Ɛpsilon

From Henry Farncombe Billinghurst   [21 July 1863 – August 1870?]1

Southampton

Sir

I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your favor of the 20th inst returning 7 transfers duly signed by yourself & Mr. G. H. Darwin2

I am Sir | Your obdt Servt | H F Billinghurst | Sub Country Manager

LS(A)

1
The date range is conjectured on the basis of George Howard Darwin’s birth date and a note by CD on the verso of the letter. George was born on 9 July 1845. The earliest he could have signed a legal document was July 1863. On the verso of this letter is a note by CD mentioning the explanation for the basis of sympathy given in Smith 1759 and Bain 1868. CD notes that neither work can account for the fact that sympathy is stronger when excited by a loved one rather than a stranger. He makes this point in Descent 1: 81–2 and refers to these sources. CD was working on the manuscript of Descent between 1868 and 1870 (Correspondence vols. 16, 17, and this volume). It was sent to the printers in August 1870 (this volume, letter to Mr Dorrell, 9 August 1870).
2
The reference is to George Howard Darwin. The transfers have not been identified.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-5765,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-5765