RECORD: Emma Darwin's diary for: 1873. CUL-DAR242[.37]. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua, corrections by John van Wyhe 4.2019. RN1

NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with the permission of Richard Darwin Keynes. See the introduction to Emma Darwin's diaries here. All of the diaries are also available in a single file here, which has the latest corrections.

Introduction by Christine Chua:

1873 was a very busy year for the Darwins as they received many visitors throughout the year. Mrs Darwin noted the death of Brodie, their Scottish nurse. Although she left their service after Annie died in 1851, Mrs Darwin wrote to her often. Effie, Hensleigh's daughter married Thomas Farrer in May. A rather frightening condition affected Darwin. He had "partial loss of mem for 12 hrs" in late August.


[title page]

Harwood's Diamond Diary with An Almanack for 1873

Gade for purchase 540,93

Weber / Trio Op 63 2 fl

62 [*] 4 [=] 248 [divided by] [illeg] 2 [=] [illeg]

40 [*] 6 [=] 240 [divided by] [illeg] [=] [20]

4 wide & 3 narrow

January 1873

[1 January – 4 January 1873 not microfilmed]

Sunday, 5 January 1873

fine mg

Monday, 6 January 1873

Normans & Miss Bartlemas

Tuesday, 7 January 1873

fine

Wednesday, 8 January 1873

Normans went

walked Hangrove

fine

Thursday, 9 January 1873

Rain & wind

slight headache 1st time for a fortnight

Friday, 10 January 1873

G. v. poorly but he & Hor. went at night & slept at Folkestone

Saturday, 11 January 1873

girls called on Miss Halls

fine

January 1873

Sunday, 12 January 1873

beaut day

Monday, 13 January 1873

Tuesday, 14 January 1873

Wednesday, 15 January 1873

called at R.bourne

Thursday, 16 January 1873

Friday, 17 January 1873

fine

Snow & Alice called.

Saturday, 18 January 1873

Amanda Leo & Dickie

Storm of rain & wind

January 1873

Sunday, 19 January 1873

rain

Monday, 20 January 1873

Tuesday, 21 January 1873

Wednesday, 22 January 1873

Thursday, 23 January 1873

ball at High Elms

Friday, 24 January 1873

Moncure Conway

Hen & Richard came

Fanny

Alice dined

Saturday, 25 January 1873

Wm & Lenny

fine

January 1873

Sunday, 26 January 1873

fine

Monday, 27 January 1873

Hensleigh & F went

Amy went

fine frost

Dougall came [Francis Thomas McDougall]

Tuesday, 28 January 1873

called on Mrs Fry & Mrs Edwards

Wednesday, 29 January 1873

January – February 1873

Thursday, 30 January 1873

Friday, 31 January 1873

Saturday, 1 February 1873

Fr L. came

February 1873

Sunday, 2 February 1873

Snow

Monday, 3 February 1873

Ditto

bad headache

Tuesday, 4 February 1873

p. well

B. went to Bry.

Wednesday, 5 February 1873

baddish

Thursday, 6 February 1873

B. came home

Friday, 7 February 1873

Saturday, 8 February 1873

Eliz. Came

F. & L.

February 1873

[9 February – 15 February 1873 not microfilmed]

Sunday, 16 February 1873

Monday, 17 February 1873

Tuesday, 18 February 1873

Wednesday, 19 February 1873

Louisa & ch. came

Sno & Eliz dined

Thursday, 20 February 1873

Friday, 21 February 1873

Saturday, 22 February 1873

Wm. F. & L.

