Beschreibung:

Darwin (Charles Robert, 1809-1882). A series of 16 autograph letters signed, all but one Down, Bromley, Kent, 9 December 1857 to 16 November 1866, all addressed to John Higgins, all in acknowledgement and thanks for rent money collected and placed to his account (at the Union Bank), one letter written from Ilkley Wells House, Yorkshire, (4 December 1859), one letter signed 'Charles Darwin', (22 June 1860), the others all signed 'Ch. Darwin' or 'Ch. R. Darwin', eight letters on Down printed letterhead, one letter two pages (1 June 1862) and the remainder all one page including last incomplete letter (16 November 1866) with final page present only, together with five further letters signed from Charles Darwin, 21 November 1865 to 27 May 1869, all in his wife Emma's hand and signed either 'Ch. Darwin' or 'Ch. R. Darwin', all similarly to John Higgins in acknowledgement and thanks for payments placed to his account at Union Bank, two on Down printed letterhead, one letter two pages (14 May 1866), the others one page, a few slight creases and marginal splits, two letters (31 May & 1 December 1864) slightly dust-soiled and more heavily creased with small blank paper loss to lower right corners, final letter (27 May 1869) heavily spotted, all signed by Charles Darwin across affixed one penny duty stamp at foot of letters, except the first autograph letter (9 December 1857) signed across duty stamp at head of letter and again below sentiment at foot of letter, all 8vo (one autograph letter oblong 8vo), together with two invoices for timber made out to John Higgins of Alford, [Lincolnshire], from Bennetts, Wilkinson & Stephenson, dated at Grimsby, 17 February 1858 & 21 June 1861, both one page, 4to, plus a manuscript letter receipt addressed to John Higgins of Alford, June 1855, for money received by Sir J. Goodricke Bart., one page, 8vo (Qty: 24) John Higgins (1795/6-1872) had acted as Charles Darwin's land agent from 1845, when Robert Waring Darwin (Charles Darwin's father) bought, on Charles Darwin's behalf, a farm in Beesby, near Claythorpe and Alford in Lincolnshire. Higgins managed the farm and collected the rent for Charles Darwin. Higgins lived at Alford Manor House, Alford, Lincolnshire. He also acted as agent for Darwin's sister Susan and their father Robert. The first letter is typical of the content of all these letters: 'My dear Sir, I beg leave to acknowledge & thank you for £248: 2s: 1d, placed to my account at the Union Bank'. All the letters bar the two 2-page letters are docketed by or on behalf of Higgins to blank versos, the longest autograph letter (1 June 1862) reads: 'I beg leave to acknowledge the sum of £240: 7s:9d to be placed to my account at Union Bank on June 7th; being half year rent since Lady's Day. I am much obliged to you for informing me that you will call at my Brother, 6 Queen Anne St. on Friday about 12 o'clock, for I shall be particularly glad to have the pleasure of seeing you; & unless I am too unwell to travel, I will certainly be there on purpose at the hour'. The following letter (21 November 1862) reads: 'I beg leave to acknowledge & thank you for £245: 18s: 0d being half a year's rent, placed to my account at the Union Bank. Your account of the Tomline estate gives me some regret; but I hope I have done the best for my children. I am very glad to see that you use your own hand again in writing, as this shows you must be better'. A short letter dated for December 1863 excuses his handwriting: 'I am ill so pray excuse writing'. The following letter of 31 May 1864 adds after the standard thanks for payment: 'I am much obliged for your kind enquiries: I have had a very long illness, but I am now recovering & shall soon regain my former moderate state of health'; and in the following letter (1 December 1864) Darwin says that he is sorry to hear that Higgins is still suffering from his painful illness. Three of the letters written in Emma's hand also contain snippets of news other than acknowledg