RECORD: Emma Darwin's diary for: 1881. CUL-DAR242[.45]. Transcribed by Christine Chua and John van Wyhe, 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. RN3

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:

The Darwins enjoyed a family holiday in Penrith where they rowed on lakes and wandered happily. Upon their return, they received many visitors, one of whom was Marianne North. On a windy August night, Darwin's older brother Erasmus Alvey died. The funeral took place on a bitter cold day of 1st September.


[not microfilmed]

[1881]

E D

[not microfilmed]

a new book of reference from Baine. for Effie

Little Milton for F. E. W.

Boys & girls

Elly's Choice by M. Branston

S. P. C. K. London

[title page]

Harwood's Diamond Diary with An Almanack for 1881

[on reverse:]

Crown at Penrith

Metzler 37

Gt Marlboro St

War Songs of Fr & Ger. 1/

January 1881

[1 January 1881 not microfilmed]

Sunday, 2 January 1881

Monday, 3 January 1881

Tuesday, 4 January 1881

Wednesday, 5 January 1881

Sara from London

Thursday, 6 January 1881

Friday, 7 January 1881

Saturday, 8 January 1881

W. came fr S-amptom

F Balfour

Litches came

January 1881

Sunday, 9 January 1881

Monday, 10 January 1881

W. & Sara went

Tuesday, 11 January 1881

Wednesday, 12 January 1881

Thursday, 13 January 1881

Friday, 14 January 1881

Frost

Saturday, 15 January 1881

Mr & Mrs Romanes

January 1881

Sunday, 16 January 1881

Monday, 17 January 1881

Romanes went

Tuesday, 18 January 1881

Snow storm

Wednesday, 19 January 1881

Frost 19

G. went to Dartmouth

Thursday, 20 January 1881

16 -

Friday, 21 January 1881

Saturday, 22 January 1881

Rosamond & A. Lyell -

January 1881

Sunday, 23 January 1881

Monday, 24 January 1881

Tuesday, 25 January 1881

Wednesday, 26 January 1881

Thaw

Thursday, 27 January 1881

Friday, 28 January 1881

Saturday, 29 January 1881

Litches

went out

!!

January – February 1881

Sunday, 30 January 1881

warm muggy

Monday, 31 January 1881

wrote G. H D !!!

went out

wr. Geo.

Tuesday, 1 February 1881

slight frost !!

Bessy went to London & Basset

Wednesday, 2 February 1881

Thursday, 3 February 1881

Friday, 4 February 1881

Saturday, 5 February 1881

Leo came

Frost

February 1881

Sunday, 6 February 1881

cold fine

Leo went

Monday, 7 February 1881

called on Mrs Ff

Tuesday, 8 February 1881

wrote Geo

Wednesday, 9 February 1881

fine

Thursday, 10 February 1881

wrote Caroline

Margt Shaen

Friday, 11 February 1881

Saturday, 12 February 1881

F. Galton & Marshall

February 1881

Sunday, 13 February 1881

Monday, 14 February 1881

Tuesday, 15 February 1881

Margt went

Wednesday, 16 February 1881

Thursday, 17 February 1881

Friday, 18 February 1881

Saturday, 19 February 1881

February 1881

Sunday, 20 February 1881

Monday, 21 February 1881

Tuesday, 22 February 1881

Wednesday, 23 February 1881

Thursday, 24 February 1881

at Bry St

go to No 4 –

6 [crossed]

saw Ellen

Friday, 25 February 1881

Saw F -

Saturday, 26 February 1881

Mr Blunt to lunch

February - March 1881

Sunday, 27 February 1881

R. Ritchies to lunch -

Monday, 28 February 1881

Mr Woodhouse 12 o clock

Tuesday, 1 March 1881

Do 10 -

Wednesday, 2 March 1881

Thursday, 3 March 1881

Mr W. 10 – a.m

came home

cold N. E - wind

Friday, 4 March 1881

Laura came

Saturday, 5 March 1881

March 1881

Sunday, 6 March 1881

Monday, 7 March 1881

Tuesday, 8 March 1881   

Wednesday, 9 March 1881

Thursday, 10 March 1881

Friday, 11 March 1881

Saturday, 12 March 1881

Litches & Elsie B -

March 1881

Sunday, 13 March 1881

!!

