Ɛpsilon

From John Lubbock   13 February [1869]1

13 Feb.

My dear Mr. Darwin

If you & Hooker say it is all right I shall feel quite justified in signing Miss Meteyards petition.2

I am really anxious about the Down school & think if the Parish was properly Canvassed the necessary funds would be forthcoming without pressing unduly on a few.3

It seems that none of my brothers (except Henry)4 had even been spoken to on the subject.

I have been very nearly promising to stand for Westminster if Smith is turned out, but my senior partner Mr Ellice advised me so strongly against doing so that I have declined.5

Ever | Yours very sincerely | John Lubbock

1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from Eliza Meteyard, 19 February 1869.
5
Lubbock stood for Parliament in the general election of November 1868, but lost by a narrow margin (see Correspondence vol. 16, letter from John Lubbock, 26 November [1868]). William Henry Smith was elected in the district of Westminster. The large amount of money he spent in the campaign led to suspicion of bribery and a petition was raised to remove him, but Smith retained his seat (ODNB). Russell Ellice was a partner in the banking firm Robarts, Lubbock & Co. (Post Office London directory 1868).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-6613,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-6613