Life and Letters of Charles Darwin, vol 1 | Page 4

have not made much use. It was his
custom to file all letters received, and when his slender stock of files
("spits" as he called them) was exhausted, he would burn the letters of
several years, in order that he might make use of the liberated "spits."
This process, carried on for years, destroyed nearly all letters received
before 1862. After that date he was persuaded to keep the more
interesting letters, and these are preserved in an accessible form.
I have attempted to give, in
Chapter III.
, some account of his manner of working. During the last eight years of
his life I acted as his assistant, and thus had an opportunity of knowing
something of his habits and methods.
I have received much help from my friends in the course of my work.
To some I am indebted for reminiscences of my father, to others for
information, criticisms, and advice. To all these kind coadjutors I
gladly acknowledge my indebtedness. The names of some occur in
connection with their contributions, but I do not name those to whom I
am indebted for criticisms or corrections, because I should wish to bear
alone the load of my short-comings, rather than to let any of it fall on

those who have done their best to lighten it.
It will be seen how largely I am indebted to Sir Joseph Hooker for the
means of illustrating my father's life. The readers of these pages will, I
think, be grateful to Sir Joseph for the care with which he has preserved
his valuable collection of letters, and I should wish to add my
acknowledgment of the generosity with which he has placed it at my
disposal, and for the kindly encouragement given throughout my work.
To Mr. Huxley I owe a debt of thanks, not only for much kind help, but
for his willing compliance with my request that he should contribute a
chapter on the reception of the 'Origin of Species.'
Finally, it is a pleasure to acknowledge the courtesy of the publishers of
the 'Century Magazine' who have freely given me the use of their
illustrations. To Messrs. Maull and Fox and Messrs. Elliott and Fry I
am also indebted for their kindness in allowing me the use of
reproductions of their photographs.
FRANCIS DARWIN.
Cambridge, October, 1887.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.
VOLUME I.

CHAPTER 1.
I.--The Darwin Family.

CHAPTER 1.
II.--Autobiography.

CHAPTER 1.
III.--Reminiscences.
LETTERS.

CHAPTER 1.

IV.--Cambridge Life--1828-1831.

CHAPTER 1.
V.--The Appointment to the 'Beagle'--1831.

CHAPTER 1.
VI.--The Voyage--1831-1836.

CHAPTER 1.
VII.--London and Cambridge--1836-1842.

CHAPTER 1.
VIII.--Religion.

CHAPTER 1.
IX.--Life at Down--1842-1854.

CHAPTER 1.
X.--The Growth of the 'Origin of Species.'

CHAPTER 1.
XI.--The Growth of the 'Origin of Species'--Letters--1843-1856.

CHAPTER 1.
XII.--The Unfinished Book--May 1856-June 1858.

CHAPTER 1.

XIII.--The Writing of the 'Origin of Species'--June 18, 1858- November
1859.

CHAPTER 1.
XIV.--Professor Huxley on the Reception of the 'Origin of Species.'

LIFE AND LETTERS OF CHARLES DARWIN.

VOLUME I.

CHAPTER 1.
I.
THE DARWIN FAMILY.
The earliest records of the family show the Darwins to have been
substantial yeomen residing on the northern borders of Lincolnshire,
close to Yorkshire. The name is now very unusual in England, but I
believe that it is not unknown in the neighbourhood of Sheffield and in
Lancashire. Down to the year 1600 we find the name spelt in a variety
of ways--Derwent, Darwen, Darwynne, etc. It is possible, therefore,
that the family migrated at some unknown date from Yorkshire,
Cumberland, or Derbyshire, where Derwent occurs as the name of a
river.
The first ancestor of whom we know was one William Darwin, who
lived, about the year 1500, at Marton, near Gainsborough. His great
grandson, Richard Darwyn, inherited land at Marton and elsewhere,
and in his will, dated 1584, "bequeathed the sum of 3s. 4d. towards the
settynge up of the Queene's Majestie's armes over the quearie (choir)
doore in the parishe churche of Marton." (We owe a knowledge of
these earlier members of the family to researches amongst the wills at
Lincoln, made by the well-known genealogist, Colonel Chester.)
The son of this Richard, named William Darwin, and described as
"gentleman," appears to have been a successful man. Whilst retaining
his ancestral land at Marton, he acquired through his wife and by
purchase an estate at Cleatham, in the parish of Manton, near Kirton
Lindsey, and fixed his residence there. This estate remained in the

family down to the year 1760. A cottage with thick walls, some
fish-ponds and old trees, now alone show where the "Old Hall" once
stood, and a field is still locally known as the "Darwin Charity," from
being subject to a charge in favour of the poor of Marton. William
Darwin