Monday, 14 March 1881

!!

Litches went

Elsie B

Tuesday, 15 March 1881 

!!

Laura went

Wednesday, 16 March 1881

!!

H. A. W came

walked & sat on stoney Field

Thursday, 17 March 1881

Friday, 18 March 1881

Saturday, 19 March 1881

Arthur W -

March 1881

Sunday, 20 March 1881 

Monday, 21 March 1881

Arthur went

Rowland came

Tuesday, 22 March 1881

!!

Wednesday, 23 March 1881

H. A W. & Rowland went

Mr Starling came

Thursday, 24 March 1881

Friday, 25 March 1881

Saturday, 26 March 1881

March 1881

Sunday, 27 March 1881

Do

Monday, 28 March 1881

!!!

frost

Tuesday, 29 March 1881

!!

Pauline came

Bessy came

Geo. came from Plymouth

Wednesday, 30 March 1881

/ William & Sara came

March - April 1881

Thursday, 31 March 1881

Friday, 1 April 1881

Saturday, 2 April 1881

April 1881

Sunday, 3 April 1881

Do

Monday, 4 April 1881

cold high wind

Tuesday, 5 April 1881

bitter cold

Bessy went to Shaens

Wednesday, 6 April 1881

Thursday, 7 April 1881

Alice Hutch - came

Friday, 8 April 1881

Saturday, 9 April 1881

April 1881

Sunday, 10 April 1881

Monday, 11 April 1881

wind changed

warm -

Tuesday, 12 April 1881

Alice went

Rain

Wednesday, 13 April 1881

Horace & Ida

Thursday, 14 April 1881

Friday, 15 April 1881

cold again

Saturday, 16 April 1881

April 1881

Sunday, 17 April 1881

Monday, 18 April 1881

Tuesday, 19 April 1881

Hor. & Ida went

Wednesday, 20 April 1881

Thursday, 21 April 1881

Friday, 22 April 1881

Saturday, 23 April 1881

Leo. R. Ruck & wife –

wind changed

April 1881

Sunday, 24 April 1881

Fine 57 -

Monday, 25 April 1881

went -

Tuesday, 26 April 1881

Wednesday, 27 April 1881

Thursday, 28 April 1881

!! in mg –

Little Lubbock to tea

Friday, 29 April 1881

Saturday, 30 April 1881

May 1881

Sunday, 1 May 1881

Monday, 2 May 1881

Tuesday, 3 May 1881

Wednesday, 4 May 1881

Thursday, 5 May 1881

Friday, 6 May 1881

58

Saturday, 7 May 1881

!!!

Litches came

May 1881

Sunday, 8 May 1881

Monday, 9 May 1881

Tuesday, 10 May 1881

Wednesday, 11 May 1881

Thursday, 12 May 1881

Friday, 13 May 1881

Saturday, 14 May 1881

Litches L. Stephen & Miss Loch

fine

May 1881

Sunday, 15 May 1881

Monday, 16 May 1881

Litches & L. Stephen went

Tuesday, 17 May 1881

Miss Loch w.

Me went to call on Ellen

rain

Wednesday, 18 May 1881

rain

Mr & Mrs Norman

Thursday, 19 May 1881

Friday, 20 May 1881

Frankes, Richter to Lunch

Hen with them

!

Saturday, 21 May 1881

Hen. to L.H P

May 1881

all this a week later

Sunday, 22 May 1881

!!

Monday, 23 May 1881

!!!

C. v. unwell.

heart & feverish

Tuesday, 24 May 1881

Mrs Devas & Tomkins

!!!

Wednesday, 25 May 1881

!!!

