Darwin–Wedgwood family tree
Charles Darwin married his first cousin, Emma Wedgwood. So did his sister Caroline, who married Emma's brother. Their grandfathers had been best friends, and one of those grandfathers had married a cousin too. Here are the Darwins and the Wedgwoods, two families who spent a century marrying each other.
Two friends from the Midlands
Erasmus Darwin was a doctor, a poet, an inventor and, decades before his grandson, a man with some interesting ideas about where living things came from. Josiah Wedgwood was a potter who turned a family workshop into a famous brand. Both belonged to the Lunar Society, a club of Birmingham thinkers who met on the night of the full moon so they had light to ride home by.
Josiah had already married his own distant cousin, Sarah Wedgwood. Their eldest daughter, Susannah, married Erasmus's son Robert Darwin, a doctor in Shrewsbury, in 1796. That first marriage joined the families. The Wedgwood money then paid for a good part of what the Darwins did next.
Charles and Emma
Robert and Susannah had six children. The fifth was Charles. His mother died when he was eight, and he spent many happy holidays at Maer Hall, the home of his uncle Josiah Wedgwood II. It was Uncle Jos who talked Charles's father into letting him sail on HMS Beagle in 1831.
Back in England, Charles famously sat down and wrote a list headed "Marry" and "Not Marry". "Marry" won. In 1839 he married Emma, Uncle Jos's youngest daughter. Charles's mother and Emma's father were brother and sister, which made Charles and Emma first cousins. Two years earlier, Charles's sister Caroline had married Emma's brother Josiah Wedgwood III, so they were first cousins too.
Ten children, and a worry
Charles and Emma had ten children. Three died young: Mary as a baby, Charles Waring as a toddler, and Annie at ten, a loss Charles never really got over. Charles knew better than anyone what inbreeding could do to plants and animals, and he worried that marrying his cousin had harmed his children's health. He even pushed for a question about cousin marriages on the 1871 census. It was turned down, so his son George studied the question himself a few years later.
The seven who grew up did well. George became a Cambridge astronomer, Francis a botanist who worked with his father, Horace an engineer who built scientific instruments, Leonard a soldier and economist, and William a banker. Henrietta edited her mother's letters.
Famous cousins further down
- Francis Galton, the scientist and explorer, was Charles's half-cousin. Erasmus Darwin was grandfather to both, through his second wife, Elizabeth Pole.
- Ralph Vaughan Williams, the composer, was the grandson of Caroline Darwin and Josiah Wedgwood III, which made him a great-nephew of both Charles and Emma.
- Gwen Raverat, George's daughter, became a wood engraver. Her book Period Piece is a very funny account of growing up among Darwin aunts and uncles in Cambridge.
- Frances Cornford, Francis's daughter, became a poet.
- Thomas Wedgwood, Emma's uncle, was experimenting with capturing images on light-sensitive paper around 1800, long before anyone had a word for photography.
Quick answers
Did Charles Darwin marry his cousin?
Yes. Emma Wedgwood was his first cousin. Her father, Josiah Wedgwood II, was the brother of Charles's mother, Susannah.
How was Charles Darwin related to Josiah Wedgwood?
Josiah Wedgwood the potter was Charles's grandfather on his mother's side, and Emma's grandfather too.
How many children did Charles Darwin have?
Ten, with Emma. Seven lived to grow up.
Is this the whole family?
No. Both families were big, so we've kept to the people who connect the two, the famous names, and Charles and Emma's children. Erasmus Darwin alone had more than a dozen children.
The story behind this tree
PeoplePlotr drew this tree from a few hundred words of plain English. Nobody dragged a box or drew a line. Here is the story, word for word. Open it in the editor to change it, add to it or use it as the start of your own.
