Biography George Darwin

sir george howard darwin, oil on canvas, mark gertler, 1912



george darwin ca 1908 daughter gwen raverat



lady george darwin, pastel, cecilia beaux, 1889

george darwin born @ down house, kent, second son , fifth child of charles darwin , emma darwin.

from age of 11 studied under charles pritchard @ clapham grammar school, , entered st john s college, cambridge, in 1863, though moved trinity college, tutor edward john routh. graduated second wrangler in 1868, when placed second smith s prize , appointed college fellowship. earned m.a. in 1871. admitted bar in 1872, returned science. elected fellow of royal society in june 1879 , won royal medal in 1884 , copley medal in 1911. delivered bakerian lecture in 1891 on subject of tidal prediction .

in 1883 darwin became plumian professor of astronomy , experimental philosophy @ university of cambridge. studied tidal forces involving sun, moon, , earth, , formulated fission theory of moon formation.

darwin fellow of royal astronomical society (ras) , won gold medal of ras in 1892. 1899–1901 served president of ras. ras founded prize lectureship in 1984 , named george darwin lectureship in darwin s honour.

he invited speaker in international congress of mathematicians 1908, rome on topic of mechanics, physical mathematics, astronomy. president of cambridge philosophical society, gave introductory address congress in 1912 on character of pure , applied mathematics.

george , maud darwin bought newnham grange, cambridge in 1885. darwins extensively remodelled house. since 1962 grange has been part of darwin college, cambridge.

he buried in trumpington extension cemetery in cambridge son leonard , daughter gwen (raverat), wife lady maud darwin cremated @ cambridge crematorium; brothers sir francis darwin , sir horace darwin , respective wives interred in parish of ascension burial ground.