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From George Warde Norman   20 September 1866

Bromley | Kent

20 Septr. 1866

My dear Darwin,

You are so much interested in the habits of animals, that I think you may like to peruse the Paper, which accompanies this—1

It comes from the wife of our Curate Mr. Holland an intelligent man, who lodges with a Tenant of mine—named Roots—at Bence Well on Bromley Common—2

Please to return it at your convenience—

I have known a Cat, bring up Ducks but never Squirrels before—3

I earnestly hope that you may be progressing towards perfect recovery & should like to assure myself of this, through the means of an early Visit to Down—4

With kind Regards to Mrs. Darwin—5 | Believe me | Yrs mo. truly | Geo Wde Norman

C. R. Darwin Esqre

1
The paper referred to has not been identified.
2
George Roots lived at Bencewell, Bromley Common, Kent (Post Office directory of the six home counties 1870). Richard George Holland became curate of Holy Trinity Church, Bromley Common, in 1866 (Crockford’s clerical directory 1868). His wife was Cecilia Faithfull Holland.
3
Evidently, the paper reported the case of a cat adopting a squirrel.
4
CD’s health had generally improved in 1866 (see, for example, letter to Robert Swinhoe, [September 1866] and n. 3). Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242) makes no mention of a visit by Norman, but as a neighbour of CD’s, Norman may have visited informally (see Freeman 1978, pp. 127, 216).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-5215,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-5215