Ɛpsilon

To W. E. Darwin   22 February [1863 or later]1

Feb. 22d.

My dear W.—

Do you think this is so good a thing, I ought not to reject it?— I rather hate these complicated affairs— I could take £1000 or £1500. I have, however, got an awful proportion of my property in Railways— For the love of all the saints advise me.2

your affec Father | C. Darwin

1
The date range is suggested by the date at which William Erasmus Darwin became a banker, and by CD’s investment history (see n. 2, below).
2
CD invested in various railway companies from at least the 1850s (see, for example, Correspondence vol. 5, letter to John Higgins, 9 April [1854]), but was unlikely to have asked his son’s advice until some time after William became a banker in October 1861 (see Correspondence vol. 9). CD was still investing heavily in railway shares through a broker in July 1862 (see Correspondence, vol. 10, letter to John St Barbe, [before 3 July 1862]); William was advising him from at least 1866 (see, for example, Correspondence vol. 14, letter to W. E. Darwin, 19 [June 1866]).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-13799,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-13799