Darwin–Wedgwood family facts for kids

The Darwin–Wedgwood family is made up of two important families that became connected long ago. These families are known for famous people from the 1700s. One was Erasmus Darwin, a doctor and thinker about nature. The other was Josiah Wedgwood, a famous potter who started the Wedgwood pottery company.

The Darwin and Wedgwood families were friends for a long time. Members of the families often married each other. A famous example is Charles Darwin, who married Emma Wedgwood. Charles Darwin was a grandson of both Erasmus Darwin and Josiah Wedgwood.

Many family members were also part of the Royal Society, a group for top scientists. There were also artists and poets, like the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. This article will tell you more about some of these famous family members.

Darwin–Wedgwood–Galton family tree
Darwin–Wedgwood–Galton family tree – use a cursor to investigate

Founders of the Family Connection

Josiah Wedgwood: The Pottery Pioneer

Josiah Wedgwood (1730–1795) was a famous pottery maker. He was also a good friend of Erasmus Darwin. In 1780, after his business partner died, Josiah asked Darwin for help with his company.

Because of this close friendship, Josiah's daughter later married Erasmus's son, Robert. Their son, Charles Darwin, also married a Wedgwood, Emma Wedgwood. She was Josiah's granddaughter.

Robert inherited money from Josiah. This money helped Charles Darwin follow his dream of studying natural history. This led to Darwin's famous ideas about evolution. Emma's inheritance later made the Darwins a very rich family.

Josiah Wedgwood married Sarah Wedgwood (1734–1815). They had seven children, including:

• Susannah Wedgwood (1765–1817) (who later married into the Darwin family)
• Josiah Wedgwood (1769–1843)
• Thomas Wedgwood (1771–1805)

Erasmus Darwin: Doctor, Botanist, and Poet

Erasmus Darwin (1731–1802) was a doctor, botanist (plant scientist), and poet. He lived in Lichfield. His long poems about plants shared ideas about medicine and natural history. They also described a theory of evolution that was similar to what his grandson Charles would later propose.

Erasmus married twice. His first wife was Mary Howard (1740–1770). She died at age 30. They had several children, including:

• Charles Darwin (1758–1778) (not the famous Charles Darwin)
• Robert Waring Darwin (1766–1848)

Later, Erasmus married Elizabeth Collier Sacheveral-Pole. They had seven more children, including:

• Frances Anne Violetta Darwin (1783–1874), who was the mother of Francis Galton.

Samuel "John" Galton: Arms Maker

Samuel "John" Galton FRS (1753–1832) made weapons in Birmingham. He married Lucy Barclay (1757–1817). They had eight children, including:

• Samuel Tertius Galton (1783–1844), whose son Francis Galton also became famous.

The Next Generation of Darwins and Wedgwoods

Robert Darwin: A Doctor's Legacy

Robert Darwin (1766–1848) was the son of Erasmus Darwin. He was a well-known doctor in Shrewsbury. His earnings and his wife's inherited money helped him pay for his son Charles Darwin's trip on the Voyage of the Beagle. This money also gave Charles the freedom to study natural history. This work led to his ideas about evolution.

Robert married Susannah Wedgwood, who was the daughter of Josiah Wedgwood. They had several children, including:

• Caroline Sarah Darwin (1800–1888), who married Josiah Wedgwood III.
• Charles Robert Darwin (1809–1882), the famous naturalist.

Josiah Wedgwood II: Continuing the Family Business

Josiah Wedgwood (1769–1843) was the son of the first Josiah Wedgwood. He lived in Dorset and was a Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent. He married Elizabeth Allen (1764–1846). They had nine children, including:

• Josiah Wedgwood (1795–1880), who married Caroline Darwin. They were the grandparents of composer Ralph Vaughan Williams.
• Hensleigh Wedgwood (1803–1891), who studied words and their history.
• Emma Wedgwood (1808–1896), who married Charles Darwin.

Thomas Wedgwood: Photography Pioneer

Thomas Wedgwood (1771–1805) was a son of Josiah Wedgwood. He was one of the first people to work on developing photography. He was also a friend and supporter of the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Samuel Tertius Galton: Family Connections

Samuel Tertius Galton married Frances Anne Violetta Darwin (1783–1874). She was the daughter of Erasmus Darwin. They had seven children, including:

• Francis Galton (1822–1911), who was an inventor and scientist. He married Louisa Jane Butler in 1853, but they had no children.

Sir Francis Sacheverel Darwin: A Brave Doctor

Sir Francis Sacheverel Darwin was a son of Erasmus Darwin. He was a good travel writer and explorer. He bravely studied the effects of the plague in Smyrna, even though it was very risky. He was the only one of his friends who went to the East to return home. He was a doctor to King George III and was knighted by King George IV.

He married Jane Harriet Ryle in 1815. They had many children, including:

• Edward Levett Darwin (1821–1901), who was a lawyer and wrote a guide for gamekeepers.

