From Leonard Darwin to Emma Darwin [1879–80]

Dear Mother

Horace went off to Scotland this morning, and as I don't quite know what he told you I must chance telling you stale news  I have enjoyed the trip, though we have not been very successful in the objects we came for. At Elston my photos of the S side of the house, the garden side, are good, but the North side ones are decidedly bad. But I will tell about Cleatham first.

I don’t think that much more will ever be found about the Darwin family. The house they lived in is gone, the title deeds are lost, and the parish registers dont tell much. I gather that they were the chief people in that immediate neighbourhood, as Cleatham is about 1000 acres, some of which however is very bad land. It would now bring in about £1500. I think it is certain that it all belonged to them, and they owned property in Kirton Lindsey as well at some time or another. Kirton Lindsey is a curious little old town on the top of a hill in a nice situation for such a flat country. Cleatham is in the parish of Manton, but is near Kirton Lindsey. In this latter place ther is a field called ""Darwin's Charity"" which was left by a M^rs. Darwin (Ann?) who was buried in Elston, the rent to be distributed amongst three villages to give gowns to four old women a year. We were shewn the place where the "Old Hall" stood at Cleatham, and there is a cottage still called the "Old Hall". Outside this cottage is quite new looking, but inside we could see by the thickness of the walls, that it was really old, and M^r. Maw the present owner of Cleatham, who is 86 years old, says that he he believes that part of the cottage is some of the newer additions to the old hall. I suspect it was pulled down at the end of last century, because M^r Maw remembered one "long room with two windows and and old fire place"; but if I understood his right that was only part of the old building; also the orchard existed in his time, and now there is nothing but a few crab apple sticks grown into big trees. The situation is nice; it is near the bottom of a grass hill, with a few fine scattered trees about; but it is enough above the level of the very flat country in front to get a distant view of the south west. At one side there is a little stream with some fine willows on the banks, and some old fish ponds a little lower down; on the other there is a fine old clump of trees, and between there are marks on the ground to shew that there were buildings there at one time. We went into the cottage, "the old hall" and talked to the old woman who lived there, telling her that we had come from there originally, and then asked her if she had ever heard the name; she had never heard of it in that part of the world, but her sister had been in service at Elston house; is not the world small! Everyone there is so curiously civil to a stranger; I have see nothing like it in England before, and it shews what a quiet little place it is. First the clergyman of Kirton Lindsey shewed us over the Church, asked us in to his house to tea, walked with us to the local solicitor, who has the reputation of being fond of antiquities. He was not it, but they said would be in later; so we started off to see Cleatham. We were pointed out quite a new house as Cleatham Hall, in reality about half a mile beyond the old Hall, and we sent in our cards, wondering a good deal what would be the result. M^r. Maw is 86 years old, and a bachelor; he is wonderfully strong considering his age, and considering that he recovering from a broken arm. He was exceedingly civil, and gave us some of the information I have given you, but said he could do no more. He had collected a few notes about the Darwin family; which he could not find at the time, but asked me to call again, when I got them, but they were of no value. We afterwards saw the solicitor, who was more civil than any of them, asking us in to tea, walking over with me to Manton, the parish church of Cleatham, and giving me dinner today. But he could give little information. He said, but I could not understand quite on what authority, that he thought that Cleatham had originally been held by a number of freeholders, and that they must have been bought out. He said also that the thought there had been a monument to "Peter Darwin" in Kirton Lindsey church which had been dest⁠⟨⁠r⁠⟩⁠oyed a few years ago, and he promised to write to me if he ever found out anything more.

My plans are quite uncertain but I shall be home on Sunday at all events.

Your affec son | Leonard Darwin