Thursday, 26 May 1881

June 2

Met Leo at Buckley

Horace & Hen at Williams

Slept at Penrith

!!

Friday, 27 May 1881

3

came on to Glenred

fine mg

Saturday, 28 May 1881

4

Fine mg – walked up the hill

R.B. L came

rain

party steamed to meet him

June 1881

Sunday, 5 June 1881

June 5

cold. !!

went in boat w. Hor

!!!

Monday, 6 June 1881

6

v. cold

drove towards Penrith.

walked in evg by lake

Tuesday, 7 June 1881

7

v. cold snow on Mts

drove up Kirkston Pass.

cold

pretty storm

Wednesday, 8 June 1881

8 Thursday

drove up the Grindale Pass w. F.

cold.

gleams

Thursday, 9 June 1881

9 Wed –

in bed most of day

Friday, 10 June 1881

10

drove to see Mrs Ruck

dull day.

Saturday, 11 June 1881

11

pretty morning

calm

went on Lake & after dinner

June 1881

Sunday, 12 June 1881

C. & I B & L. crossed over & wandered on the other side

!!!

Monday, 13 June 1881

went in boat w –

- Fasker Glencoin [illeg]

Tuesday, 14 June 1881

to Gow Barrow w. F

some pretty lights

Wednesday, 15 June 1881

dull day

drove up Glencoin & seldom sun –

beaut brook

G. came

Thursday, 16 June 1881

rain most of day

Mrs Ruck came

Friday, 17 June 1881

Hen. went

rain all day till

Drove Mrs Ruck home & looked at Mrs Varty's

Saturday, 18 June 1881

rain [crossed]

Wm came

he & Ch. & drove to 3 lodgings

walked up Glendale

rain & gleams

June 1881

Sunday, 19 June 1881

went across in boat

!!!

T & I

Monday, 20 June 1881

walked up to rocks !

Tuesday, 21 June 1881

Wednesday, 22 June 1881

rain mg.

called on Mrs Ruck

walked w. her up brook

Thursday, 23 June 1881

drove to Troutbeck

v. cold

saw the island & beaut view of Borrowdale

Friday, 24 June 1881

fine

tired after Keswick

Saturday, 25 June 1881

rain rain

W. & Leo went

June 1881

Sunday, 26 June 1881

!!!

row on Lake

Monday, 27 June 1881

Tuesday, 28 June 1881

Mrs Ruck went by boat - picnic

Wednesday, 29 June 1881

rain most of day

Bessy & Ht walk

F. & I to Potterdale

June – July 1881

Thursday, 30 June 1881

rain !

storm all day

Friday, 1 July 1881

!! pm –

went to How Town in steam boat -

Saturday, 2 July 1881

rain almost all day

!! mg -

went w. Bessy to Grisedale

she to St Sunday crag -

July 1881

Sunday, 3 July 1881

Monday, 4 July 1881

Came to Penrith

Tuesday, 5 July 1881

Home v. hot

Wednesday, 6 July 1881

cold & dark

Thursday, 7 July 1881

Ditto

Friday, 8 July 1881

Saturday, 9 July 1881

Litches came!

July 1881

Sunday, 10 July 1881

B. de Constant & Dr

by mistake

!!

Monday, 11 July 1881

Litches went

!!

Tuesday, 12 July 1881

Colliers came

!!

Wednesday, 13 July 1881

Colliers [crossed]

!!

Thursday, 14 July 1881

cool & bright

School feast [2 lines crossed]

!!

Friday, 15 July 1881

Slight rain

cool -!!

