[142]

Middleton

 

6 July, 1882.

HUDWORTH COTTAGE
CASTLE EDEN,
Co: DURHAM.

My dear sir,

On the 24th ult. I spent an hour with the Rev: W. A. Leighton at his house at Shrewsbury, & had some conversation with him respecting your honoured & lamented Father. He clearly remembers your Father's school-days.

[142v]

They were great friends when together at Shrewsbury School, & Leighton distinctly recollects your Father coming to him one day & saying,— "What do you think, Leighton? My mother has been showing me how by looking into a flower, I can tell what its name is." This struck me as peculiarly inter-

William Allport Leighton (1805-1899) was a schoolfellow of Darwin's at Shrewsbury and later an Anglican clergyman and lichenologist. He sent some recollections of Darwin, now in CUL-DAR112.B94-B98.  These are quoted in Life and letters, vol. 1, p. 28:
"Rev. W. A. Leighton, who was a schoolfellow of my father's at Mr. Case's school, remembers his bringing a flower to school and saying that his mother had taught him how by looking at the inside of the blossom the name of the plant could be discovered. Mr. Leighton goes on, 'This greatly roused my attention and curiosity, and I inquired of him repeatedly how this could be done?'—but his lesson was naturally enough not transmissible.—F. D." See a similar recollection in F2563. See also the two letters by Darwin Leighton sent to Francis Darwin in CUL-DAR112.B97-B98.

[142b]

esting, as evidently marking the early dawn of intelligent inquiry into the secrets of nature. And when the work of that laborious & wonderful fruitful life was almost ended, your dear Father wrote on a postcard, to my friend the Rev: Geo: Henslow, under the date of 23 July, 1881,—

[142c]

"I thank you sincerely for your card with its information. It is not probable that I shall ever again compile facts & discuss difficult subjects, so I hope that others may make use of your facts." This card now resides in my large & valuable collection of autographs, & I regard it as a very precious memorial. I never
saw

No correspondence between George Henslow and Darwin after 1879 is known to survive. This postcard was inexplicably overlooked by the Correspondence. The letters in CUL-DAR198 sometimes refer to letters from Darwin enclosed being sent to Francis Darwin, but these have all been removed elsewhere. In this case only the the text of a Darwin letter was copied and therefore the letter that contains it was kept amongst other letters to Francis. The tone of Darwin's note is familiar from his other correspondence from last year or so of his life. The matter Henslow sent was likely from his work on movement in plants. See:
Henslow, G. 1881. [Review of Movement in plants]. Academy no. 458 (12 February): 120-122. Image PDF CUL-DAR226.1.3-4
Henslow, G. 1881. The movements of plants. Popular Science Review (July): 193-205. [Darwin Pamphlet Collection reviews 345]. PDF A1749

"Henslow, Rev. George, 1835-1925. 3d son of John Stevens Henslow. Botanist. Schoolmaster. Hon. Prof. to Royal Horticultural Society. VMH. Reviewed Fertilisation. 1865 Headmaster, Grammar School, South Crescent, Bedford Square, London. 1866 Apr. 2, ED wrote in her diary 'Mr G. Henslow Mr Innes & Mr Stephens to dinner'. 1873 The theory of evolution of living things. 1882 H was on 'Personal Friends invited' list for CD's funeral. See Shorter publications, F1737 and F1809." Paul van Helvert & John van Wyhe, Darwin: A Companion, 2021.

[142d]

HUDWORTH COTTAGE
CASTLE EDEN,
Co: DURHAM.

saw your Father alive, but I had the melancholy satisfaction of taking part in the procession at his funeral, & his photograph adorns my drawing-room table. I send on separate sheets copies of two other letters of Mr Darwin's which are fastened into an autograph album. I fear, however, that they will

[142e]

be of little or no use to you. That addressed to my self has reference to the remarkably clear & conscientious habit (if I may use the expression) of my little macaw (Ara hahni), in backing to the extreme edge of a table, & sometimes overbalancing himself in doing so, before ejecting his faeces.

Please allow me, though an unknown stranger,

The letter from Darwin appears to be lost but was likely a reply to the 22 October 1878 letter from Middleton, the only communication between them recorded in the Correspondence.

[142f]

to express the pleasure which it gave me to read of your admission as a Fellow of the Royal Society, a Society which has been honoured by reckoning amongst Fellows your immediate progenitors for three generations past.

Yours very faithfully

R. Morton Middleton. Jr.

I happen lately to have ordered

[142g]

a copy of your great-grandfather's "Botanic Garden."

RMM Jr

 

Francis Darwin, Esqr., F.R.S.

Darwin, Erasmus. 1789. The botanic garden. A poem in two parts. Part I. Containing the economy of vegetation. Part II. the Loves of the plants. With philosophical notes. part 1. Lichfield: J. Jackson. CUL-CCA.24.61A. PDF