Erasmus Darwin

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,[2] inventor, and poet.

This article is about Erasmus Darwin, who lived 1731–1802. For his descendants with the same name, see Erasmus Darwin (disambiguation).

Erasmus Darwin

FRS
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)
Breadsall, Derby, England
Resting placeAll Saints Church, Breadsall
Alma mater
Children14
Parents
RelativesSee Darwin–Wedgwood family

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.

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