Letters from Charles Darwin sold for £25,000
Four handwritten and signed letters by the Shrewsbury born father of evolution sold for £25,000 at auction, far in excess of the expected amount.
The letters were entered into into auction by descendants of William Caster Tait, a fellow British naturalist who was corresponding with Darwin about the collection of samples.
They were expected to reach up to £6,000 at the Cheshire saleroom of Adam Partridge Auctioneers and Valuers.
After the sale was concluded at Macclesfield on Thursday, the company tweeted: "Top spot today went to the collection of four Charles Darwin letters, with a hammer of £25,200 this lot is really something to write home about!"
Aaron Dean, a senior valuer and auctioneer said: "It is a magical feeling holding a letter written by Charles Darwin, the father of evolution.
"One pictures Darwin sitting at a table writing the letter, or dictating to Emma, with goodness knows what other correspondents, books, notes, ideas and specimens surrounding him."
The letters, all from 1868, include one written and signed by Darwin and three written by his wife Emma but believed signed by Darwin. The recipient Tait was a naturalist and author himself and penned the book The Birds of Portugal, published by Witherby in 1924.
In the letters Darwin, who died in 1882, kindly asks for Tait to collect a specimen of Drossophyllum Lusitanicum (flycatching plant) from Portugal.
Also, he discusses tailless dogs, the horns of Merino sheep, mentions his paper on climbing plants and, in one letter, that he is not very well following a fall from his horse.
Although Mr Dean now works for Macclesfield-based Adam Partridge Auctioneers and Valuers, he's well aware of the significance of the sale to Shropshire as he hails from Trevanion & Dean auctioneers in Whitchurch.
They are part of a larger auction of fine art, boutique, silver, jewellery and watches on sale between November 16 and 20.
