Ɛpsilon

From J. P. Thom   14 January 1863

Home News Office | 124 Bishopgate st | London, E.C.

14th Jan. ’63.

My dear Mr Darwin,

Dr Lane told me last night that you had sent to him a few days ago for me a cheque on your banker for £20.1 This I consider to be an act of such true and genuine kindness on your part that I do not expect to be able to find phrases which will express forcibly enough my sincere appreciation of it. I will therefore only say that I thank you with all my heart. This generous gift is one which, coming from you, I will freely tell you I regard as as one of the most flattering testimonials I have ever received in my life. I will only add that it will also be of the greatest possible service to me at present.

Before I leave England (which I expect to do early in March) I hope to write to you again and tell you something in reference to my plans which will, I believe, tend to show that they are feasible.2

Meanwhile believe me, my dear Mr Darwin, | Ever yours truly & gratefully | J. P. Thom

Charles Darwin, Esq

1
The physician Edward Wickstead Lane was the proprietor of a hydropathic establishment at Sudbrook Park, Petersham, Surrey. CD and Thom became acquainted in 1857 or 1858 at Lane’s previous establishment at Moor Park, near Farnham, Surrey (see Correspondence vol. 6, Appendix II, and Correspondence vol. 7, letter to W. D. Fox, 24 June [1858]). There is an entry in CD’s Account book–banking accounts (Down House MS) for 1 January 1863, recording the payment of £20 to Thom.
2
Thom was planning to emigrate to Queensland, Australia; a fellow patient at Sudbrook Park, Mary Butler, had asked CD if he could recommend an appointment for Thom (see Correspondence vol. 10, letter from Mary Butler, [before 25 December 1862]). No further correspondence on this matter has been found.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-3916,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-3916