1847-1848] 105 



CHAPTER VIII 



18471848 



Elizabeth Darwin born Sarah Wedgwood settles at Down Eliza- 

 beth Wedgwood and the Langtons leave Staffordshire Hart- 

 field Fanny Allen on a round of visits The French Revolution 

 of '48 Charles Darwin at Shrewsbury Francis Darwin born 

 August 16th, 1848 The death of Dr Darwin. 



ELIZABETH DARWIN was born on July 8, 1847. 



This year Sarah Wedgwood left Staffordshire and came 

 to Down to be near my mother, where she lived till her 

 death. Her house, Petleys, was quite secluded, though 

 it was close to the little village street. 1 



I have still a vivid image of my great-aunt Sarah. She 

 was tall, upright, and very thin, and looked as different 

 from the rest of the world as any old lady in Cranford. She 

 used to wear a scanty lilac muslin gown, several little capes, 

 or small shawls, and a large Leghorn bonnet. She kept 

 several pairs of gloves by her loose black ones for putting 

 on coals and shaking hands with little boys and girls, and 

 others for reading books and cleaner occupations. Her life 

 was one of Spartan simplicity. She lived in her books, and 

 the administration of her charities, and her only society was 

 that of my mother and a few old friends and relations. She 

 had no gift for intercourse with her neighbours, rich or poor, 

 and I do not believe ever visited in the village. Neither do 

 I think she cared for her garden or ever went into it; and 

 her horse and phaeton seemed to be kept entirely for our 

 service, though I suppose that it took her few visitors to 

 and from the station an anxious business, as Jack, her 

 horse, was as old-fashioned as his mistress, and could not 

 be allowed to hear or see a train, or he became quite un- 

 manageable. The solemn visits to our old great-aunt were 



1 The trees of her garden are shown on the left of the picture, and 

 opposite is the gateway of the house where later on my Aunt Eliza- 

 beth came to end her days. 



