Darwin in London

Charles Darwin Blue Plaque on Gower Street London WC1 | ProfJoeCain
Charles Darwin Blue Plaque on Gower Street London WC1, by Professor Joe Cain

During research concerning Charles Darwin and Emma Darwin’s life at number 12 Upper Gower Street, London, I identified several errors and vagaries in biographical material found in standard reference works. This note communicates corrections and clarifications. There is some new information about the history of the house, and some corrections to baptism records associated with the Darwin family.

This is all written up in an article:

Cain, Joe. 2014. “Darwin in London.” The Linnean: Newsletter and Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London 30 (2):13-21.

Charles Darwin in London (lecture)

I chose to speak about this material in my March 2013 Inaugural Lecture for UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS). This lecture also was presented as a Robert Edmond Grant Memorial Lecture at UCL. It is one part public engagement event, one part research seminar, and one part musing on the immigrant experience. This will make you think about what it means to be “home” and how this might be different from the place you find your feet. “Darwin in London” is a public lecture. I am grateful to Professor Michael Worton for his introduction and concluding comments.