Ɛpsilon

From Robert Monsey Rolfe   8 December 1866

Dogmersfield Park | Winchfield

8 Decr 1866

My dear Mr Darwin

Your letter was forwarded to me in the Country where we are passing a few days in visiting some friends in Hampshire— But we hope to be back at Holwood1 on Monday— I am sorry that you shd have had the trouble of writing to me, but I lose no time in sending you a cheque for my annual contribution to the Downe Charities—2 We have met here Mr Charles Kingsley an old friend of ours, & he & Mrs Kingsley3 have promised next month to pay us a visit— I hope you may then be strong enough to be able to see us if we call on you—4

Yours very truly | Cranworth

1
CD’s letter has not been found. Holwood House, Rolfe’s family seat, was 112 miles from Down (Freeman 1978).
2
Rolfe was a regular subscriber to the Down Friendly Club and the Down Coal and Clothing Club, of which CD was treasurer (Freeman 1978; see letter from Harriet Lubbock, [April? 1866], n. 4). CD recorded a contribution of £2 2s. from Rolfe in 1866 in his Down Coal and Clothing Club account book (Down House MS).
4
The Kingsleys visited Rolfe from 15 to 19 January 1867 and evidently saw CD on 16 January (see Correspondence vol. 15, letter from R. M. Rolfe, 14 January 1867).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-5298,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-5298