Down House

Charles Robert Darwin was a British naturalist and biologist known for his controversial theory of evolution and his understanding of the process of natural selection. In 1831 he embarked on a five-year voyage around the world on HMS Beagle, during which time his studies of various plants led him to formulate his theories. In 1859, he published his landmark book, On the Origin of Species.

He was born on February 12, 1809, in the tiny merchant town of Shrewsbury, England. The second youngest of six children and a child of wealth and privilege, he loved to explore nature. Darwin came from a long line of scientists: His father, Dr. R.W. Darwin, was a medical doctor, and his grandfather, Dr. Erasmus Darwin, was a renowned botanist. Darwin’s mother, Susanna, died when he was only eight years old.

In October 1825, at age 16, Darwin enrolled at the University of Edinburgh along with his brother Erasmus. Two years later, he became a student at Christ's College in Cambridge. His father hoped he would follow in his footsteps and become a medical doctor, but the sight of blood made him queasy. His father suggested he study to become a parson, but Darwin was far more inclined to study natural history.

He was a born list maker, he even made copious amounts of notes on the pros and cons of taking a wife. Eventually in 1839 he married his cousin Emma Wedgwood. They shared a grandfather, Josiah Wedgwood of pottery fame. Married life began in Bloomsbury. When the couple’s third child was born, they moved to Kent. They went on to have 10 children, two of whom died as babies, and one daughter died aged 10. 

The Darwin Children

Down House, the home of the Darwin family

They lived at Down House for 40 years. Several rooms appear as if the family still live there, with croquet sets thrown into an under-stairs cupboard, a half-played game of backgammon on a side table and Emma’s knitting left on a chair in the drawing room. Upstairs, an exhibition showcases Darwin’s voyage aboard HMS Beagle.

Drawing room. It is a lovely comfy family home.


Dining room

Darwin's study

The Stair Slide

In February 1857 Emma Darling wrote to her eldest son William that "Mr Lewis has made a sliding board for the children and they enjoy it very much. They put it on the stairs, and I have taken a slide or two and so has Miss Thorley". Miss Thorley was governess to the children from around 1850 -1857.

The slide was hitched by a cross-piece onto a step of the stairs. The angle of the slide could be changed according to the bravery of the child!

Following a lifetime of devout research, Charles Darwin died at his family home,
Down House, on April 19, 1882. He was buried at Westminster Abbey. 

I hope you have enjoyed this short history of Charles Darwin.

~ Be warm and well ~ 

Polly x