February 1873

Sunday, 23 February 1873

went to church

Monday, 24 February 1873

Louisa went to Eliz

Tuesday, 25 February 1873

Wednesday, 26 February 1873

headache & cold in bed

blue pill

February - March 1873

Thursday, 27 February 1873

came down in p.m

Friday, 28 February 1873

pretty well

Saturday, 1 March 1873

bad

F. Pryor & Moore - Litches

March 1873

Sunday, 2 March 1873

Monday, 3 March 1873

went

H E. L. stayed till P.m Tue_

Tuesday, 4 March 1873   

Wednesday, 5 March 1873

got up

Thursday, 6 March 1873

got up

Friday, 7 March 1873

quite well

Alice & Miss Martin called _

Saturday, 8 March 1873

Litches Huxleys & Wm_

March 1873

Sunday, 9 March 1873 

Godfrey dined

Monday, 10 March 1873

all went

Tuesday, 11 March 1873

Wednesday, 12 March 1873

Thursday, 13 March 1873

out

began arsenic

Friday, 14 March 1873

Sm. [enig] £1

Tickets 6/

out

Saturday, 15 March 1873

came to Mont St

March 1873

Sunday, 16 March 1873 

Monday, 17 March 1873

v. well

drove out

Tuesday, 18 March 1873

Wednesday, 19 March 1873

Thursday, 20 March 1873

Friday, 21 March 1873

Saturday, 22 March 1873

March 1873

Sunday, 23 March 1873

f

Monday, 24 March 1873

fine

called Mrs Birk

Tuesday, 25 March 1873

F. F & Mrs Hawk called

Wednesday, 26 March 1873

Jossie dined

Thursday, 27 March 1873

Mrs Ruck_

Meta & Ellen lunch_

Friday, 28 March 1873

Mrs Hooker lunch

Saturday, 29 March 1873

March - April 1873

Sunday, 30 March 1873

Lushington lunch

B. & F. Huxleys

Monday, 31 March 1873

Thack. & Stephen

Tuesday, 1 April 1873

Mrs Ruck

Wednesday, 2 April 1873

Birkbeck

F Galton

Thursday, 3 April 1873

Friday, 4 April 1873

Busks

Mrs Lyells

Saturday, 5 April 1873

Left off arsenic

G. came

April 1873

Sunday, 6 April 1873

saw Ellen

Monday, 7 April 1873

Tuesday, 8 April 1873

meeting about Huxley

Mrs Croft

Wednesday, 9 April 1873

Stair 4/3

Dr H. & Swett. lunch

Thursday, 10 April 1873

came home

bitter cold

Friday, 11 April 1873

Browning 1. 2. 9

Saturday, 12 April 1873

April 1873

Sunday, 13 April 1873

Monday, 14 April 1873

Camilla from Anne's

Tuesday, 15 April 1873

F. kept well for 3 or 4 days & then v. languid for a week

Wednesday, 16 April 1873

Mr & Mrs Innes

beaut day

Thursday, 17 April 1873

Rose came

Camilla went

Friday, 18 April 1873

Mrs Hooker

Saturday, 19 April 1873

Dr H. & Brian

heart bad_

Swettenham

April 1873

Sunday, 20 April 1873

Monday, 21 April 1873

Tuesday, 22 April 1873

Horace went

bitter cold  -

F. poorly

Wednesday, 23 April 1873

Thursday, 24 April 1873

All week

Friday, 25 April 1873

Mrs Hooker went

sharp frost

Saturday, 26 April 1873

G. went to London.

April 1873

Sunday, 27 April 1873

Monday, 28 April 1873

Tuesday, 29 April 1873

lunched Ravens

E. Carter

Wednesday, 30 April 1873

May 1873

Thursday, 1 May 1873

called at Mrs Hamilton & Mrs Farr_

Friday, 2 May 1873

Saturday, 3 May 1873

Litches & Wm

May 1873

Sunday, 4 May 1873

Monday, 5 May 1873

Alice & E. Carter came P.M.

Tuesday, 6 May 1873

Effie & Snow to S E W.

Wednesday, 7 May 1873

dined here

Thursday, 8 May 1873

Friday, 9 May 1873

Saturday, 10 May 1873

Pryor came

fine day.

May 1873

Sunday, 11 May 1873

wrote At F.

Lenny came

Monday, 12 May 1873

Alice & E. Carter came P.M.

G. went to London

Tuesday, 13 May 1873

B. & Litches to London

Wednesday, 14 May 1873

Union.

56 teas 13-short

Thursday, 15 May 1873

Friday, 16 May 1873

Saturday, 17 May 1873

Miss Busks

Shaen

cold

May 1873

Sunday, 18 May 1873

went to church

Litches came from Hayes

Monday, 19 May 1873

Party all went

Tuesday, 20 May 1873

Wednesday, 21 May 1873

wro. Wm

Thursday, 22 May 1873

wrote Fr. W_

Friday, 23 May 1873

fine – wind

B. to Cambridge

wr. Caroline

G. back from London

Saturday, 24 May 1873

v. fine

May 1873

Sunday, 25 May 1873

Monday, 26 May 1873

Tuesday, 27 May 1873

B. from Cam

Wednesday, 28 May 1873

Lucy came

Thursday, 29 May 1873

Friday, 30 May 1873

F. H. & Hope.

Effie's marriage

fine but cold

Saturday, 31 May 1873

Frank & Leo –

fine but cold

June 1873

Sunday, 1 June 1873

cold & wet

Wm. came

Monday, 2 June 1873

F & H. went to Eliz

Tuesday, 3 June 1873

B. & Lucy went to London

In hand 8:6

Wednesday, 4 June 1873

B. to Wales

C. & I to L. H. P.

Thursday, 5 June 1873

beaut hot day

C. v. well

Friday, 6 June 1873

bitter cold

Saturday, 7 June 1873

cold & fine

C. bad

Farrers came

June 1873

Sunday, 8 June 1873

Monday, 9 June 1873

G. came

v. well

Tuesday, 10 June 1873

Wednesday, 11 June 1873

C. bad since Sat_

Thursday, 12 June 1873

Came home

fine

Friday, 13 June 1873

fine

Saturday, 14 June 1873

Litches & Laura came

June 1873

Sunday, 15 June 1873

fine_

F. well since Thursday

Monday, 16 June 1873

Tuesday, 17 June 1873

Litches & Laura went

beaut. day.

