To George Howard Darwin   24 January [1868]1

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

Jan 24th.

My dear old fellow

I am so pleased. I congratulate you with all my heart & soul.—2 I always said from your early days that such energy, perseverance & talent as yours, would be sure to succeed; but I never expected such brilliant success as this.

Again & again I congratulate you. But you have made my hand tremble so I can hardly write. The Telegraph came here at eleven.— We have written to W. & Boys.—3

God Bless you my dear old fellow— may your life so continue.—

Your affectionate Father | Ch. Darwin

1
The year is established by the reference to George Howard Darwin’s examination (see n. 2, below).
2
George was second in the mathematical honours examination at Cambridge in 1868; the position was known as ‘second wrangler’. The results of the examination were published at the Senate House in Cambridge on 24 January 1868. (Cambridge University calendar 1868.)
3
CD refers to William Erasmus Darwin, who lived in Southampton, and to Horace and Leonard Darwin, who were at Clapham Grammar School.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

0.2 Jan 24th.] added pencil
1.2 as yours,] interl
2.1 so] over illeg
2.2 Telegraph] ‘egraph’ added
3.1 may] over ‘my’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-5796,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-5796