Saturday, 16 July 1881

Litches

Lushingtons

Miss North

July 1881

Sunday, 17 July 1881

Monday, 18 July 1881

all went

Tuesday, 19 July 1881

Litches went

Colliers came

Wednesday, 20 July 1881

dark mg

slight rain

Thursday, 21 July 1881

School feast

Bright & cool

Friday, 22 July 1881

Slight rain

Colliers went

Saturday, 23 July 1881

July 1881

Sunday, 24 July 1881

Monday, 25 July 1881

Tuesday, 26 July 1881

Wednesday, 27 July 1881

Thursday, 28 July 1881

Horace came

Friday, 29 July 1881

Farrers came

Saturday, 30 July 1881

July – August 1881

Sunday, 31 July 1881

rain all day

!! [crossed]

Monday, 1 August 1881

Farrers went

!!

Hen came & went

Frank up from Germany to London w. H. & I.

Tuesday, 2 August 1881

Wednesday, 3 August 1881

we followed

Thursday, 4 August 1881

Friday, 5 August 1881

returned

!!!

Saturday, 6 August 1881

August 1881

[7 August – 13 August 1881 not microfilmed]

Sunday, 14 August 1881

Monday, 15 August 1881

Caroline & Sophy

Grays went

C. came

Ogles & Litches went

Tuesday, 16 August 1881

Wednesday, 17 August 1881

Margaret & children

Thursday, 18 August 1881

Friday, 19 August 1881

rain

Saturday, 20 August 1881

!!

drove w C. to Orpington

August 1881

Sunday, 21 August 1881

Monday, 22 August 1881

Caroline & Sophy to London

Eras taken ill

Tuesday, 23 August 1881

Wednesday, 24 August 1881

Thursday, 25 August 1881

Friday, 26 August 1881

high wind

died 11pm

Saturday, 27 August 1881

!!

went to Q. A St & back

Litches came

August 1881

Sunday, 28 August 1881

!!

Monday, 29 August 1881

rain

Tuesday, 30 August 1881

Wednesday, 31 August 1881

dull & foggy –

little rain

September 1881

Thursday, 1 September 1881

funeral

bitter cold

Friday, 2 September 1881

foggy – little rain

Saturday, 3 September 1881

foggy – little rain

September 1881

Sunday, 4 September 1881

went to church

Monday, 5 September 1881

rain at night

Tuesday, 6 September 1881

Wednesday, 7 September 1881

Thursday, 8 September 1881

went to Worthing

Friday, 9 September 1881

!!

Saturday, 10 September 1881

came home

rain & black

September 1881

Sunday, 11 September 1881

Monday, 12 September 1881

Tuesday, 13 September 1881

tol mg

furious rain pm

Wednesday, 14 September 1881

B. to Miss Schau

!!

Thursday, 15 September 1881

!!

Friday, 16 September 1881

!!!

Saturday, 17 September 1881

!!

September 1881

Sunday, 18 September 1881

!!

Monday, 19 September 1881

rain

Tuesday, 20 September 1881

Wednesday, 21 September 1881

Thursday, 22 September 1881

Isabel Akers came

Friday, 23 September 1881

went.

Saturday, 24 September 1881

Camilla Louisa & children

September 1881

Sunday, 25 September 1881

!!

Monday, 26 September 1881

!!!

Tuesday, 27 September 1881

!!!

Mr Pattrick came

Wednesday, 28 September 1881

!!!

Thursday, 29 September 1881

!!!

Friday, 30 September 1881

!!

Pattricks went

Joanna & Susie

Saturday, 1 October 1881

October 1881

Sunday, 2 October 1881

wrote Hen. to Padua

Monday, 3 October 1881

Joanna went

Tuesday, 4 October 1881

Wednesday, 5 October 1881

Hen. came without F.

Thursday, 6 October 1881

Fanny came

Friday, 7 October 1881

Saturday, 8 October 1881

Horace came

October 1881

Sunday, 9 October 1881

Monday, 10 October 1881

Tuesday, 11 October 1881

Susan Horner called

Wednesday, 12 October 1881

Hen. came without F.

went to London to No 6

Thursday, 13 October 1881

She followed

Friday, 14 October 1881

soft & damp

Saturday, 15 October 1881

October 1881

Sunday, 16 October 1881

Monday, 17 October 1881

F & Hensleigh went

Tuesday, 18 October 1881

Susan Horner came

cold & bright

Wednesday, 19 October 1881

went to London.

