William Darwin Fox
Encyclopedia
The Reverend William Darwin Fox (23 April 1805 – 8 April 1880) was an English clergyman, naturalist
, and a 2nd cousin of Charles Robert Darwin.
, Derbyshire
and from 1814 at Osmaston Hall
, Osmaston
about 2.5 miles (4 km) south of Derby
. Fox was the son of Samuel Fox (1765-1851) and his second wife, Ann Darwin (1777-1859). Ann was the daughter of William Alvey Darwin (1726-1783) and Jane Brown (1746-1835), and niece of Erasmus Darwin
(1731-1802). He attended Repton School
.
Fox attended Repton School
from 1816 to 1823, when the headmaster was William Boultbee Sleath
.
Like his second cousin Charles Darwin
, Fox prepared for the church at Christ's College, Cambridge
. He was also a naturalist
and entomologist, particularly collecting beetle
s. At Cambridge, Fox and Darwin became friends, and Fox tutored his younger cousin on natural history
. Darwin noted in his autobiography
:
It was also Fox who introduced Darwin to John Stevens Henslow
who held a weekly open house which undergraduates and some older members of the University, who were attached to science attended in the evenings.
Darwin spent three weeks with Fox at Osmaston Hall
in the summer of 1829. The Hall and its associated 4,000 acre (16 km²) estate was owned by the Wilmot-Horten family and leased to the Fox family from 1814 to 1887 and sold subsequently in 1888 to the Midland Railway
. In 1938 the Hall was demolished and the area is now industrial, more noted for the manufacture of Rolls Royce
turbo-fan engines.
Throughout his life, Fox remained in regular contact with Charles Darwin, and many of the letters exchanged contained comments relating to Darwin's work as well as family matters (Larkum, 2009).
, near Nottingham
. He was forced to take sick leave in 1833 and convalesced at Sandown
on the Isle of Wight
. It was here that he met his first wife Harriet Fletcher and they were married in 1834. Fox returned to Epperstone for a short time but finally gained the living at Delamere where he remained the incumbent until 1873
A notice in the London Gazette
for Friday 6 April 1838 states:
Fox was very active in the local community At Delamere, especially the local school where he taught. The school is still referred to as Fox's school. He retired through ill health in 1873.
Fox also kept a diary from the age of 18 to 1878. Only one year is missing: for 1828, when he resided at Christ's College, Cambridge with Charles Darwin. A microfiche copy of the diaries are in the University Library, Cambridge. Fox never fully accepted Darwin's explanation of evolution
.
Fox in his own non-scientific but reasoned way contributed to the understanding of the geology
of the Solent
and how the Isle of Wight became separated from the mainland when he gave a very informative opinion on this matter in a reply to a correspondent to the Geologist
(Fox 1862).
When Fox retired as Rector of Delamere in 1873, he returned to the Isle of Wight to live at "Broadlands", Sandown, until his death in 1880 and is buried on the Isle of Wight.
His second wife was Ellen Sophia (1820–1887), daughter of Basil George Woodd and Mary Mitton of Hillfield, Hampstead and they were married in 1846. They issued - Charles Woodd, 1847 - 1908; Frances Maria (Pearce) 1848 - 1921, Robert Gerard, 1849 - 1909; Louisa Mary, 1851 - 1853; Ellen Elizabeth (Baron Dickinson Webster
- 1st cousins once removed), 1852 - ; Theodora, 1853 - 1878; Gertrude Mary (Bosanquet), 1854 - 1900; Frederick William, 1855 - 1931; Edith Darwin, 1857 - ; Erasmus Pullien, 1859 - 1939; Reginald Henry, 1860 - 1933; Gilbert Basil, 1865 - 1941.
Following the birth of the Fox's 10th child, Charles Darwin made a tongue-in-cheek reference to the size of the Fox family and the trouble boys created compared with girls; in a letter to Fox in 1852.
(1813-1881) who was also an amateur scientist and lived and worked on the Isle of Wight at the same time. William Darwin Fox is sometimes ascribed the credit for early dinosaur discoveries. However William Darwin Fox was noted for his geological work, and entomology, but is not recorded as having any particular interest in dinosaurs.
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
, and a 2nd cousin of Charles Robert Darwin.
