.17 Lock and Whitfield, 'Men of Mark'
Summary
< Back to Introduction The ambitious series of photographs of Men of Mark, published by the firm of Lock and Whitfield between 1876 and 1883, was a successor to similar sets which had appeared in the 1850s and 1860s. This one was distinguished by its…
