  |
|
|
|
Darwin stands like a giant over the scientific thinking of the 19th and 20th centuries. His controversial theories on evolution still cause as much debate today as they did over 100 years ago. The quote above from Darwin gives an indication of how he felt when he published his natural selection theory.
Charles Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire on February 12 1809. His father Robert Waring Darwin was a physician and his grandfathers were Erasmus Darwin the famous scientist and Josiah Wedgwood the potter. Charles' early years seemed to have been happy and he showed a keen interest in rocks and plants as well as fishing. His mother Susannah died when he was eight and he became a boarder at Shrewsbury Grammar School. He went home regularly ( the school was less than a mile from his home) so he had the best of both worlds. Unfortunately Charles did not find the subjects taught to his liking and in later years he was scathing about his time there. It seems ironic given his attitude to the school that his statue now stands outside the Shrewsbury Library which used to be the very school Darwin disliked so much. After leaving Shrewsbury in 1825 he went to Edinburgh University but after two years he convinced his father that medicine was not for him. He was then sent to Cambridge University to study theology with a view to him entering the Church. The Voyage of the Beagle His life was to change forever when in 1831 he joined the crew of the Beagle on a planned two year voyage around the world. In the event the journey lasted five years and you can read Darwin's own account of the voyage at: http://www.infidels.org/library/historic... Later Life In 1839 Darwin married his cousin Emma Wedgewood and after living in London for a time they moved to Downe House in Kent where Darwin spent the rest of his life with his wife and children working on his many books. His major works can be read online at the following sites: Origin of Species - Published in 1859 http://www.infidels.org/library/historic... Descent of Man - Published in 1871 http://www.infidels.org/library/historic... His health was never the same after his voyage and recent studies now indicate that he had contracted Chagas' disease as described at: http://www.salwen.com/darwin.html Was it all Darwin's work? Origin of Species was not published until 1859 and this coupled with the long delay until the publishing of Descent of Man gave rise to the thought by many that these ideas were not his alone. It was only in the Descent of Man published in 1871 that Darwin explained his theory of how natural selection worked. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Charles Darwin in Shropshire is owned by John Neill. Permission to republish Charles Darwin in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|
|
|
