Ɛpsilon

To Francis Galton   8 June [1879]1

Down, | Beckenham, Kent. | Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.

June 8th

My dear Galton

Many thanks for your note.2 I have lately been staying with my sister, Caroline, & she says my memory is in error about the mysterious visitor.3 She believes his name was Brand, & that it was in the time of Colonel Pole; I cannot but doubt about the latter point. My sister feels pretty positive that the gentleman stayed at the house of a neighbour (name forgotten) & never visited Mrs Pole or Mrs D., but sent her respectful & very friendly messages. Nevertheless she was never at ease till he had left the country.4

Thanks for all your help.— I have fixed a photograph of Dr. D.5

Ever yours | C. Darwin

PS | If you shd. come across Dr. Lauder Brunton see if he has anything more to communicate about Dr. D. for I shall soon go to press.—6

1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from Francis Galton, 7 June 1879.
3
The Darwins visited Caroline Sarah Wedgwood and Josiah Wedgwood III at Leith Hill Place, Surrey, from 21 to 26 May 1879 (see ‘Journal’ (Appendix II)). No letter mentioning a mysterious visitor has been found, but the topic may have been discussed when Galton visited Down on 26 April 1879 (Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242)).
4
The visitor has not been identified. Edward Sacheverel Pole was the first husband of Elizabeth Darwin (1747–1832).
5
See letter from Francis Galton, 7 June 1879 and n. 8. On the portrait used for the frontispiece of Erasmus Darwin, see the letter from V. H. Darwin, 4 April 1879, n. 3.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-12095,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-12095