Erasmus Alvey Darwin
Erasmus Alvey Darwin | |
|---|---|
Portrait of Erasmus Darwin by Julia Margaret Cameron in 1868. | |
| Born | Erasmus Alvey Darwin 29 December 1804 Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England |
| Died | 26 August 1881 (aged 76) |
| Other names | Eras or Ras |
| Education | Shrewsbury School |
| Known for | brother of Charles Darwin |
| Parent(s) | Robert Darwin Susannah Wedgwood |
| Relatives | See Darwin–Wedgwood family |
Erasmus Alvey Darwin (29 December 1804 – 26 August 1881), nicknamed Eras or Ras, was the older brother of Charles Darwin, born five years earlier. They were brought up at the family home, The Mount House, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. He was the only other son besides Charles, the fourth of six children of Susannah (née Wedgwood) and Robert Darwin, and the grandson of Erasmus Darwin and of Josiah Wedgwood, a family of the Unitarian church. He was a member of the semi-secretive Cambridge Apostles society, a debating club largely reserved for the brightest students.