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From James Geikie   15 December 1881

Birnam, Perthshire

15th. Dec. 1881.

Dear Sir

Professor Ramsay, as you may have heard, retires from the post of Director General of the Geological Surveys and my brother Archibald succeeds him.1 This move of my brothers leaves vacant the Chair of Geology in the University of Edinburgh, for which I intend to become a Candidate, and I now take the great liberty (for which I hope you will pardon me) to ask whether you feel yourself at liberty to give me a testimonial.2 I am unwilling to put you to such trouble, but your kindness in replying to former letters has emboldened me to write you this begging one.

If you would rather not grant my request, I must still remain your debtor | Yours respectfully | James Geikie

Charles Darwin Esq. LL.D. F.R.S.

1
Andrew Crombie Ramsay had been director-general of the Geological Survey of Great Britain since 1872. Archibald Geikie was the director of the Geological Survey of Scotland before succeeding Ramsay in his post.
2
Archibald Geikie had become professor of geology and mineralogy at Edinburgh in 1871.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-13552,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-13552