Darwin Papers
Charles Darwin (1809-1882), the most celebrated naturalist of the nineteenth century, graduated from the University of Cambridge in 1831. A grandson of Erasmus Darwin of Lichfield, and of Josiah Wedgwood, he had entered the University of Edinburgh in 1825 to study medicine, intending to follow his father Robert's career as a doctor. However, Darwin found himself unenthusiastic about his studies, including that of geology, and left Edinburgh without graduating in 1827.
Forming the intention of entering the church, Darwin came up to Cambridge in 1828, and though not finding the formal studies any more to his taste than those at Edinburgh he formed a friendship with the Professor of Botany, John Stevens Henslow, and enthusiastically began to study the subject. Having graduated, Darwin was recommended by Henslow to Robert Fitzroy, commander of HM Sloop Beagle, as a naturalist to sail on a circumnavigational voyage Fitzroy was planning. Returning from the Beagle voyage in 1836, Darwin enjoyed a publishing success with his volume Journal of Researches ... during the Voyage of HMS Beagle, married his cousin Emma Wedgwood and moved to the Kent village of Down, where he spent the rest of his life. It was at Down House that Darwin wrote On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection..., 1859, and a series of monographs in botany, entomology and anthropology of the greatest importance.
The collection of Charles Darwin's papers at the University Library originates in the work of his son Francis, who published two editions of his father's letters, in 1887 and 1903. For these he collected as many of Charles's letters and papers as possible, and these remained in the family after Francis died. In 1942 the Pilgrim Trust and the Darwin family gave most of these papers to the University Library, another portion being given to the museum recently established at Down House.
Due to difficulties resulting from wartime conditions, it was only in 1948 that the papers actually arrived in the Library. In 1960 a Handlist of Darwin Papers at the University Library, Cambridge was published, listing the papers in the 1942 gift.
In 1975 the Library acquired an important supplementary collection of Darwin papers hitherto retained by Sir Robin Darwin. Over the years, further papers have been acquired by gift from the Darwin family, by other deposits, and by purchase; the collection is accruing continually. The acquisitions since the 1960 Handlist were Supplementary Handlist of the Papers of Charles Darwin and complete modern catalogues to the Darwin papers and some related family collections are now available in the Manuscripts Reading Room.
A most important publication in the field of Darwin studies is Frederick Burkhardt and Sydney Smith (eds), Calendar of the Correspondence of Charles Darwin, 1821-1882, with supplement, Cambridge, 1994. The version of this calendar available via the website at http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/content/section/11/38/ is more up-to-date and contains further information.
Readers interested in the letters sent and received by Darwin but unfamiliar with the Darwin collections are advised to consult this work before applying to the Library for permission to see the original papers. In addition, the Darwin Correspondence Project working in the Library is publishing the Complete Correspondence of Charles Darwin, Cambridge, vols 1-15, 1985-2005. So far, the project has covered letters written between 1821 and 1867, and further volumes are in preparation.
In broad terms, classmarks DAR 1-28 are assigned to papers relating to his publications, DAR 29-42 to papers concerned with the zoology and geology of the Beagle voyage. Letters and notes are in DAR 43-52. DAR 53-90 contain further manuscripts concerning publications, together with much associated correspondence. DAR 91-118 contain correspondence, DAR 119- 130 represent various notebooks, while DAR 131-141 contain records relating to published papers re Darwin and his work. DAR 142 is a collection of specimen seeds. DAR 143-156 contain further letters, and DAR 157 has a few folios of the On the Origin of Species manuscript. This completes the listing of the collection as at 1960. Of the supplementary papers, DAR 158 is Darwin's 'Journal', DAR 159-184 contain further correspondence, DAR 185 and 186 miscellaneous accessions, DAR 187-197 notes and papers relating to publications, DAR 198-205 further letters, DAR 206-209 experiments and notes, DAR 210 and 211 more letters, while DAR 212 and 213 have manuscripts and proofs of publications. The remaining classes, DAR 214-241, are assigned to the papers of family members and other miscellaneous deposits, including photographs.
There are collections of important associated manuscripts in the University Library, notably, at Add. MS 7983, the sketch books of Conrad Martens, who sailed with Darwin during part of the Beagle voyage, and, at Add. 8853, the papers of Robert Fitzroy.
The Department of Manuscripts also holds Charles Darwin's library collection, which contains many important contemporary works bearing Darwin's annotations.
Contact: Adam Perkins (01223 333056; ajp21@cam.ac.uk).