Ɛpsilon

To Thomas Blunt   5 April [1867]1

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

April 5th

My dear Sir

I write merely a line to thank you for your kind note.— We knew that your partnership was dissolved, but added the name from habit.—2

I most sincerely congratulate you on the success of your son in his scientific studies. Science runs in your blood.—3

The loss of my poor sister, Susan, has been a great one to many; & now after so many years there is no longer any connection between our family & Shrewsbury.4

With every good wish | Believe me | My dear Sir | Yours sincerely | Ch. Darwin

1
The year is established by the reference to Susan Elizabeth Darwin’s death; see n. 4, below.
2
CD’s letter to Blunt and Blunt’s reply have not been found. Post Office directory entries suggest that the partnership of Blunt and Salter was dissolved sometime between 1863 and 1870; Blunt continued in business as a chemist with his son, Thomas Porter Blunt (Post Office directory of Gloucestershire, with Bath, Bristol, Herefordshire, and Shropshire 1863, 1870).
3
Thomas Porter Blunt took a first class degree in natural sciences at Oxford University in December 1864 (Oxford University calendar 1865).
4
Susan died in October 1866; she had lived at the Darwin family home, The Mount, in Shrewsbury. After her death, the house was sold. (See Correspondence vol. 14.)

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

3.2 longer any] interl

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-5487,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-5487