The Evolution of Inanimate Objects: The Life and Collected Works of Thomas Darwin. Harry Karlinsky

Wedgwood’s country home. Thankfully, at least from Emma’s perspective, Thomas had once attended a dancing class with his sisters Henrietta and Elizabeth. Just seven, and the only boy, Thomas had been forced to wear baggy velvet knickerbockers that ended above his knees. After class, Emma found him sobbing outside on the curb-stone. The unpleasant association remained with Thomas and it was a relieved Emma who wrote to Aunt Fanny that, “Thomas, having never taken to dancing, has resisted all overtures to join his cousins on the dance floor. Hurrah, hurrah!”

      Figure 5. Etruria Works

       on the Trent and Mersey Canal. Photo taken in 1898 by one of the employees. Accessed from the “Home of the North Staffordshire Potteries” website, maintained by Steven Birks. Copyright holder unknown.

      Charles was also worried that Thomas might be captivated by a first cousin, but not because Thomas was too young. Based on his readings and his botanical experiments, Charles had become aware that in-bred plants frequently perished or otherwise fared poorly when forced to compete with other plants. Fearing that the ill effects of inbreeding also applied to other species, and that his and Emma’s children were thereby at-risk, Charles lobbied to have the Census Act of 1871 address the prevalence of cousin marriages. After this effort proved unsuccessful, Charles then encouraged his son George to statistically examine whether concerns about cousin marriages were justified.¹²