Erasmus Darwin
1759–99
Lawyer. Second son of Erasmus Darwin (1731–1802) and his first wife, Mary. CD’s uncle. Wished to retire at the age of 40. Purchased Breadsall Priory. Drowned in the river at the bottom of his garden; his death was thought to be suicide by many family members, including CD.
Sources
King-Hele 1999, pp. 324–8
King-Hele ed. 2003, pp. 74 and 143
Bibliography
King-Hele, Desmond. 1999. Erasmus Darwin. A life of unequalled achievement. London: Giles de la Mare Publishers.
King-Hele, Desmond, ed. 2003. Charles Darwin’s ‘The Life of Erasmus Darwin’. First unabridged edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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