From Josiah Wedgwood II and Emma Wedgwood to R. W. Darwin 15 November 1838
Maer
15 Novr 1838.
My dear Doctor
A good chearful & affectionate daughter is the greatest blessing a man can have after a good wife.— if I could have given such a wife to Charles without parting with a daughter there would be no drawback from my entire satisfaction in bestowing Emma upon him— You lately gave up a daughter—it is my turn now— At our time of life our happiness must be in a great measure reflected from our families, and I think there are few fathers who have on the whole more cause to be satisfied with the conduct & present circumstances & future prospects of our families.— I could have parted with Emma to no one for whom I could so soon & so entirely feel as a father & I am happy in believing that Charles entertains the kindest feelings for his uncle-father.
I propose to do for Emma what I did for Charlotte & for three of my sons—give a bond for £5000 & to allow her £400 a year as long as my income will supply it which I have no reason for thinking will not be as long as I live.1
Give my love to your fireside and believe me | Affectionately yours | Josiah Wedgwood My dear Uncle
I have begged a bit of Papa’s letter to thank you from my heart for the delightful way in which you have received me into your family & to thank my dear Marianne & Susan for their affectionate notes which gave me the greatest pleasure. One of the things that give me most happiness is Charles’s thorough affection & value for Papa. I am my dear Uncle yours affectionately | Emma W.
You will be glad to hear that Mamma has quite got over her disappointment about Miss Martineau & amuses herself a good deal in planning about houses cake &c.
Footnotes
Summary
JW’s satisfaction in bestowing Emma on CD.
[A note from Emma on cover thanks RWD for the way the family have received her.]
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-438
- From
- Josiah Wedgwood, II
- To
- Robert Waring Darwin
- Sent from
- Maer
- Source of text
- V&A / Wedgwood Collection (MS W/M 198)
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp † (by Emma Wedgwood)
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 438,” accessed on 2 May 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-438.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 2