The Famous Charles Darwin and His Family

Charles Darwin: Evolution's Discoverer

The most famous member of the family was Charles Darwin (1809–1882). He was the first to explain the idea of evolution through natural and sexual selection.

Charles was the son of Robert Waring Darwin and Susannah Wedgwood. He married Emma Wedgwood (1808–1896). Emma was the daughter of Josiah Wedgwood II. This meant Charles and Emma were first cousins. Charles's sister Caroline also married Emma's brother, Josiah Wedgwood III.

Charles and Emma had ten children. Three of them died when they were young.

• William Erasmus Darwin (1839–1914) was a banker. He had no children.
• Anne Elizabeth Darwin (1841–1851) died at age ten, which made her father very sad.
• Henrietta Emma "Etty" Darwin (1843–1927) helped her father with his work. She had no children.
• George Howard Darwin (1845–1912)
• Francis Darwin (1848–1925)
• Leonard Darwin (1850–1943)
• Horace Darwin (1851–1928)
• Charles Waring Darwin (1856–1858) died from scarlet fever. His death meant Charles Darwin could not attend the first public sharing of his evolution theory.

William Darwin Fox: Charles Darwin's Friend

The Rev. William Darwin Fox (1805–1880) was a second cousin and lifelong friend of Charles Darwin. He was interested in insects, nature, and old fossils. He had 17 children from two marriages. He worked as a vicar and rector in different towns.

Notable Descendants in Later Generations

George Howard Darwin: Star Gazer and Mathematician

George Howard Darwin (1845–1912) was an astronomer and mathematician. He married Martha (Maud) du Puy. They had five children:

• Charles Galton Darwin
• Gwendoline "Gwen" Darwin, an artist.
• Margaret Elizabeth Darwin (who married Sir Geoffrey Keynes).

Francis Darwin: Botanist and Author

Francis Darwin (1848–1925) was a botanist and the son of Charles and Emma Darwin. He had a son, Bernard Darwin, who wrote about golf. Francis also had a daughter, Frances Crofts, who became the poet Frances Cornford. He is buried in Cambridge.

Leonard Darwin: Soldier and Thinker

Leonard Darwin (1850–1943) was an army officer and a Member of Parliament. He was interested in eugenics, a field that studied how to improve the human race.

Horace Darwin: Engineer and Innovator

Horace Darwin (1851–1928) and Ida Darwin (1854–1946) had three children, including Nora Darwin. Horace is buried in Cambridge.

Charles Galton Darwin: A Physicist's Journey

Charles Galton Darwin (1887–1962) was the son of George Howard Darwin. He was a famous physicist and led the National Physics Laboratory. His son, George Pember Darwin, married Angela Huxley, who was the great-granddaughter of Thomas Henry Huxley.

Gwen Raverat: Artist and Storyteller

Gwen Raverat (1885–1957) was an artist and the daughter of George Howard Darwin. She wrote a book about her childhood called Period Piece. It has her own drawings and fun stories about the Darwin–Wedgwood family.

Margaret Keynes (née Darwin): A Family Link

Margaret Keynes (1890–1974) was the daughter of George Howard Darwin. She married Geoffrey Keynes, whose brother was the famous economist John Maynard Keynes. They had several children, including Richard Keynes and Quentin Keynes.

Bernard Darwin: Golf Writer

Bernard Darwin (1876–1961) was famous for writing about golf. He had a son, Robert Vere Darwin, and two daughters, Ursula Mommens and Nicola Mary Elizabeth Darwin.

Frances Cornford (née Darwin): A Poet's Voice

Frances Cornford (1886–1960) was a poet and the daughter of Francis Darwin. She is buried in Cambridge with her father.

Ralph Vaughan Williams: A Great Composer

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958) was a famous British composer. His grandmother, Caroline Sarah Darwin, was Charles Darwin's older sister. His grandfather, Josiah Wedgwood III, was the older brother of Charles Darwin's wife, Emma.

Nora Barlow (née Darwin): Editor and Historian

Nora Darwin (1885–1989) was the daughter of Horace Darwin. She married Sir Alan Barlow. Nora also edited The Autobiography of Charles Darwin. They had six children, including Professor Horace Basil Barlow.

Josiah Wedgwood IV, 1st Baron Wedgwood: A Political Figure

Josiah Wedgwood (1872–1943) was a great-great-grandson of Josiah Wedgwood I. He was a Member of Parliament for both the Liberal and Labour parties. He also served in the military during the Second Boer War and First World War. He was given a special title, Baron, in 1942.

Sir Ralph Wedgwood, 1st Baronet: Railway Leader

Sir Ralph L. Wedgwood, 1st Baronet (1874–1956) was a railway executive. He was the son of Clement Wedgwood.

Horace Barlow: Brain Scientist

Horace Barlow (1921–2020) was a professor who studied how the brain sees things. He worked at universities in California and Cambridge.

John Cornford: Poet and Soldier

John Cornford (1915–1936) was a poet and fought in the Spanish Civil War, where he died. He was the son of Francis and Frances Cornford.

