Many people have told the story of Charles Darwin, but the importance of his family and upbringing has often been passed over. For the first time much of the relevant material relating to Charles Darwin’s childhood has been brought together, supplemented with a brief look at his ancestry, information on "the Shropshire Enlightenment," and the story of Shrewsbury School and its illustrious headmaster, Samuel Butler. A portion of the book is devoted to Charles’ father, Dr. Robert Darwin, a larger-than-life character whose medical and financial success enabled Charles to spend his whole life on research unencumbered by financial worries. There are fresh insights into the development of Charles’ religious views, and into the origin of his mysterious illnesses. Both contemporary and modern pictures illustrate the story, which will be of interest to anyone wanting to discover how Shrewsbury shaped  the development of its most famous son.

Many people have told the story of Charles Darwin, but the importance of his family and upbringing has often been passed over. For the first time much of the relevant material relating to Charles Darwin’s childhood has been brought together, supplemented with a brief look at his ancestry, information on "the Shropshire Enlightenment," and the story of Shrewsbury School and its illustrious headmaster, Samuel Butler. A portion of the book is devoted to Charles’ father, Dr. Robert Darwin, a larger-than-life character whose medical and financial success enabled Charles to spend his whole life on research unencumbered by financial worries. There are fresh insights into the development of Charles’ religious views, and into the origin of his mysterious illnesses. Both contemporary and modern pictures illustrate the story, which will be of interest to anyone wanting to discover how Shrewsbury shaped  the development of its most famous son.