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Emma DarwinCharles Darwin's wife
Date of Birth: 02.05.1808
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
- Emma Darwin: The Enduring Companion of Charles Darwin
- Marriage and Early Years
- Family Life and Health Concerns
- Philanthropy and Religion
Emma Darwin: The Enduring Companion of Charles Darwin
Early Life and EducationEmma Darwin was born as Emma Wedgwood on May 2, 1808, the seventh child of Josiah Wedgwood II, a renowned potter and parliamentarian. Growing up in the family estate, Maer Hall, she was raised in a Unitarian household. From a tender age, Emma displayed intellectual prowess, writing sermons for her older sister to teach children at the local Sunday school.
As she matured, Emma traveled to Paris to study piano under the tutelage of Frédéric Chopin. Later, she spent eight months in Geneva with her aunt, the wife of the famed economist Jean Charles Léonard Simonde de Sismondi. During her return journey to Paris, she encountered her cousin, Charles Darwin, who would become her lifelong partner.
Marriage and Early Years
On January 29, 1839, Emma married Charles Darwin at the age of 30. The couple initially resided in Gower Street, London, before moving to Down, Kent, in 1842. They welcomed ten children together, three of whom died in infancy. Several of the surviving children achieved notable accomplishments, with George, Francis, and Horace becoming Fellows of the Royal Society.
Family Life and Health Concerns
Emma was a devoted wife and mother, caring for her frail husband and their numerous offspring. However, the close familial relationship between Emma and Charles raised concerns about potential health risks for their children. These concerns influenced Darwin's work on the inheritance of traits and the benefits of outbreeding.
Emma's musical abilities continued to flourish, later inspiring Darwin's study on the expression of musical qualities through sexual selection in humans.
Philanthropy and Religion
In the mid-1850s, Emma turned her attention to charity. She distributed food and money to the needy and administered medical treatments based on the methods of her father-in-law, Robert Darwin. Her cookbook was later published in the Darwin Correspondence.
Emma's Unitarian upbringing prioritized personal religious experience over dogma. While Charles initially held more traditional Anglican beliefs, he gradually adopted a more agnostic stance. Emma's struggles to reconcile her faith with his caused significant emotional turmoil, but she ultimately came to terms with his views.
