From F. H. Hooker   [17 August 1865]1

My dear Mr. Darwin

I write for Joseph, as I am sorry to tell you he is quite unable to do so himself— he imprudently slept on the floor beneath an open window one evening, & brought on a sharp attack of rheumatic fever— he has now been confined to his bed for a week, & we hope the worst is past— he has suffered terribly, but is easier now, though even yet scarcely able to turn in bed without assistance

Sir Wm. was taken ill early on the Wedy. morning, in the throat, a disease which is epidemic in Kew—2 (Lady H.3 Joe & I have all had it)   he became rapidly worse— Lady H. was at Yarmouth,4 but joined him on Thursday, & the accounts seemed better until Saty. afternoon, when he rapidly sank— Poor Joseph was so prostrated by rheumatism as to be utterly unable to be with him the last day, & of course could not attend the funeral yesterday—5 He desires his love to Etty, & thanks for her letter, which he received the first day of his illness—6

Believe me | Yours affectly. | F H Hooker

1
The date is established by the reference to William Jackson Hooker’s funeral (see n. 5, below).
2
The reference is to W. J. Hooker, Joseph Dalton Hooker’s father. For accounts of W. J. Hooker’s last illness and death, see L. Huxley ed. 1918, 2: 68, and Allan 1967, pp. 209–10, and Yaldwyn and Hobbs eds. 1998, pp. 61–2.
3
Maria Hooker, wife of W. J. Hooker.
4
Maria Hooker’s family home was in Yarmouth (Allan 1967, p. 32).
5
W. J. Hooker’s funeral was on 16 August 1865 (Jackson 1906, p. 203).
6
The reference is to Henrietta Emma Darwin. The letter from her to J. D. Hooker has not been found.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-4883,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-4883