Wednesday, 18 June 1873

Thursday, 19 June 1873

Friday, 20 June 1873

Saturday, 21 June 1873

Arthur Balfour

June 1873

Sunday, 22 June 1873

Cooksons & Ld Mont & Myers.

Monday, 23 June 1873

Tuesday, 24 June 1873

Wednesday, 25 June 1873

Thursday, 26 June 1873

Horace went to settle in London

Friday, 27 June 1873

Horace

Saturday, 28 June 1873

beaut

Langtons & Arthur Ruck [brother of Amy Ruck]

June – July 1873

Sunday, 29 June 1873

beaut. Elinor &c called

Thunder shower in P.M.

Monday, 30 June 1873

rain all day-

Tuesday, 1 July 1873

Litches went

Langtons to S E W

Wednesday, 2 July 1873

Be. From Wales

Thursday, 3 July 1873

Brodie's death

Friday, 4 July 1873

Dr & Mrs Sanderson

Saturday, 5 July 1873

Litches - & Crawley

July 1873

Sunday, 6 July 1873

W. M. C. party

beaut day -

Monday, 7 July 1873

Do -

Tuesday, 8 July 1873

Wednesday, 9 July 1873

Thursday, 10 July 1873

Friday, 11 July 1873

Saturday, 12 July 1873

Farrers & Hope

July 1873

Sunday, 13 July 1873

Steady rain

Monday, 14 July 1873

went –

headache

Tuesday, 15 July 1873

Wednesday, 16 July 1873

Amy came

Thursday, 17 July 1873

Miss Thorley

Geo. went to Scotland -

Friday, 18 July 1873

Saturday, 19 July 1873

beaut day

went

July 1873

Sunday, 20 July 1873

!!

Monday, 21 July 1873

!! 81

Litches & Snow came

Amy & B. to Eras

Tuesday, 22 July 1873

!! Do

Wednesday, 23 July 1873

went

Thursday, 24 July 1873

not hot but charming

Horace came home not v. well

Friday, 25 July 1873

Saturday, 26 July 1873

Eras.

July 1873

Sunday, 27 July 1873

Monday, 28 July 1873

Tuesday, 29 July 1873

Wednesday, 30 July 1873

July – August 1873

Thursday, 31 July 1873

Hensleigh

Friday, 1 August 1873

Wm from Scotland

Saturday, 2 August 1873

Litches

August 1873

Sunday, 3 August 1873

fine

Monday, 4 August 1873

Tuesday, 5 August 1873

came to Abinger

Wednesday, 6 August 1873

!!

Thursday, 7 August 1873

!!

drove to Pitland St

Friday, 8 August 1873

v. hot

Saturday, 9 August 1873

Came to S-ton

cool but fine

August 1873

Sunday, 10 August 1873

cold

walked on common

Monday, 11 August 1873

Tuesday, 12 August 1873

Mrs Yonge called.

Wednesday, 13 August 1873

drove to the site

Thursday, 14 August 1873

Yonges dined

called on Old Mrs S. 10/

Friday, 15 August 1873

Soft muggy

Saturday, 16 August 1873

August 1873

Sunday, 17 August 1873

Monday, 18 August 1873

headache.

heavy rain

Tuesday, 19 August 1873

H & B. to Lyndhurst

Wednesday, 20 August 1873

Thursday, 21 August 1873

came home

nice day

Geo. poorly_

Friday, 22 August 1873

Saturday, 23 August 1873

Dr H. & Gen Strachey

Geo. better

beaut day

August 1873

Sunday, 24 August 1873

!!

gt thunderstorm

Monday, 25 August 1873

Tuesday, 26 August 1873

Ch. v. unwell partial loss of mem for 12 hrs & numerous bad sinking fits 

Wednesday, 27 August 1873

m. better

Thursday, 28 August 1873

v. bad in early mg-

shock in head

Friday, 29 August 1873

m. better

hardly any faint

Saturday, 30 August 1873

[Andrew Clark and Henry Willey]

C. m better

August - September 1873

Sunday, 31 August 1873

C. came down stairs

Monday, 1 September 1873

C. as well as usual

rain all day.

Tuesday, 2 September 1873

Fr. from Wales

Wednesday, 3 September 1873

Thursday, 4 September 1873

Friday, 5 September 1873

Bessy went w Lucy to L. H. P.