Christopher Cornford: Artist and Writer

Christopher Cornford (1917–1993) was an artist and writer. He was also a son of Francis and Frances Cornford.

Henry Galton Darwin: Lawyer and Diplomat

Henry Galton Darwin (1929–1992) was a lawyer and worked as a diplomat for his country. He was the son of Charles Galton Darwin.

Robin Darwin: Artist

Robert Vere "Robin" Darwin (1910–1974) was an artist. He was the son of Bernard Darwin.

Quentin Keynes: Explorer and Book Lover

Quentin Keynes (1921–2003) loved books and exploring. He was the son of Margaret Keynes (née Darwin).

Richard Keynes: Physiologist

Professor Richard Darwin Keynes FRS (1919–2010) was a British scientist who studied how living things work. He was the son of Margaret Keynes (née Darwin).

Ursula Mommens: Potter

Ursula Mommens (1908–2010) was a well-known potter. She was the daughter of Bernard Darwin.

Camilla Wedgwood: Anthropologist

Camilla Wedgwood (1901–1955) was an anthropologist, someone who studies human societies and cultures. She was the daughter of Josiah Wedgwood, 1st Baron Wedgwood.

Cicely Veronica (CV) Wedgwood: Historian

Cicely Veronica Wedgwood (1910–1997) was a historian. She was the daughter of Ralph Wedgwood.

Matthew Chapman: Screenwriter and Author

Matthew Chapman (born 1950) is a screenwriter and author. He is the grandson of Frances Cornford.

Adam Cornford: Poet and Essayist

Adam Cornford (born 1950) is a poet and writer. He is the son of Christopher Cornford.

Chris Darwin: Conservationist

Chris Darwin (born 1961) is a conservationist and adventurer. He is the son of George Erasmus Darwin.

Emma Darwin: Novelist

Emma Darwin (born 1964) is a novelist. She is the granddaughter of Charles Galton Darwin.

Sarah Darwin: Botanist

Sarah Darwin (born 1964) is a botanist. She is the daughter of George Erasmus Darwin.

Randal Keynes: Conservationist and Author

Randal Keynes (1948–2023) was a conservationist and author. He was the son of Richard Keynes.

Simon Keynes: Professor

Simon Keynes (born 1952) is a professor at Cambridge University. He is the son of Richard Keynes.

Ruth Padel: Poet

Ruth Padel (born 1946) is a poet. She is the granddaughter of Sir Alan and Lady (Nora) Barlow (née Darwin).

Lucy Rawlinson: Painter

Lucy Rawlinson (born 1948) is a painter. She is the granddaughter of Gwen Raverat (née Darwin).

Ralph Wedgwood: Philosopher

Ralph Wedgwood (born 1964) is a philosopher. He is the great-grandson of Ralph L. Wedgwood.

Anna Raverat: Author

Anna Raverat (born 1969) is an author. She is the daughter of Lucy Rawlinson.

Eddie Peake: Artist

Eddie Peake (born 1981) is a modern artist. He is the son of Phyllida Barlow.

Soumaya Keynes: Economist and Journalist

Soumaya Keynes (born 1989) is an economist and journalist. She is the daughter of Randal Keynes.

Skandar Keynes: Actor and Advisor

Skandar Keynes (born 1991) is a political advisor and used to be an actor. He played Edmund in The Chronicles of Narnia movies. He is the son of Randal Keynes.

Family Marriages

The Darwin and Wedgwood families often married each other. For example, Josiah Wedgwood married his third cousin, Sarah Wedgwood. Charles Darwin married his first cousin, Emma Wedgwood. Charles's sister, Caroline Darwin, married Emma's brother, Josiah Wedgwood III, who was also Caroline's first cousin.

Marrying cousins was not unusual in Britain in the 1800s. People debate why this happened. It might have been because travel was harder, or to keep wealth within the family. It also gave young women more security, as they stayed close to their families.

Family Symbols: Coat of Arms

These special symbols, called a Coat of Arms, were given to Reginald Darwin in 1890. They were for him and some of his father's and uncle's family members. Even though Charles Darwin had passed away, these symbols are linked to him. Darwin College, Cambridge uses a similar design.

Arms of Reginald Darwin

Notes The arms of Reginald Darwin (1818–1892) and his heirs consist of: Crest Upon a wreath of the colours, in front of a demi-griffin Vert, holding between the claws an escallop Or, three escallops fesswise Argent. Escutcheon Argent, on a bend Gules cottised Vert, between two mullets each within an annulet Gules, three escallops Or. Motto Cave et aude (Beware and dare)

A slightly different version of these symbols was used by the Darwin family before 1890. Erasmus Darwin used it with the motto E conchis omnia, which means "All things out of shells." This showed his belief that all life came from one simple form. Charles's father, Robert, also used this motto.

Arms of Erasmus Darwin

Crest A demi-griffin segreant, Vert, holding in his claws an escallop, Or. Escutcheon Argent, on a bend Gules cottised Vert, three escallop shells, Or. Motto E conchis omnia (All things out of shells)

More to Explore

• Keynes family
• Huxley family