Early life
Fox was born in 1805 and initially raised at Thurleston Grange near ElvastonElvaston, Derbyshire
Elvaston is a small village and civil parish in Derbyshire, England. The parish also includes two other hamlets, Ambaston and Thulston, and a recently built housing estate Boulton Moor...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
and from 1814 at Osmaston Hall
Osmaston Hall
Osmaston Hall was built in 1696 in extensive grounds of what is now Osmaston, a part of Derby. The house was the home of the Wilmot Baronets, and the Fox family before being used for a golf club and railway business. The house was demolished in 1938.-History:...
, Osmaston
Osmaston, Derby
Osmaston is a suburb of the city of Derby, England. It is situated about 4 km south of the city centre, it is written in the Domesday Book as Osmundestune. In 1307 the manor of Osmaston was granted to Robert Holland. It was the location of Osmaston Hall the residence of the Wilmots Baronets...
about 2.5 miles (4 km) south of Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
. Fox was the son of Samuel Fox (1765-1851) and his second wife, Ann Darwin (1777-1859). Ann was the daughter of William Alvey Darwin (1726-1783) and Jane Brown (1746-1835), and niece of Erasmus Darwin
Erasmus Darwin
Erasmus Darwin was an English physician who turned down George III's invitation to be a physician to the King. One of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment, he was also a natural philosopher, physiologist, slave trade abolitionist,inventor and poet...
(1731-1802). He attended Repton School
Repton School
Repton School, founded in 1557, is a co-educational English independent school for both day and boarding pupils, in the British public school tradition, located in the village of Repton, in Derbyshire, in the Midlands area of England...
.
Fox attended Repton School
Repton School
Repton School, founded in 1557, is a co-educational English independent school for both day and boarding pupils, in the British public school tradition, located in the village of Repton, in Derbyshire, in the Midlands area of England...
from 1816 to 1823, when the headmaster was William Boultbee Sleath
William Boultbee Sleath
William Boultbee Sleath was an English teacher and clergyman who was headmaster of Repton School from 1800 to 1830.Sleath was born in Broughton, Leicestershire around 1763, and attended Rugby School...
.
Like his second cousin Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
, Fox prepared for the church at Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
. He was also a naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
and entomologist, particularly collecting beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
s. At Cambridge, Fox and Darwin became friends, and Fox tutored his younger cousin on natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
. Darwin noted in his autobiography
The Autobiography of Charles Darwin
The Autobiography of Charles Darwin is the autobiography of the British naturalist Charles Darwin which was published in 1887, five years after his death....
:
I was introduced to entomology by my second cousin W. Darwin Fox, a clever and most pleasant man, who was then at Christ's CollegeChrist's College, CambridgeChrist's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
, and with whom I became extremely intimate.
It was also Fox who introduced Darwin to John Stevens Henslow
John Stevens Henslow
John Stevens Henslow was an English clergyman, botanist and geologist. He is best remembered as friend and mentor to his pupil Charles Darwin.- Early life :...
who held a weekly open house which undergraduates and some older members of the University, who were attached to science attended in the evenings.
Darwin spent three weeks with Fox at Osmaston Hall
Osmaston Hall
Osmaston Hall was built in 1696 in extensive grounds of what is now Osmaston, a part of Derby. The house was the home of the Wilmot Baronets, and the Fox family before being used for a golf club and railway business. The house was demolished in 1938.-History:...
in the summer of 1829. The Hall and its associated 4,000 acre (16 km²) estate was owned by the Wilmot-Horten family and leased to the Fox family from 1814 to 1887 and sold subsequently in 1888 to the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
. In 1938 the Hall was demolished and the area is now industrial, more noted for the manufacture of Rolls Royce
Rolls-Royce plc
Rolls-Royce Group plc is a global power systems company headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second-largest maker of aircraft engines , and also has major businesses in the marine propulsion and energy sectors. Through its defence-related activities...
turbo-fan engines.
Throughout his life, Fox remained in regular contact with Charles Darwin, and many of the letters exchanged contained comments relating to Darwin's work as well as family matters (Larkum, 2009).
Country vicar
Fox graduated from Cambridge in the winter of 1829 and took up a curacy at EpperstoneEpperstone
Epperstone is a village in Nottinghamshire located near both Lowdham and Calverton. The village has a population of around 500.- History :Epperstone is located in the valley of the Dover Beck, south-west of Southwell. It has an area of , of which are wooded...
