Darwin, Charles Robert to Francis Galton
- Date:
- 1853-1896
- Reference:
- GALTON/1/1/9/5/7
- Part of:
- Galton Papers
- Archives and manuscripts
Collection contents
About this work
Description
Letters sent from Charles Darwin to his cousin Francis Galton. Dates from the time of the publication of Galton's Narrative of an Explorer in Tropical South Africa in 1853 up until Darwin's death in 1882.
The letters concern the ongoing work of both men, their experiments and publications, including theories of heredity and Pangenesis; breeding rabbits; acquired characteristics; discussion of other theories and advances in the field of biology; the application of such ideas to societal programmes; and family matters. Also included is an invitation to Charles Darwin's funeral, and a list of correspondence received from Darwin prepared by Francis Galton in 1896; 18 letters are listed, with the note "I have 10 other letters but I doubt if you will care to see them."
1. Letter from Charles Darwin to his cousin Francis Galton. Darwin has finished reading Galton's book Narrative of an Explorer in Tropical South Africa (London: John Murray, 1853) and is renewing their acquaintance after an interval of many years. He remembers visiting Galton and his brothers when they were younger and asks after various family members, 24 july 1953.
2. Letter from Charles Darwin to Galton thanking him for sending a copy of his book, The Art of Travel. No year given, but date inferred from the reference to Galton's book. Darwin was looking for a house in London for a month, 1 Jan 1855.
3. Letter from Charles Darwin asking Galton to intercede with a Rev. Erhardt [Erdhardt], an East African missionary with whom Darwin believed Galton was acquainted. Darwin was hoping to obtain information about domesticated poultry and other animals in East Africa, 4 feb 1856.
4. Letter from Charles Darwin in response to a letter from Galton of the 9th December 1859. Darwin thanks Galton for his comments on his book On the Origin of Species. Acknowledges a mistake highlighted by both Galton and Darwin's brother regarding rhinoceroses [namely that they are not hunted by "beasts of prey"]. This was corrected in the 3rd edition, as Galton's letter arrived too late to be included in the corrections to the 2nd printing, 13 Dec 1859.
5. Letter from Charles Darwin asking Galton to pass on an enclosed request to his acquaintance Mansfield Parkyns [no enclosure found with letter], 13 May 1860.
6. Letter from Charles Darwin to Galton praising his book Hereditary Genius. Darwin was half way through the book, as it was being read to him by his wife, but was already converted by Galton's argument that men differed in their hereditary talents, rather than in their "zeal and hard work", 23 Dec 1869.
7. Letter from Charles Darwin to his aunt, Frances Anne Violetta Galton (Mrs Samuel Tertius Galton, mother of Francis Galton). Darwin thanks his aunt for her letter regarding a picture bought by his sons, and remarks that it is a comfort to him to see how well she is managing at her advanced age, 12 Jul 1871.
8. Letter from Darwin to Francis Galton informing him that he will keep the four rabbits Galton sent and breed from them; they will be cared for by Darwin's groom. Darwin planned to stay in Southampton for ten days, 27 May 1872.
9. Postcard from Charles Darwin to Galton informing him that the carrier Mr Snow leaves the Nag's Head every Thursday morning, 1 august 1872.
10. Letter from Charles Darwin to Galton regarding coat colours in the rabbits they have been breeding. Darwin suggests that if the next generation's colours are as to be expected then continuing to breed them seems superfluous. Discusses why crying children might rub their eyes with their knuckles whereas adults do not, 8 Nov 1872.
11. Letter from Darwin to Francis Galton. "A young Mr Balfour" [biologist Francis Maitland Balfour] was staying with the Darwins and had expressed an interest in breeding rabbits to investigate the theory of pangenisis. Darwin asks Galton which coat colours in rabbits were most likely to breed true, 30 Dec 1872.
12. Letter from Charles Darwin to Galton regarding Galton's article "Hereditary Improvement" [published in Fraser's Magazine, vol. 7, January 1873]. Darwin broadly agrees with Galton's suggestions but has some reservations. Also thanks Galton for suggesting rabbit breeds for Francis Maitland Balfour's research [see GALTON/1/1/9/5/7/14], 4 Jan 1873.
13. Letter from Charles Darwin to Galton regarding the questionnaire Darwin filled out for Galton's book English Men of Science. Darwin makes additional comments on his education and early influences and states that he "cannot remember the time when I had not a passion for collecting". His son Frank [Francis Darwin] wished to describe his father's character as "sober, honest & industrious". Darwin also questions Galton on a method for estimating the mean height of fifty men using only the measurements of the ten tallest, 28 May 1873.
