Maud Darwin

Martha Haskins "Maud", Lady Darwin (née du Puy; July 27, 1861- 6 February 1947) was an American socialite. She was the wife of the English Cambridge University astronomer Sir George Darwin.

Lady George Darwin by Cecilia Beaux, pastel 1889. A line drawing of Beaux pastelling this pastel-painting is to be found in her daughter Gwen's book Period Piece.[1]

Biographical notes

She was born as Martha Haskins du Puy in 1861 in Pennsylvania, the daughter of Charles Meredith du Puy (1823- 1898), author of A Genealogical History of the DuPuy Family[2] and his wife Ellen Maria Reynolds, daughter of John Reynolds, an English born clergyman and his wife Eleanor Evans. Her aunt, Caroline Lane Reynolds travelled to England and married Richard Claverhouse Jebb. In turn, Maud visited her aunt in Cambridge.

She rejected twice the marriage proposals of Henry Martyn Taylor.[3] However, while travelling in Italy, she met up with George Darwin, son of the naturalist Charles Darwin, who had commenced his travels independently although he was a member of her social circle, and they became engaged there.

She married Darwin, in 1884 in Erie, Pennsylvania in an article lavishly described by The New York Times.[4] The Jebbs were able to join them.

In 1885 they bought Newnham Grange in Cambridge. They had five children:

She became Lady Darwin on her husband's knighthood in 1905; she was widowed in 1912. She died at Newnham Grange in 1947 and was given an obituary in The Times,[5] which noted her campaigning for women police officers. She was cremated at Cambridge Crematorium on February 10, 1947; her husband is buried in Trumpington Extension Cemetery in Cambridge with their daughter Gwen (Raverat); also baby son Leonard Darwin.

Her daughter Gwen's childhood memoir Period Piece[1] contains Maud as a central maternal character, illustrated several times. It also describes her role as the wife of an Oxbridge don. Many of her letters were included in her aunt's biography.[3] Her other daughter Lady Margaret Keynes, also wrote a book containing many references to Maud, this being principally a book about her home, Newnham Grange and its inhabitants.[6] A chapter in Frances Spalding's biography of Gwen Raverat also contains her life story.[7]

References
  1. Raverat, Gwen (1952). Period Piece: A Cambridge Childhood (1st ed.). Faber & Faber.
  2. "Full text of "A genealogical history of the Dupuy family"". Retrieved 2013-09-04.
  3. Jebb, Caroline (1960-01-01). Bobbitt, Mary Reed (ed.). With Dearest Love To All: The Life and Letters of Lady Jebb (1st ed.). Henry Regnery.
  4. "PROF. DARWIN'S MARRIAGE IN ERIE. - Article - NYTimes.com". New York Times. 2012-06-10. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
  5. The Times, Friday, Feb 07, 1947; pg. 7; Issue 50679; col D
  6. Keynes, Margaret (December 1976). House by the River: Newnham Grange to Darwin College. Cambridge: Imprint unknown. ISBN 9780950519807.
  7. Frances, Spalding (2004). Gwen Raverat : friends, family, and affections. London: Pimlico. ISBN 1844134245. OCLC 53390996.
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