Sir George Howard Darwin, 1845-1912
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Photograph of Netherhall, Largs (MS Kelvin App. 1/2) |
Despite being the grandson of Erasmus Darwin - his maternal grandfather
was Josiah Wedgwood - and the son of Charles Darwin the naturalist,
George Darwin first read for the Bar, and he was indeed called in 1874. Ill
health, however, made him give up any thought of a legal career, and he
entered the scientific life himself in a paper read to the Royal Society
in 1876: On the influence of geological changes on the earth’s axis of
rotation.
Thomson was asked by the Royal Society to report on the suitability
of this paper for publication: the ensuing correspondence and
conversation resulted in a friendship that ended only with Thomson’s
death. Their friendship was animated by Darwin’s devotion to the
problems of the past history of the earth and the solar system, on the
basis of which he became Plumian professor of astronomy at Cambridge
in 1883.
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Netherhall, Largs (MS Kelvin App.1/3) |
Darwin's studies on the earth-moon system and on the rigidity of the
earth led him to conclude that the two bodies originally formed a
single mass; but although the solar system was his principal interest
he worked also on dynamical meteorology, geodesy and on tidal theory; in 1897 he
published The Tides, an important work characterized by the Dictionary
of National Biography as
"a
masterpiece of semi-popular scientific exposition." According to his own
estimate, he did all this on an average of three hours work a day!
Together with his wife, Darwin became a frequent visitor of the Thomsons, both
at their new house of Netherhall at Largs and also on their yacht, the
Lalla Rookh.
Over 130 letters from Thomson and his wife were presented to the
University in 1963 by Lady Darwin.
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To read the selection of letters in full, click on the
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8 December 1881, from Lady Thomson (MS Kelvin D33)"... The men are in the house wiring it all over in preparation for
electric light..."
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28 December 1881, from Thomson [written on the leaves of a ‘green
book’] (MS Kelvin D35)"... There is a very interesting application to geology in the question
is there any evidence of elevation in equatorial and subsidence in polar
regions in very long geological periods (something like 1 foot per 100,000
years!)…"
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25 July 1882, from Thomson (MS Kelvin D63)
"... I am sorry to say [the yacht is grounded so] our cruising... is
over for the season and we cannot ask you to come and settle the earth's
rigidity on board the Lalla Rookh (it having been temporarily settled the
other way so far as she is concerned)… "
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12 October 1882 (MS Kelvin D69)"... It is probable that there is a [sic] apparent augmentation of the
tides of long period in some such ratio as 6 to 7... [Thomson writes
underneath:] No. This cannot be true generally..."
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20 November 1884, from Thomson (MS Kelvin D86)"... I am afraid it [i.e. taking the Cavendish chair at Cambridge]
cannot be... I began taking root here in 1831 and have been becoming more and more
firmly moored ever since... To me it could not be otherwise than wholly a
diminution of effective work..."
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10 July 1897, from Thomson (MS Kelvin D119)"... I see you quoted... as having estimated ‘that probably only 57
million years have elapsed since the moon's mass was shed from the
revolving molten earth, long before the formation of its crust’. I should
be much obliged by a line to tell me where this is to be found..."
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16 May 1907 (MS Kelvin D135)"... I have read your article with a great deal of interest... It is
really delightful to me to know that you, whom I regard as my Master,
approve of my work. I can never receive any higher approbation…"
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