Ɛpsilon

To [William Mackmurdo Hacon]1   21 April [1864]

Down. | Bromley. | Kent. S.E.

Ap. 21

My dear Sir

You will soon hear from Mr Higgins of Alford about the exchange & purchase of a small piece of land by the Rev. P. Mason2   an abstract of the title of this portion is required by them at their expense.

I sent up yesterday by our carrier all the deeds which I shall assume you have safely recd if I do not hear to the contrary.

When the transaction is completed be so good as to inform me that I may send for the deeds3

I am Dear Sir | yours faithfully | Ch. R. Darwin

LS

Endorsement: ‘Mr Darwin | 21st April /64’

1
The addressee is probably William Macmurdo Hacon, CD’s solicitor (Freeman 1978).
2
Henry Payne Mason, the rector of Beesby, Lincolnshire, evidently owned land that bordered CD’s two farm properties in Lincolnshire (see Correspondence vol. 4, letters to John Higgins, 10 September [1847] and 21 December [1850]; see legal documents from 1845 and 1846 on the properties in DAR 210.10: 4–11). CD was now selling a small portion of land to him through his land agent in Alford, Lincolnshire, John Higgins. An entry in CD’s Account book–banking account (Down House MS) for 29 December 1864 records the receipt of £200 for the ‘Sale of Land at Beesby (Paid up Capital.)’.
3
No other correspondence or documents relating to this transaction have been found.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-4470,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-4470