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

(1731-12-12)12 December 1731
Elston Hall, Elston, Nottinghamshire
near Newark-on-Trent, England
Died18 April 1802(1802-04-18) (aged 70)
Resting placeAll Saints Church, Breadsall
Alma mater
Children14
Parents
RelativesSee Darwin–Wedgwood family

Erasmus Robert Darwin FRS[1] (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.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Hassler, 1961 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).