To J. B. Innes   13 January 1871

Down. Beckenham

Jan 13. 71

My dear Innes,

I have received the enclosed, which I have not answered, but have sent to my solicitor.1 Of course I shall not apologise for anything which I may have said, but what this is I know not. Will you have the kindness to inform me whether Mr. Horsman left £25 to satisfy any claim on the School account.2

From attending to other subjects my memory has become very vague about the organ affair, and I should be grateful for any particulars especially the amount of the Subscription so that I may inform my solicitor. I have suggested to him to call on the organ-builder. Did Mr. Horsman pay the builder by bills which were dishonoured?3

You will easily perceive that any information might be of great value to me

My dear Innes | In Haste | Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin

LS(A)

1
The enclosure has not been found. CD’s solicitor was William Mackmurdo Hacon of Fenchurch Street, London.
2
Samuel James O’Hara Horsman, curate of the village, had left Down in 1868; there had been some confusion over accounts for the National School for Boys, which he had left in disarray (see Correspondence vol. 16).
3
There had been suspicion in Down that Horsman had absconded with the organ fund; see Correspondence vol. 16, letter to Bryceson Brothers & Co., [after June 1868?] and n. 2.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

3.1 great] interl in CD’s hand
4.1 In Haste] added in CD’s hand

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-7439,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-7439