From C. M. C. Darwin   16 April [1879]1

Creskeld, | Otley.

April 16th.

Dear Mr. Darwin,

Your letter has reached me this evening and as we are leaving home tomorrow for a week or two, I write at once to express our thanks to you for so kindly proposing to present us with one of your portraits, and to say the value of the gift will even be increased if you will attach to it your signature, and the date you sent it us—2 At present neither Mr Darwin nor I can give any intelligence about Cleatham, but we know that Mr. Dunning the Solicitors has piles of old Darwin Papers and if any one could have the patience to get them out, there would be I doubt not some light thrown on past generations—3

Our portrait represents your grandfather as a handsome, fresh coloured man, in flowing wig, Barrister’s gown and bands, and the crest & arms are on the back of the picture—4

believe me | Yrs. very truly | C. M. C. Darwin

1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter to C. M. C. Darwin, 15 April 1879.
2
In his letter to C. M. C. Darwin, 15 April 1879, CD promised to send a copy of the etching by Paul Adolphe Rajon after an 1875 portrait of CD by Walter William Ouless.
3
CD had enquired about the acreage of the Cleatham Estate (see letter to C. M. C. Darwin, 15 April 1879). Charlotte’s husband was Francis Rhodes Darwin. The solicitor was Simon Dunning (see letter from C. M. C. Darwin, 14 April 1879 and n. 4).
4
Charlotte Darwin probably refers to the portrait of Robert Darwin (1682–1754), CD’s great-grandfather (see letter from C. M. C. Darwin, 14 April 1879 and n. 3).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-11996,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-11996