To W. E. Darwin   21 March [1868]1

4 Chester Place | R. P.   N.W.

March 21.

My dear William

I will mention your note to no one, not even to Mamma.—2

I agree that you could not ask Lubbock.—3

I first thought of Hensleigh W. who has acted as arbitrator, was Barrister & Magistrate & formerly Chairman of Price’s candles, Bread Coy &c.—but being a near relation would be I suppose fatal.4

Could you & Mr Atherley ask Henry Bonham Carter: he is Barrister & I think Secretary of a great Insurance Coy.—5

By far the best man would be George Norman, as Director of Bank of England & of high standing; but then I doubt whether I could ask such a favour.—6 If the arbitrator has to go into accounts I certainly could not.— If he & co-arbitrator were to meet in London & to agree over a statement previously admitted by both parties as correct, then I presume the trouble to the Arbitrators would not be great, & I think I could ask it, as an extraordinary favour.

I will keep subject in mind; but I do not think it likely that any other name wd occur to me.—

I hope to God it may succeed.— Let me hear how things go on— —

Yours affecty | C. Darwin

1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter to W. E. Darwin, 25 March [1868], and by CD’s stay at Sarah Elizabeth Wedgwood’s house in London from 11 March to 1 April 1868 (Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242)).
2
William’s note has not been found, but probably concerned the terms of a possible merger of the bank in which he was a partner (see letter to W. E. Darwin, 25 March [1868] and n. 2). CD had asked if he could speak ‘under sea[l] of secrecy of the affair’ with Emma Darwin (letter to W. E. Darwin, [15 March 1868]).
3
John Lubbock was a partner in the family bank, Robarts, Lubbock & Co. (ODNB).
4
Hensleigh Wedgwood read for the chancery bar, but never practised; he was police magistrate for Lambeth from 1832 to 1837 (DNB). Price’s Patent Candle Company had premises in Battersea, south-west London; the Bread Patents Company was in 10 Paternoster Row, London (Post Office London directory 1868).
5
George Atherley was William’s partner in the Southampton and Hampshire Bank, Southampton. Henry Bonham-Carter was called to the bar in 1853, but gave up practice in 1861; he was managing director of the Guardian Fire and Life Assurance Company (ODNB).
6
George Warde Norman was a resident of Down and a family friend of the Darwins (Freeman 1978).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

3.1 Barrister] after del ‘M’
4.1 & Mr Atherley] interl
5.4 agree] above del ‘agree’
5.4 a statement] above del ‘terms’
5.4 admitted] above del ‘settled’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-6037,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-6037