14. Letter from Charles Darwin to Galton discussing his sweetpea plants. Also mentions Dr William Ogle, which refers to a case of twins who inherited crooked fingers, 22 Sept 1875.
15. Letter from Charles Darwin to Galton, noting that Darwin has just returned from the Vivisection Commission in London. He was revising his chapter on pangenesis in The Variation of Plants and Animals Under Domestication as he believed that gemmules may multiply in the reproductive organs, 4 Nov 1875.
16. Letter from Charles Darwin to Galton. Darwin discusses Galton's paper "A Theory of Heredity" [published in The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, vol. 5, 1876, pp. 329-348] of which he has several criticisms. He says he has ordered Galton's paper on the history of twins, 7 Nov 1875.
17. Letter from Charles Darwin to Galton regarding Galton's paper "The History of Twins, as a criterion of the relative powers of nature and nurture" [published in Fraser's Magazine, vol. 12, November 1875]. Darwin had some questions for Galton but would ask him when he next came to London, 10 Nov 1875.
18. Letter from Charles Darwin to Galton, defending his idea of pangenesis (inheritance via particles in the bloodstream, or "gemmules") against Galton's criticisms. Darwin and Galton eventually conducted an experiment breeding different coloured rabbits that had been given blood transfusions which disproved the theory of pangenesis, 18 Dec 1875.
19. Letter from Charles Darwin to Galton inviting him to come for lunch on Sunday as George [Darwin] wished to meet him, 9 Jan 1877.
20. Letter from Charles Darwin to Galton, asking whether Galton would like to see an article on the effects of conscription on the height of French men. Galton replied to this letter on the 12th January 1877.
21. Letter from Charles Darwin to Galton originally enclosing an essay on the inheritance of handwriting, 11 Feb [1877].
22. Letter from Charles Darwin to Galton. Darwin intended to publish an English edition of the biography of Erasmus Darwin by the German biologist Ernst Krause. [The Life of Erasmus Darwin, 1879]. For this edition Charles Darwin wrote a preface which included information from various family sources. In this letter to Galton he asks whether Galton has any information or documents relating to Erasmus or if he knows of any relevant letters in the possession of other family members. He mentions reading the memoirs of Galton's aunt Mary Anne Schimmelpennick and thinks that many of her stories about Erasmus were improbable, 22 March 1879.
23. Letter from Charles Darwin to Galton. Darwin returned various documents to Galton that he had borrowed whilst writing the introduction to his edition of the biography of Erasmus Darwin, 3 May 1879.
24. Letter from Charles Darwin to Galton. Darwin discusses family money as he found it surprising that their grandfather, Erasmus Darwin, did not leave more money considering how hard he worked. He speculates that Erasmus may have made some bad investments as he lost at least £1500 in iron works, 10 Jun 1879.
25. Letter from Charles Darwin to Galton. Darwin encloses his completed questionnaire on the faculty of visualising. He comments in his letter that he believes Galton should also consider the age of the respondent, as he can visualise the faces of school friends not seen for sixty years more easily than new acquaintances, 14 Nov 1879.
26. Letter from Charles Darwin to Galton. Darwin thanks Galton for his list of errata (in Darwin's preface to the biography of Erasmus Darwin) which he promises to correct if there is a second edition. Darwin also sends his condolences on the death of Galton's brother-in-law, Edward Wheler, 20 Nov 1879.
27. Letter from Charles Darwin inviting Galton to lunch, 30 [ Oct 1880].
28. Letter from Charles Darwin to Galton offering to send him an essay on the effects of conscription on the heights of men in France and their susceptibility to various diseases as those unfit for the army were left behind to propagate the race; Date inferred from a letter from Galton to Darwin in response to this dated 12 January 1877. See https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/entry-10783, jan 1877.
29. Letter from Charles Darwin to Galton discussing observations on earthworms, 8 March [1881].
30. Letter from Charles Darwin to Galton. Darwin asks whether he has lent Galton a letter from J P Bishop about hair turning grey at an early age in three generations; if so could Galton please return it as Dawrin has received another letter from Bishop, 8 May 1881.
31. Letter from Charles Darwin to Galton originally enclosing a paper he thought Galton might like to read. Darwin mentions that he has been unwell but is improving. Annotated in pencil [by Galton?] "Died April 19/82", 22 march 1882.
32. Ticket of admission to Charles Darwin's funeral at Westminster Abbey, Wednesday 26 April 1882.
33. List in Galton's handwriting of 18 letters sent to him by Charles Darwin, ordered by date with a brief synopsis of each. Some of these letters are in this file, they are identified by a pencil number assigned to them by Galton. Galton notes at the bottom of the list that he has 10 other letters but doubts "if you would care to see them", 30 Dec 1896. The intended recipient of this list is unknown.