IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 0103 GALTON/1-116
Held at: University College London
Title: Galton, personal and family papers
Date(s): 1612-1926
Level of description: sub-fonds
Extent: 19 boxes
Name of creator(s): Galton | Sir | Francis | 1822-1911 | Knight | eugenicist
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
Born in Birmingham, 16 February 1822; the naturalist Charles Robert Darwin was his first cousin; educated in Boulogne, Kenilworth and King Edward's School, Birmingham; trained in medicine, Birmingham General Hospital and King's College London until 1840; read mathematics and medicine, Trinity College Cambridge, 1840; awarded BA, 1844; gave medicine when father died, 1844; devoted his life to travel, and the study of the weather, physical and mental characters in man and animals, the influence of heredity on them, heredity in twins, fingerprints and personal identification; awarded the silver medal of the French Geographical Society, 1851; awarded the gold medal of the Royal Geographical Society, 1853; Fellow of the Royal Society, 1860; one of the founders of the review journal The Reader, 1864-1866; one of the founders, with Karl Pearson and Walter Frank Raphael Weldon, of Biometrika, a journal for the statistical study of biological problems, 1901; founded the Galton Laboratory of National Eugenics at University College London (later named the Galton Laboratory, Department of Human Genetics and Biometry); knighted, 1909; died, 1911.
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
Papers relating to the personal history of Sir Francis Galton and his family, consisting of family history and correspondence, 1612-1926 (Ref: 1-47), including papers relating to Charles Robert Darwin including photographs of Darwin, 1841-1880, and his copy of A history of England, 1821, papers of Erasmus Darwin, Galton's grandfather, papers of Samuel Tertius Galton, Galton's father, Galton family books, genealogies, and portraits; biographical papers, 1822-1915 (Ref: 48-91), including Galton's certificate of baptism, papers about Galton from his time at King Edward's School Birmingham and the General Hospital Birmingham, notebooks and sketches from Galton's holidays, Galton's own anthropometry, Galton's certificates, honours, awards and medals; Galton's travels, 1844-1893 (Ref: 92-103), including papers from his Eastern voyage (Egypt, Sudan, Syria), 1845-1846, and his African voyage: Damaraland expedition (Namibia), 1850-1852; correspondence between Galton, his parents and brothers and sisters, 1830-1905 (Ref: 104-111); acquired papers and books, [1843-1871] (Ref: 112-116), including Galton's first edition copy of The origin of species by Charles Darwin (John Murray, London, 1859), and a photograph of the mathematician and scientist Charles Babbage.
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English
System of arrangement:
The papers are arranged in alphabetical order of the names of members of the family.
Conditions governing access:
Open.
Conditions governing reproduction:
Normal copyright restrictions apply.
Physical characteristics:
Finding aids:
Published catalogue A list of the papers and correspondence of Sir Francis Galton (1822-1911) held in the Manuscripts Room, the Library, University College London compiled by M Merrington and J Golden (University College London, 1976); name and subject index.
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:
Accruals:
Archival history:
Immediate source of acquisition:
The papers were deposited in University College London by Sir Francis Galton's executors soon after his death in 1911. They were added to by gifts from his nephew, Edward Galton Wheler-Galton, and from other members of the family. Purchases were made from sale rooms and private owners by Karl Pearson and other members of the Galton Laboratory during the following thirty years.
ALLIED MATERIALS
Existence and location of originals:
Existence and location of copies:
Related material:
Publication note:
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Note:
Archivist's note: Compiled by Annabel Dodds as part of the RSLP AIM25 project.
Date(s) of descriptions: Sep 2000