Volume Ten - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - Even more aspects - Darwinian Connections . . .

The Chairman remarked that this was the eighteenth half-yearly meeting of the company, and consequently it was now nine years since they had commenced the dock. The directors had laboured hard to bring it to its present state, and the shareholders would find, by the next half-yearly meeting, were in hopes of making a final report that the dock was opened. After it was opened, the directors would receive the dividend from the Taff Vale Company, and they would be able to give the old shareholders their dividend."

1866 - This uncertainty continued throughout the period that Charles Darwin made his investments and during May 1866 the closure of the large lending bank, Overand, Gurney & Company in the City of London, caused panic throughout the land and other financial centres. Many banks simply closed their doors and for a while suspended operations.

1867 - This financial uncertainty compounded the security of Mr Darwin's investment in that his Investment Book records that he received no dividend from the Penarth Company during 1867.

1869 - There appears to have been a return on investment in the sum of £213 - 1s - 1d. which is mentioned in a letter from son, William Erasmus Darwin to Charles during January 1869. I am unable to find further references to the financial return upon his investment in the Penarth Harbour, Dock and Railway Company after this date but will keep searching. [DCP-LETT-5514A] [756]

Charles Robert Darwin was born 12th January 1809 at Shrewsbury and died 19th April 1882 at his home in, Downe, Orpington, Kent. A quotation of his which strikes me as very pertinent is 'A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.' He lies at rest within Westminster Abbey in the north aisle of the nave. The funeral service was attended by Mrs Ann Hawkshaw, but, I am unsure if Sir John attended.

During October 1881, Sir John opened a new science laboratory in his name at his former school, the Leeds Grammar School, and then was engaged as engineer through to 1886 at the West of India Portuguese Guaranteed Railway project. This consisted of a harbour and railway from Mormugão, Goa (now India) through mountainous terrain to Londa Junction and the engineering aspects of the project were supervised by Sir John Hawkshaw, Son & Hayter. However, it is believed that Sir John began to take a back seat in the company c.1880 so, perhaps he did attend Westminster Abbey to pay his last respects to Charles Darwin.