Ɛpsilon

To John Higgins   27 May [1846]1

Down Farnborough Kent

May 27th

Dear Sir

I write to acknowledge the draft for 190£ 13s 1d & to thank you for it.—2

I am very glad Mr. Hardy3 is going on well.

Will you be so good as to give me as long a notice as you conveniently can, when you want the money for the new Farm House, as my Father owing to some arrangements has been rather short of money this Spring, but I apprehend, very soon now all times will be equally convenient to him.—4

My Bankers are Mrs Robarts, Curtis & Co & I shd be glad, if, as you propose, you would pay the rent direct into their hands for the future, being so good as to notify me of the same.—

I wish I could have the pleasure of seeing you this week, but I shall not be up in London.

Dear Sir | Yours very faithfully | C. Darwin

P.S. | Do not forget the steeper pitch of roof in the new farm House & oak Lintels.

1
The date is based on an entry of that date in CD’s Account Book (Down House MS).
2
The half-yearly rent for Beesby Farm, less Higgins’ percentage as agent (CD’s Investment Book (Down House MS), p. 20). For the purchase of the farm, see letters from John Higgins, 15 March 1845 and 2 October 1845.
3
Ralph Hardy, contractor, who pulled down the old farm buildings at Beesby (R. W. Darwin’s Investment Book (Down House MS), p. 74).
4
CD had already borrowed £12,577 4s. from his father to purchase the farm (CD’s Investment Book, p. 19). Robert Waring Darwin advanced an additional £1,026 0s. 2d. to cover the cost of farm buildings. See CD’s Investment Book, p. 19, and R. W. Darwin’s Investment Book, p. 74 (Down House MSS).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-980,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-980