Family letters to William Erasmus Darwin.

William Darwin was born 27 December 1839 and lived nearly three years in Upper Gower Street, London, before the family moved to Down House in September 1842. William was unique in many ways, first, he is so far as we know, the only person photographed with Darwin. On the passing of Darwin in 1882, William became head of the male line until his death in 1914.

The letters Emma sent in this collection begin at the time William was at Christ’s College, Cambridge. Francis Darwin (1848-1925), who penned William’s obituary, describes:

“His early childhood had one point of distinction, for no sooner was William brought into the world than he was used by his father as scientific material; a minute diary was kept of the growth of the child’s faculties, afterwards utilised in The Expression of the Emotions.”

Francis included a letter from Darwin (15 October 1858), delightfully asking William to enquire after Impey, who was his gyp when he was at Christ’s in the 1820s. William had “kept in his father’s room” at Christ’s College. (F. Darwin, 1914). Darwin himself wrote many letters to William. Letters from the parents often echo one another’s reports.

I have transcribed 41 letters belonging to William written by his mother Emma and all of his siblings. The last letter in this collection from Emma written in 1876 is very moving as it describes the aftermath of Amy Darwin’s death (CUL-DAR210.6.144). Letters from William’s siblings show just how much they missed him when he was away from home and how they adored their eldest brother.

The unpleasant incident in March 1859 with the Swiss governess Mrs Grut was described in dramatic detail in a letter from Henrietta (CUL-DAR210.6.41). At the end of the year, Emma expressed the feelings in the household over the sales of Origin of species: “It is a wonderful thing the whole edition selling off at once & Mudie taking 500 copies. Your father says he shall never think small beer of himself again & that candidly he does think it very well written.” (CUL-DAR210.6.52).

A longer joint editorial introduction is published here.