Swavesey & District History Society – report of meeting January 2026
Thirty-five attended a talk on “The Young Charles Darwin in Cambridge” by Murray Jacobs from Linton. Darwin’s mother was part of the Wedgewood Pottery family and his father was a successful doctor. Charles attended Shrewsbury School as a boarder but hated it and was eventually removed as a failure. Aged 15 his father sent him to Edinburgh University, with his brother Erasmus, to study medicine but Darwin felt queasy at the sight of blood and he left Edinburgh without taking a degree. His father, anxious that he did not become idle, insisted that Darwin take up clerical studies in Cambridge. His name was listed in the admissions book at Christ’s College in October 1827 but after spending time being tutored on his forgotten Greek, he eventually entered Christ’s in January 1828. All the college rooms were full so Darwin took lodgings over the tobacconist’s in Sidney-street, now occupied by Boot’s. A blue plaque under the first-floor windows of Boot’s commemorates his stay there. Darwin was content at the thought of becoming a country clergyman since this would provide the freedom required to pursue his growing scientific interests. While at Christ’s Darwin became an avid beetle collector. He had a special six-drawer cabinet built to house his collection. He decorated his room with eighteenth-century engravings of master paintings and was a fan of Shakespeare. He enjoyed riding, visiting Kings College chapel and participating in the “Glutton Club”. He also spent much time shooting. Darwin became irreversibly devoted to science at Cambridge. His beetles were more than a hobby and his botany and entomology work under his mentor, Professor Henslow, prepared him for a life in science. Shortly afterwards he was taught the rudiments of geology by Professor Sedgwick. It was Henslow who passed on the suggestion to Darwin to accompany Captain Robert Fitzroy on board the voyage of HMS Beagle as naturalist and gentleman companion. He sat his BA exam in January 1831 and was astonished to be ranked 10th out of 178 candidates.
His father was strongly against him going on the Beagle voyage and progress was not easy since it seems he was the fourth choice of naturalist for the journey but on 27 December 1831 he finally set sail on The Beagle and his work thereafter revolutionised the life sciences. After a heart attack Charles Darwin died aged 73 in April 1882 and in due course was buried in Westminster Abbey.
Next meeting-
24 February. The Real Basil Brown: From Rickinghall to Sutton Hoo. Sarah Doig.