, near Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
. He was forced to take sick leave in 1833 and convalesced at Sandown
Sandown
Sandown is a seaside resort town and civil parish on the southeast coast of the Isle of Wight, England, neighbouring the town of Shanklin to the south. Sandown Bay is the name of the bay off the English Channel which both towns share, and it is notable for its long stretch of easily accessible...
on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
. It was here that he met his first wife Harriet Fletcher and they were married in 1834. Fox returned to Epperstone for a short time but finally gained the living at Delamere where he remained the incumbent until 1873
A notice in the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
for Friday 6 April 1838 states:
"The Queen has been pleased to present the Rev. William Darwin Fox, M.A. to the rectory of DelamereDelamere, Cheshirethumb|right|200px|Map of civil parish of Delamere within the former borough of Vale RoyalDelamere is a civil parish and village in Cheshire. It is situated approximately 7 miles to the west of Northwich, within the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester.The village is well-known for the...
in the diocese and county of Chester, ..."
Fox was very active in the local community At Delamere, especially the local school where he taught. The school is still referred to as Fox's school. He retired through ill health in 1873.
Man of letters
The letters that Charles Darwin sent of Fox were recognised as an important primary source of information on the life of Charles Darwin by his son Francis Darwin, and by many biographers since. Some are published in "Life and Letters of Charles Darwin" (Edited by F. Darwin, 1887). Most of these letters are at Christ's College, Cambridge. Some of the letters of Fox to CD are extant. Darwin used much information given by Fox in his books.Fox also kept a diary from the age of 18 to 1878. Only one year is missing: for 1828, when he resided at Christ's College, Cambridge with Charles Darwin. A microfiche copy of the diaries are in the University Library, Cambridge. Fox never fully accepted Darwin's explanation of evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
.
Fox in his own non-scientific but reasoned way contributed to the understanding of the geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
of the Solent
Solent
The Solent is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.The Solent is a major shipping route for passengers, freight and military vessels. It is an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting, hosting the Cowes Week sailing event annually...
and how the Isle of Wight became separated from the mainland when he gave a very informative opinion on this matter in a reply to a correspondent to the Geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
(Fox 1862).
When Fox retired as Rector of Delamere in 1873, he returned to the Isle of Wight to live at "Broadlands", Sandown, until his death in 1880 and is buried on the Isle of Wight.
Marriages and children
Fox married twice and had 17 children. His first wife was Harriet Fletcher, (1799–1842), daughter of Sir Richard Fletcher and Elizabeth Mudge, whom he married in 1834 and they issued - stillborn girl, 1834, Eliza Ann (Sanders),1836 - 1874; Harriet Emma (Overton), 1837 - ; Agnes Jane, 1839 - 1906; Julia Mary Anne (Woods), 1840 - ; Samuel William Darwin, 1841 - .His second wife was Ellen Sophia (1820–1887), daughter of Basil George Woodd and Mary Mitton of Hillfield, Hampstead and they were married in 1846. They issued - Charles Woodd, 1847 - 1908; Frances Maria (Pearce) 1848 - 1921, Robert Gerard, 1849 - 1909; Louisa Mary, 1851 - 1853; Ellen Elizabeth (Baron Dickinson Webster
Baron Dickinson Webster
Baron Dickinson Webster , son of Joseph Webster of Penns Hall, Sutton Coldfield , England, was a Justice of the Peace, a freemason, a member of the Aston Union and of the Turnpike Trust and was Warden of the town in 1844 and in 1855-1858 .A man of some prominence, he was much involved in the...
- 1st cousins once removed), 1852 - ; Theodora, 1853 - 1878; Gertrude Mary (Bosanquet), 1854 - 1900; Frederick William, 1855 - 1931; Edith Darwin, 1857 - ; Erasmus Pullien, 1859 - 1939; Reginald Henry, 1860 - 1933; Gilbert Basil, 1865 - 1941.
Following the birth of the Fox's 10th child, Charles Darwin made a tongue-in-cheek reference to the size of the Fox family and the trouble boys created compared with girls; in a letter to Fox in 1852.
Confusion with William Fox the palaeontologist
There is considerable confusion between Fox and his less celebrated contemporary the synonymic Rev. William FoxWilliam Fox (palaeontologist)
William D. Fox was an English clergyman and palaeontologist who worked on the Isle of Wight and made some significant discoveries of dinosaur fossils....
(1813-1881) who was also an amateur scientist and lived and worked on the Isle of Wight at the same time. William Darwin Fox is sometimes ascribed the credit for early dinosaur discoveries. However William Darwin Fox was noted for his geological work, and entomology, but is not recorded as having any particular interest in dinosaurs.