Erasmus Darwin
Erasmus Darwin | |
|---|---|
Erasmus Darwin c. 1792–1793, oil painting by Joseph Wright of Derby, Derby Museum and Art Gallery | |
| Born | Erasmus Robert Darwin 12 December 1731 |
| Died | 18 April 1802 (aged 70) Breadsall, Derbyshire, England |
| Resting place | All Saints Church, Breadsall |
| Alma mater | |
| Children | 14 |
| Parents |
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| Relatives | See Darwin–Wedgwood family |
Erasmus Robert Darwin FRS (12 December 1731 – 18 April 1802) was an English physician. One of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment, he was also a natural philosopher, physiologist, slave-trade abolitionist, inventor, freemason, and poet.
His poems included much natural history, including a statement of evolution and the relatedness of all forms of life.
He was a member of the Darwin–Wedgwood family, which includes his grandsons Charles Darwin and Francis Galton. Darwin was a founding member of the Lunar Society of Birmingham, a discussion group of pioneering industrialists and natural philosophers.
He turned down an invitation from George III to become Physician to the King.