Westminster Archives
Darwin returned home upon HMS Beagle on the 2 October, 1836. After short spells in Shrewsbury and Cambridge, he came to Westminster, where he lived for the next 8 years.
In March, 1837, Darwin moved to 36 Great Marlborough Street. Soon afterwards he presented his papers at the Geological Society of London and published The Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle (1838–43). He was now associating with men at the cutting edge of science, who helped him formulate his ideas.
Darwin also valued opinions from ordinary men such as his Soho barber William Willis. Snippets of their conversations about dog breeding appear in his transmutation notebooks. One, dated 25th September, 1838, came just three days before he read Malthus’s Essay on the Principle of Population (1798), which helped to unlock his great theory.
For Darwin, Great Marlborough Street was a ‘forlorn place’, prompting his move to Gower Street with his bride Emma Wedgwood. However, Darwin felt imprisoned by city life and relocated to Down House, Kent in 1842. Despite this move, it would be at the Linnean Society of Lonond on Piccadilly where his work would be finally revealed in 1858.
Following his death on 19 April, 1882, at Down House aged 73; he was buried in Westminster Abbey on 28th April, 1882. Some saw this as controversial but his funeral sermon emphasised that Darwin never saw “a conflict between the knowledge of nature and a belief in God”. This view is shared by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster Abbey today, who celebrate his inclusion and are proud that his tomb is now one of the most visited in the Abbey.
Teacher comments:
“We learnt lots of facts about Darwin and the various people in this life. Peter made Darwin’s story really accessible to my class. An excellent session, a lot packed in. Thank you!”
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The City of Westminster Archives Centre holds extensive collections relating to family, local, business and community history.
The Archives education and interpretation Officer, Peter Daniel, develops and delivers a wide range of local history cross curricular projects throughout the academic year. Peter teamed together with Ruth Temple to develop and deliver Charles Darwin: A Genius in the Heart of London.
 For more information visit www.westminster.gov.uk/services/libraries/archives |
