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Darwin Correspondence Project

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To Charles Lyell   4 [January 1860]

Summary

Praises CL’s work on human species.

A critical review of Origin in Saturday Review [24 Dec 1859].

A letter from J. G. Jeffreys criticises CD’s geological statements.

A note from William Whewell concerning Origin.

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  Charles Lyell, 1st baronet
Date:  4 [Jan 1860]
Classmark:  American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.190)
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-2637

Matches: 2 hits

  • … Jeffreys, 29 December [1859] . Letter from William Whewell, 2 January 1860 . Letter from …
  • letter from J. G. Jeffreys criticises CD’s geological statements. A note from William Whewell

To William Whewell   16 April [1839]

Summary

Thanks WW for wedding gift.

Expresses admiration for his History of the inductive sciences [1837].

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  William Whewell
Date:  16 Apr [1839]
Classmark:  Trinity College Library, Cambridge (Add c 88: 6)
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-506

Matches: 1 hit

  • … See letter from William Whewell, 11 April 1839 . Whewell 1837 . CD’s annotated copy is in …

To J. S. Henslow   14 October [1837]

Summary

CD’s reasons for his reluctance to take the Secretaryship of the Geological Society.

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  John Stevens Henslow
Date:  14 Oct [1837]
Classmark:  Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (Henslow letters: 42 DAR/1/1/42)
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-382

Matches: 1 hit

To ?   [February 1838 – February 1841?]

Summary

Asks correspondent if he would prefer the President’s signature alone or with those of other scientific men.

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  Unidentified
Date:  [Feb 1838 – Feb 1841?]
Classmark:  B. Altman (dealer) (3 October 1982)
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-13864

Matches: 1 hit

To C. T. Whitley    [8 May 1838]

Summary

Treasures recollections of old friends but seldom sees any. Has turned "a complete scribbler".

His scientific activities.

No wife in sight so far.

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  Charles Thomas Whitley
Date:  [8 May 1838]
Classmark:  Shrewsbury School, Taylor Library
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-411A

Matches: 1 hit

  • … see Correspondence vol.  2, letter to William Whewell, [10 March 1837] , and Appendix II). …

To Robert Mallet   26 August [1846]

Summary

Thanks RM for "Dynamics of earthquakes" [Trans. R. Irish Acad. 21 (1848): 50–106]. It has cleared up his ideas on undulations. Now wishes he had said nothing about them in Journal of researches. Sends his paper ["Certain volcanic phenomena in S. America", Collected papers 1: 53–86]. Wishes RM would investigate Chile. Speculates whether earthquakes coincide with moon or tides.

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  Robert Mallet
Date:  26 Aug [1846]
Classmark:  Smithsonian Libraries and Archives (Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology MSS 405 A. Gift of the Burndy Library)
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-992

Matches: 1 hit

To Charles Lyell   6 March [1863]

Summary

Comments at length on CL’s book [Antiquity of man (1863)]. CD is "greatly disappointed that you have not given judgment and spoken fairly out what you think about the derivation of species".

Lists large number of queries concerning minor points.

Praises especially the chapters on language and glaciers.

Comments on the temperature of Africa during the glacial period, especially with regard to the views of Hooker.

Mentions Owen’s paper on the aye-aye [Rep. BAAS 32 (1862) pt 2: 114–16].

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  Charles Lyell, 1st baronet
Date:  6 Mar [1863]
Classmark:  American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.289)
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-4028

Matches: 2 hits

  • … from William Whewell, 2 January 1860 ). In a letter to Lyell of 28 February 1863 ( …
  • William Whewell , who consistently opposed theories of organic transmutation, including CD’s theory (see Ruse 1991 , and Correspondence vol.  8, letter

From S. P. Woodward   4 June 1856

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Summary

SPW and Waterhouse agree on island faunas; gives Australia and Tasmania as examples. The "stream of migration" from Asia to Tasmania.

Looks forward eagerly to the publication of CD’s "specific" researches.

Invites CD to send his memoranda [on Manual of Mollusca].

Author:  Samuel Pickworth Woodward
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  4 June 1856
Classmark:  DAR 205.3: 303
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-1889

Matches: 1 hit

  • … 4 June 1856] . Letter to S.  P. Woodward, 27 May 1856 . William Whewell was the master of …

To Asa Gray   3 July [1860]

Summary

Origin has "stirred up the mud with a vengeance"; AG and three or four others have saved CD from annihilation and are responsible for the attention now given to the subject. Reports events at Oxford BAAS meeting.

New evidence supports AG’s view of a warm post-glacial period.

Discusses his recent orchid observations.

Poses AG a question on design in nature.

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  Asa Gray
Date:  3 July [1860]
Classmark:  Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (41)
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-2855

Matches: 1 hit

  • … probably drawn from Whewell 1840 . Hopkins 1860 . CD’s letter to William Hopkins has not …

From T. H. Huxley   26 April 1873

Summary

Concern for Lady Lyell;

will clear away work and set off for holiday in June.

Sends Critiques and addresses.

A life of J. D. Forbes [by J. C. Shairp, P. J. Tait, and A. A. Reilly (1873)] suggests that THH and Tyndall conspired to keep JDF from getting the Copley Medal. THH feels obliged to correct this.

Author:  Thomas Henry Huxley
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  26 Apr 1873
Classmark:  DAR 104: 223–24a
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-8882

Matches: 1 hit

To Richard Owen   [November 1847–51]

Summary

"I had not heard before of Whench [Whewell?] having scolded you; I am rather glad of it …

What a grand number of novelties Hooker no doubt will bring home".

