Charles Darwin's wife's diaries published

 
Published: Monday 30 April 2007

Cambridge University has published the diaries of Emma Wedgewood Darwin, the wife of eminent evolutionist Charles Darwin. The diaries documenting Darwins' six decades of family life add to an online collection of Darwin's works, journals, field notes and images. Emma's notes add a different aspect of Darwin's life. "Across decades of the Darwins' lives, we find many unique details of their private domestic life in these diaries that are found nowhere else," John van Wyhe of Christ's College, Cambridge who put together the database, told Down To Earth. Wyhe has spent four years tracing Darwin's publications worldwide. "The idea is to make these important works as accessible as possible; some people can only get at Darwin that way," he said.

Emma and Charles were married in 1839. As an evolutionary biologist it is almost ironic that Darwin married Emma as she was his first cousin. They had 10 children. However, not all survived to adulthood.The diaries are available online at http//darwin-online.org.uk.

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