To John Higgins   19 November [1856]1

Down Bromley Kent

Nov. 19th

My dear Sir

I am very glad to hear of the increased Rent, which will make my Farm a very good investment; & I truly thank you for your kind attention to my interests.2

With respect to the £105, I shd. prefer your second plan of a Lien for 15 years; but if you think the other plan of payment with interest to myself at 5 per cent, the fairer plan to Mr Hardy (who seems so excellent a tenant) I have the money & could transmit it immediately; but for myself, as I have said, I shd. prefer the lien.—3

With my very sincere thanks, pray believe me my dear Sir | Your’s very faithfully | Ch. Darwin To | John Higgins Esqe

1
Dated by the reference to the rent increase on the Beesby farm (see n. 2, below).
2
John Higgins was the agent for CD’s farm near Beesby, Lincolnshire. According to his Investment book (Down House MS), CD received £215 6s. 5d. rent on his farm on 12 June 1856 and a payment of £238 18s. 8d. on 19 December 1856. Subsequent payments continued to be made at around the higher level.
3
Francis Hardy was CD’s tenant. A lien was the right to retain possession of another person’s property until the owner paid a debt.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

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Please cite as “DCP-LETT-1993,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-1993