author
Sir Francis Darwin
1848–1925
A thoughtful botanist and one of Charles Darwin’s sons, he helped shape how later generations understood both plant science and his father’s life and work. His writing brings together careful observation, scientific curiosity, and a warm, personal link to one of the best-known families in science.
3 Audiobooks
The Power of Movement in Plants
by Charles Darwin, Sir Francis Darwin
Rustic Sounds, and Other Studies in Literature and Natural History
by Sir Francis Darwin
Springtime and Other Essays
by Sir Francis Darwin
About the author
Born in 1848 at Down House in Kent, Francis Darwin grew up in the remarkable household of Charles and Emma Darwin. He studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, and later trained in medicine, but his career settled firmly in botany rather than medical practice.
He worked closely with his father for several years and collaborated with him on plant studies, especially work connected with movement and response in plants. Francis Darwin later became a respected botanist in his own right, known for research and teaching in plant physiology, and he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
He also played an important part in preserving Charles Darwin’s legacy for general readers. By editing works such as The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin and The Autobiography of Charles Darwin, he helped introduce his father’s ideas, personality, and family life to a wide audience. Knighted in 1913, he died in Cambridge in 1925.