6 A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, i 



Darwin of Marton, who died ante 1542, being the first known 

 Darwin. They were yeomen in Lincolnshire for about 

 100 years, and then rose in rank. William Darwin 

 (b. 1620) served as Captain Lieutenant in Sir W- Pelham's 

 troop of horse, and fought for the King. His son William 

 Darwin (b. 1655) married Anne W T aring, the heiress of the 

 Manor of Elston, Notts, which property is still in the posses- 

 sion of the elder branch of the Darwin family. His grandson 

 was the well-known physician and poet, Dr. Erasmus Darwin 

 of Lichfield, father of Dr. Robert Waring Darwin and grand- 

 father of Charles Darwin. 



The first intimation of intercourse between the Wedgwoods 

 and Aliens is the following letter from Josiah Wedgwood, the 

 second son of Josiah Wedgwood of Etruria : 



Josiah Wedgwood the younger to his father. 



DEAR SIR, TENBT > Au 9 U8t 20 im 



You will have heard by a letter of mine to Tom that 

 we have had a very gay week at Haverfordwest Assizes. I 

 have not been at Cresselly since, but as I left them all very 

 well I hope to find them so to-morrow. The family at Cres- 

 selly is altogether the most charming one I have ever been 

 introduced to, and their society makes no small addition to 

 the pleasure I have received from this excursion. I am very 

 happy to perceive that their spirits are not much affected by 

 their Father's marriage. 1 Our pleasures here are very 

 simple, riding, walking, bathing, with a little dance twice a 

 week. 



You are so kind as to say that you shall be glad to see me 

 and my sister, but I hope you have no objection to me stay- 

 ing a while longer, as much on my sister's account as my own, 

 for I am afraid she has little chance of bringing Miss Allen 

 back with her. 



I am, 



Your affectionate and dutiful son, 



JOSIAH W T EDGWOOD. 



1 His marriage to the daughter of a coal-miner. She was not 

 brought to Cresselly. 