Dr Willy came

G. to Southampton

Saturday, 6 September 1873

F &

September 1873

Sunday, 7 September 1873

rain all p.m.

Monday, 8 September 1873

Horace from Barl.

Tuesday, 9 September 1873

rain almost all day

Wednesday, 10 September 1873

fine

Thursday, 11 September 1873

fine

Friday, 12 September 1873

G. to S-ton

Saturday, 13 September 1873

Fr & L. came

September 1873

Sunday, 14 September 1873

Monday, 15 September 1873

I bad in bed

Tuesday, 16 September 1873

Do.

F. baddish

got up in evg.

Wednesday, 17 September 1873

Thursday, 18 September 1873

Friday, 19 September 1873

Dr Willy

Saturday, 20 September 1873

fine

September 1873

Sunday, 21 September 1873

Monday, 22 September 1873

beaut day.

Tuesday, 23 September 1873

!!!

Wednesday, 24 September 1873

!!

Thursday, 25 September 1873

Litches came

!!!

Friday, 26 September 1873

Saturday, 27 September 1873

October 1873

[28 September – 4 October 1873 not microfilmed]

Sunday, 5 October 1873

went to church

Monday, 6 October 1873

Tuesday, 7 October 1873

Wednesday, 8 October 1873

went to see Dr Clark

Thursday, 9 October 1873

Friday, 10 October 1873

Saturday, 11 October 1873

October 1873

Sunday, 12 October 1873

rain all day

wrote Aunt F.

Monday, 13 October 1873

B. went to Bry.

rain

wrote Ellen

Tuesday, 14 October 1873

fine

cold

Wednesday, 15 October 1873

Thursday, 16 October 1873

Friday, 17 October 1873

Saturday, 18 October 1873

October 1873

Sunday, 19 October 1873

Monday, 20 October 1873

Tuesday, 21 October 1873

wrote W.

Emily T. went

Wednesday, 22 October 1873

Mrs Scott to Eliz

Litches to London

Thursday, 23 October 1873

Friday, 24 October 1873

Saturday, 25 October 1873

Mr Huxley came

Litches returned

October 1873

Sunday, 26 October 1873

Monday, 27 October 1873

B. to Barlaston

Frost & fine

Tuesday, 28 October 1873

Do -

Wednesday, 29 October 1873

I in bed with cold

Do!!

October - November 1873

Thursday, 30 October 1873

up & p. well

Litches went.

Friday, 31 October 1873

Saturday, 1 November 1873

November 1873

Sunday, 2 November 1873

Monday, 3 November 1873

Tuesday, 4 November 1873

Wednesday, 5 November 1873

Thursday, 6 November 1873

Friday, 7 November 1873

Saturday, 8 November 1873

came to London

called in Q. A

November 1873

Sunday, 9 November 1873

called on Harry

rain

Monday, 10 November 1873

headache

Sir C. Lyell called

Tuesday, 11 November 1873

Wednesday, 12 November 1873

Thursday, 13 November 1873

Friday, 14 November 1873

Saturday, 15 November 1873

Monday Pop.

Schumann Quintette

Von Bulow

November 1873

Sunday, 16 November 1873

F. Harrison lunched

Monday, 17 November 1873

Tuesday, 18 November 1873

came home from Bry St

in bed

Wednesday, 19 November 1873

Do

Thursday, 20 November 1873

up -

Friday, 21 November 1873

Saturday, 22 November 1873

L. H. P. came

fine till Thursday

Frank came

November 1873

Sunday, 23 November 1873

Monday, 24 November 1873

Tuesday, 25 November 1873

Wednesday, 26 November 1873

Thursday, 27 November 1873

rain

Eliz & Snow lunched

Friday, 28 November 1873

L. H. P went

Saturday, 29 November 1873

November - December 1873

Sunday, 30 November 1873

Monday, 1 December 1873

called on Normans Thompson & Reeds

Tuesday, 2 December 1873

Wednesday, 3 December 1873

Thursday, 4 December 1873

Friday, 5 December 1873

Effie came

went to R-bourne

Saturday, 6 December 1873

December 1873

Sunday, 7 December 1873

Monday, 8 December 1873

Went to Nashes

Tuesday, 9 December 1873

Hope came.

Wednesday, 10 December 1873

Thursday, 11 December 1873

Friday, 12 December 1873

Saturday, 13 December 1873

Hope went

December 1873

Sunday, 14 December 1873

Litches came

Monday, 15 December 1873

went

Tuesday, 16 December 1873

Wednesday, 17 December 1873

Thursday, 18 December 1873

Friday, 19 December 1873

Saturday, 20 December 1873

[21 December – 31 December 1873 not microfilmed]


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Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

File last updated 25 September, 2022