Ɛpsilon

To T. M. Hughes   26 August 1880

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

Aug 26th 1880

My dear Sir

I am very sorry for all the trouble which you have had in this affair. When I first received the announcement of the intended honour, I remarked to my son that it was a pity that the medal was not confined to local workers, so that you will see how fully I approve of the rule.1 As you truly say, the knowledge of the wish of the Council of the Chester Nat. Hist. Socy. to honour me, & not the mere reception of the medal, would have been the real gratification to me; & this I fully possess, & shall never forget.—

Believe me, my dear Sir | Yours sincerely | Charles Darwin

1
See letter to T. M. Hughes, 23 August 1880 and n. 1. The rule evidently required the recipient of the medal to attend the annual conversazione in Chester. The medal for 1880 was awarded to Hughes himself, for his work in geology and his service to the society (Siddall 1911, p. 53).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

0.1 (Railway … S.E.R)] parentheses added

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-12701,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-12701