Thursday, 20 October 1881

came to Cambridge

Friday, 21 October 1881

rain all day

F. Balfour in evening

Saturday, 22 October 1881

Michael Fosters

Do & Miss Gladstone to lunch

October 1881

Sunday, 23 October 1881

Rayleighs

J. W. Clark & Miss Gladstone [7] p.m

[10] [crossed]

tea

Monday, 24 October 1881

wrote to Mrs Nash

!!

Tuesday, 25 October 1881

went to St Johns to see trees

!!

Wednesday, 26 October 1881

!!

Lunch w. G –

Lady Mayne Hughes Ward

went to [illeg]

Thursday, 27 October 1881

came home

met B. & Pauline at Cannon St

Friday, 28 October 1881

Saturday, 29 October 1881

October - November 1881

Sunday, 30 October 1881

Monday, 31 October 1881

Pauline & B. to Wales

Tuesday, 1 November 1881

Hen. & R. went home

Wednesday, 2 November 1881

Bessy went to Ireland

Thursday, 3 November 1881

Friday, 4 November 1881

Saturday, 5 November 1881

wrote to Caroline

v. warm

called on Forrest & Teesdale

Johnsons [crossed]

Leo came

November 1881

Sunday, 6 November 1881

!!! wr. Ellen T.

Litches came

Caroline & F. E W -

Monday, 7 November 1881

wrote Wm G. & Bessy

called at Keston & Mrs Fegan -

Tuesday, 8 November 1881

Litches went

wr. Fr D & Hope

Wednesday, 9 November 1881

wrote Bessy

Thursday, 10 November 1881

Friday, 11 November 1881

wr. Bessy

Hen & Geo. came

Saturday, 12 November 1881

w. Fr

Hen went

November 1881

Sunday, 13 November 1881

Monday, 14 November 1881

Tuesday, 15 November 1881

wr. B & Hen –

called on Brooks

Wednesday, 16 November 1881

wr. Caroline

Do Geo –

Do Fr W.

v. stormy but warm

Thursday, 17 November 1881

wr Harry. & F.D

& H. E. L.

Friday, 18 November 1881

called at Normans

C. very much knocked up

Bessy came home

Saturday, 19 November 1881

November 1881

Sunday, 20 November 1881

wr. F E W -

Monday, 21 November 1881

Tuesday, 22 November 1881

Wednesday, 23 November 1881

Thursday, 24 November 1881

Friday, 25 November 1881

Saturday, 26 November 1881

wr. H E. L.

violent storm

M. Shaen

Fr & B from Wales

November 1881

Sunday, 27 November 1881

Storm all day & night -

Monday, 28 November 1881

!!

M. Shaen went

Tuesday, 29 November 1881

Wednesday, 30 November 1881

!!!

December 1881

Thursday, 1 December 1881

wr. Caroline

rain

Friday, 2 December 1881

Saturday, 3 December 1881

December 1881

Sunday, 4 December 1881

Monday, 5 December 1881

Tuesday, 6 December 1881

went to London

Wednesday, 7 December 1881

Thursday, 8 December 1881

Ch. unwell till Sunday

Friday, 9 December 1881

quite warm all week

Saturday, 10 December 1881

December 1881

Sunday, 11 December 1881

Monday, 12 December 1881

saw Dr Clark

Tuesday, 13 December 1881

came to London

Wednesday, 14 December 1881

Thursday, 15 December 1881

Friday, 16 December 1881

Saturday, 17 December 1881

December 1881

Sunday, 18 December 1881

called at Huxleys

Monday, 19 December 1881

Tuesday, 20 December 1881

came from London

Wednesday, 21 December 1881

Thursday, 22 December 1881

Friday, 23 December 1881

Frost

fine

Saturday, 24 December 1881

[25 December – 31 December 1881 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 16 October, 2023