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  Richard Owen
Date:  [Nov 1847–51]
Classmark:  John K. Lattimer (private collection)
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-13833

Matches: 1 hit

  • letter to Professor Owen’. The ascription is likely, but no corroboration of the reference to William Whewell’ …

To William Whewell   16 February [1839]

Summary

Asks WW to alter, before printing, the passages in WW’s Presidential Address to the Geological Society [Proc. Geol. Soc. Lond. 3 (1839): 93] which pointedly allude to the delay in publication of CD’s Beagle journal; they might annoy FitzRoy, who, as Captain, has a right to first use of the papers of all officers on board.

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  William Whewell
Date:  16 Feb [1839]
Classmark:  Trinity College Library, Cambridge (Add c 88: 4)
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-496

Matches: 1 hit

From B. D. Wrangham   [before 16 September 1880]

Summary

An extract from a life of Kepler about the motions of Mars.

Author:  Bartlett Downs Wrangham
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  [before 16 Sept 1880]
Classmark:  The Huntington Library (HM 72756)
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-12713F

Matches: 1 hit

  • Letters on astronomy, addressed to a lady: in which the elements of the science are familiarly explained in connexion with its literary history. Boston: Marsh, Capen, Lyon, and Webb. Whewell, William. …

To Charles Lyell   [2 June 1847]

Summary

Comments on correspondence between CL and Whewell [concerning university reform].

Criticises S. G. Morton’s "Hybridity in animals" [Am. J. Sci. 2d ser. 3 (1847): 39–50, 203–12].

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  Charles Lyell, 1st baronet
Date:  [2 June 1847]
Classmark:  American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.60)
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-1093

Matches: 1 hit

To Charles Babbage   [June – September 1837]

Summary

At Lyell’s request sends his copy of Whewell’s History of inductive sciences [1837] to CB.

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  Charles Babbage
Date:  [June – Sept 1837]
Classmark:  The British Library (Add MS 37190: 322)
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-358

Matches: 1 hit

To B. D. Walsh   [19] April [1866]

Summary

CD has followed Lyell’s advice and avoided controversy over Origin but encourages BDW to attack S. H. Scudder and others who argue foolishly or misquote him.

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  Benjamin Dann Walsh
Date:  [19] Apr [1866]
Classmark:  Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago (Walsh 7)
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-5061

Matches: 1 hit

  • letter to J.  D.  Hooker, 31 May [1866] and n.  11. CD quotes from Walsh 1864–5 , p.  215. William Whewell , …

To Caroline Darwin   27 February 1837

Summary

Has just given a paper [on "Sand tubes"] at Cambridge Philosophical Society and exhibited some specimens. It went well, with Whewell and Sedgwick taking an active part.

Herschel thinks 6000–odd years since the creation not nearly long enough to explain the separations from a single stock.

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  Caroline Sarah (Caroline) Darwin; Caroline Sarah (Caroline) Wedgwood
Date:  27 Feb 1837
Classmark:  DAR 154: 51
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-346

Matches: 1 hit

  • William Whewell , Adam Sedgwick , and other friends and acquaintances of CD. J.  F. W. Herschel’s views on Old Testament chronology were expressed in a letter

To William Lonsdale   [27 April 1839 or earlier]

Summary

Returns Whewell’s presidential address to the Geological Society of London (Whewell 1839), and suggests that ‘rules’ be changed to ‘customs’.

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  William Lonsdale
Date:  [27 Apr 1839 or earlier]
Classmark:  University Archives (dealers) (3 March 2021, lot 73)
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-496F

Matches: 1 hit

  • William Whewell ’s presidential address to the Geological Society of London (see n. 2, below). The last Saturday in April 1839 was 27 April. Immediately after Whewell delivered his presidential address to the Geological Society of London on 15 February 1839, CD had asked him to make his comments on the delay in publishing CD’s researches from the Beagle voyage less pointed to avoid annoying the Beagle ’s captain, Robert FitzRoy ( Correspondence vol. 2, letter

From William Henry Harvey   24 August 1860

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Summary

Continues earlier discussion, admitting his opinions have been modified. Still regards natural selection as one agent of several. States areas of disagreement.

Author:  William Henry Harvey
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  24 Aug 1860
Classmark:  DAR 98 (ser. 2): 33–40
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-2898

Matches: 1 hit

  • letter from H.  G.  Bronn, 5 October 1860 . CD prefaced the first edition of Origin with quotations from Francis Bacon and William Whewell . …

To W. B. Tegetmeier   2 October [1858]

Summary

Ask some questions on pigeons.

Remarks on the discussion of bees’ cells at the Leeds BAAS meeting. CD fancies he has the true theory with regard to their construction.

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  William Bernhard Tegetmeier
Date:  2 Oct [1858]
Classmark:  Archives of the New York Botanical Garden (Charles Finney Cox Collection)
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-2332

Matches: 1 hit

  • William Whewell had read Robert Leslie Ellis’s paper ( Ellis 1858 ) at the meeting. Ellis held that the positioning of bees’ eyes allowed bees to build cell walls that were inclined at 120 o angles (see Athenæum , 16 October 1858, p.  492). The meeting was reported in The Times , 28 September 1858, p.  10. In the notice, Tegetmeier’s paper was erroneously ascribed to Henry Tibbats Stainton , not to Whewell. The Athenæum , 16 October 1858, p.  492, also carried an account (see letter