48— Lincolns Inn Fields—
Novr. 23d 1880—
Private
My ⟨de⟩ar Dr Darwin
I observe with s⟨ome⟩ regret, that a relative of Mrs Darwin, has passed ⟨a⟩way—1 I suppose, that she was the recent proprietor of Tromer Lodge—formerly called Pond House— My lamented Father—the Revd. Robert Ainslie—visited Down, & had ⟨an in⟩terview with Miss Wed⟨g⟩wood—when he was re⟨ctor⟩ at Roundhill Crescen⟨t,⟩ Brighton—& some few years or so—2 I b⟨elieve⟩—befo⟨re⟩ his illness—which ultimately obliged him to give up his p⟨ ⟩ work— Now, I u⟨ndersto⟩od then, & have a⟨lwa⟩ys understood, that ⟨the⟩ transfer of Tro⟨m⟩er Lodge to the Purchasers, was in opposition to a higher offer, which was made at the Auction Mart— This of co⟨u⟩rse rests as it is— My Father had not funds to appeal. ⟨ ⟩ there were some ⟨p⟩ieces of Basso Relievo ⟨le⟩ft in the Drawing ⟨Ro⟩om & I suppose still the⟨re⟩, which he laid a ⟨cla⟩im to on the occasion of his visit ⟨to⟩ Miss Wedgewood.
If one of his creditors, who was the principal, who led him into his ⟨dif⟩ficulties, which he so nob⟨ly con⟩tended with, had ⟨ ⟩ a few years ea⟨rlier⟩ ⟨ ⟩tle and I would ⟨ ⟩ have ⟨ ⟩ our fa⟨ther’s⟩ ⟨ ⟩me” ⟨h⟩ouse.”— He die⟨d,⟩ I c⟨onsider, a victim to ⟨his⟩ generosity, & the negl⟨ect⟩ of th⟨e⟩ Public to a ⟨ ⟩ Man—who if he had n⟨ot⟩ had a considerable ⟨pri⟩vate property woul⟨d⟩ not have died so ⟨ ⟩ as he did— ⟨2 or 3 words⟩ in writing ⟨2 or 3 words⟩ whom I we⟨ll⟩ remember, as a Boy myself,—& who was once an acquaintance & ⟨on f⟩riendly terms with m⟨y fa⟩ther— is to request t⟨hat, i⟩n the event of Tr⟨omer⟩ Lodge bei⟨ng⟩ again in ⟨the⟩ market, I may ha⟨ve the e⟩arliest intim⟨atio⟩n of the fact, thro⟨ugh so⟩me member of you⟨r or⟩ your wife’s famil⟨y o⟩r ⟨in the⟩ possible event of ⟨y⟩our ⟨ ⟩ to be lamented decease.
⟨ ⟩ also to ask you to ⟨k⟩indly inform me—⟨(pri⟩vately) whether the ⟨1 or 2 words⟩ old deeds of the ⟨ ⟩ ⟨ ⟩ve been transferred ⟨2 or 3 words⟩ (as I believe) Possessor3
With the greatest ⟨2 or 3 words⟩ the honour ⟨ ⟩ ⟨Da⟩rwin Yrs mo⟨st⟩ ⟨ ⟩ Ainslie
Dr Charles Darwin— F⟨RS⟩
Please cite as “DCP-LETT-12842,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on