Read the story
Family: The Darwins Erasmus Darwin married Mary Howard in 1757. They had a son called Robert Darwin. Erasmus was born in 1731 and died in 1802. Erasmus was a doctor, poet and inventor. Mary Howard was born in 1740 and died in 1770. Erasmus Darwin married Elizabeth Pole in 1781. They had a daughter called Violetta Darwin. Elizabeth Pole was born in 1747 and died in 1832. Violetta was born in 1783 and died in 1874. Violetta Darwin married Samuel Galton in 1807. They had a son called Francis Galton. Samuel Galton was born in 1783 and died in 1844. Francis Galton was born in 1822 and died in 1911. Francis Galton was a scientist and explorer. Robert was born in 1766 and died in 1848. Robert was a doctor in Shrewsbury. About the Darwin family: Doctors and scientists from the Midlands, with a famous habit of asking awkward questions. Family: The Wedgwoods Josiah Wedgwood married Sarah Wedgwood in 1764. They had four children, Susannah Wedgwood, John Wedgwood, Josiah Wedgwood II and Thomas Wedgwood. Josiah was born in 1730 and died in 1795. Josiah was a potter. Sarah was born in 1734 and died in 1815. Susannah was born in 1765 and died in 1817. John was born in 1766 and died in 1844. Josiah Wedgwood II was born in 1769 and died in 1843. Thomas was born in 1771 and died in 1805. Thomas Wedgwood was a pioneer of photography. Josiah Wedgwood II married Elizabeth Allen in 1792. They had three children, Josiah Wedgwood III, Hensleigh Wedgwood and Emma Wedgwood. Elizabeth Allen was born in 1764 and died in 1846. Josiah Wedgwood III was born in 1795 and died in 1880. Hensleigh is a man. Hensleigh was born in 1803 and died in 1891. Emma was born in 1808 and died in 1896. About the Wedgwood family: Staffordshire potters who grew rich on fine china and spent it on good causes. Family: The Darwins Robert Darwin married Susannah Wedgwood in 1796. They had six children, Marianne Darwin, Caroline Darwin, Susan Darwin, Erasmus Alvey Darwin, Charles Darwin and Catherine Darwin. Marianne Darwin was born in 1798 and died in 1858. Caroline Darwin was born in 1800 and died in 1888. Susan Darwin was born in 1803 and died in 1866. Erasmus Alvey Darwin was born in 1804 and died in 1881. Charles Darwin was born in 1809 and died in 1882. Catherine Darwin was born in 1810 and died in 1866. Caroline Darwin married Josiah Wedgwood III in 1837. They had a daughter called Margaret Wedgwood. Margaret Wedgwood was born in 1843 and died in 1937. Margaret Wedgwood married Arthur Vaughan Williams in 1868. They had a son called Ralph Vaughan Williams. Arthur Vaughan Williams was born in 1834 and died in 1875. Ralph Vaughan Williams was born in 1872 and died in 1958. Ralph Vaughan Williams was a composer. Charles Darwin married Emma Wedgwood in 1839. Charles Darwin was a naturalist. Charles Darwin and Emma Wedgwood had ten children, William Darwin, Anne Darwin, Mary Darwin, Henrietta Darwin, George Darwin, Elizabeth Darwin, Francis Darwin, Leonard Darwin, Horace Darwin and Charles Waring Darwin. William Darwin was born in 1839 and died in 1914. Anne Darwin was born in 1841 and died in 1851. Mary Darwin was born in 1842 and died in 1842. Henrietta Darwin was born in 1843 and died in 1927. George Darwin was born in 1845 and died in 1912. Elizabeth Darwin was born in 1847 and died in 1926. Francis Darwin was born in 1848 and died in 1925. Leonard Darwin was born in 1850 and died in 1943. Horace Darwin was born in 1851 and died in 1928. Charles Waring Darwin was born in 1856 and died in 1858. George Darwin married Maud in 1884. Maud is a woman. They had a daughter called Gwen Darwin. Gwen Darwin is also known as Gwen Raverat. Maud was born in 1861 and died in 1947. Gwen Darwin was born in 1885 and died in 1957. Gwen Darwin was an artist. Francis Darwin married Ellen Crofts in 1883. They had a daughter called Frances Darwin. Frances Darwin is also known as Frances Cornford. Ellen Crofts was born in 1856 and died in 1903. Frances Darwin was born in 1886 and died in 1960. Frances Darwin was a poet.
