The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online

RECORD: Spafford, W. A. 11.06.1909. Letter to A. E. Shipley. McGill-CA-OSLER0-P110[.42]. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Osler Library of the History of Medicine, McGill University.

William Alfred Spafford (1848-1911) from Yorkshire was admitted a pensioner at St. John's College, Cambridge, in 1875 and received his BA in 1879, MA 1882. (His "1868" below is clearly a mistake.) He was a Quaker and in 1880 became Principal and Secretary of Darlington Training College.

As the letter describes, he lent a stuffed monkey said to be the one lowered by students over Charles Darwin during the ceremony in Senate House when he was given an honorary LL.D. degree. The monkey is listed as:

"23. MONKEY SAID TO HAVE BEEN LET DOWN IN THE SENATE HOUSE WHEN DARWIN WAS GIVEN THE HONORARY DEGREE OF LL.D. IN 1877. Lent by W. Spafford, Esq." in [Shipley & Simpson eds.] 1909. Darwin centenary: the portraits, prints and writings of Charles Robert Darwin, exhibited at Christ's College, Cambridge 1909. A490 See also: "248. PHOTOGRAPH OF THE MONKEY LET DOWN IN THE SENATE HOUSE WHEN DARWIN WAS GIVEN THE HONORARY DEGREE OF LL.D. IN 1877. Lent by Dr John E. Marr, F.R.S."

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BRITISH & FOREIGN SCHOOL SOCIETY

Training College

Darlington 11. June 1909.

Dear Sir,

The only letter I have received is from Mr Seward to which I have made reply thus I should be glad to send the monkey on hearing from him. I have just returned from town, and am at once sending the relic. Though it is in a very dilapidated condition it is much prized, and I send it strictly on the condition that you will be responsible for its safe return in the box in which it is sent to you. I enclose a card but I am not sure about the date. I left Cambridge in 1868. If that is not the date on which the degree was conferred please make the

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necessary alteration.

Please pay my kind regards to Prof. Seward.

Yours faithfully

W. A. Spafford

I enclose a lettered card which may be of use—

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