The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online

RECORD: Darwin, George Howard. [1856.12.10]. Letter to William Erasmus Darwin. CUL-DAR210.6.13. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 8.2023. RN1

NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin. The volume CUL-DAR210.6 contains correspondence of William Erasmus Darwin and family correspondence (1851-1896).

"Darwin, Charles Waring [II], 1856 Dec. 6-1858 Jun. 28. 10th and last child of CD. Died of scarlet fever?, had Down's syndrome. "He had never learnt to walk or talk". ED2:162. Death notice in The Times, (28 Jun.): 1. The date of his death probably contributed to the fact that CD did not attend the meeting of the Linnean Society on 1 Jul. 1858 where the papers by Wallace and Darwin on the transmutation of species were read. ED's diary: 1858 Jun. 23 "Baby taken ill" On 27, "Baby worse" and on 28 "Death". CD's private memorial is in DAR210.13.42, transcribed in CCD7 Appendix V and Darwin Online."
"Hemmings, Henry, 1810-? Until 1856 Manservant to Sarah Elizabeth Wedgwood [I] at Petley's, Down, until her death when he returned to Maer. Listed on 1861 census for Down House as "Emmings" a 51-year-old widowed visitor and retired servant from Maer." (Paul van Helvert & John van Wyhe, Darwin: A Companion, 2021.) William turned 17 on 27 December 1856.

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Wednesday

[December 1856]

My dear Willy

Of course you have heard of that the baby be is going to be Charles Waring Darwin it was I & Aunt Susan who wanted him to be Waring. I am going to tell you something that ~~wil~~ suprized me awfully today, I was looking at one of the shop window and somebody came & took hold of my shoulders and of course I tried to to see who it was & there was Tim & Hemmings so I walked about with them for about ~~half,~~

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an hour & a half. On Monday I am going to London & on Tuesday you will come, & I believe you are to stop a night or two and there will be Hemmings who I know you will be glad enough to see & we will have plenty of larks and scrimmages with H. H.

Of course you wont answer me it wont be worth while

I only wrote to you because I had nothing to do & besides I had an envelope ready directed I have nothing more to say I think, particulary as I had nothing particular to write for

Good bye

I remain you affect Brother G.H. Darwin

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