Bernard Richard Meirion Darwin, C.B. E (for services to literature and sport) was born on September 7, 1876 and died on October 18, 1961, age 85. He was the first grandchild of the famed naturalist Charles Darwin, and the only son of Francis Darwin and Amy Ruck Darwin who died shortly after Bernard’s birth. To his friends and admirers he was known as Bernardo. Eighty five years is a long life span especially for one born in the Victorian era. Incredible as it seems, his tiny heart started beating in the month young Tommy Morris died and continued beating into the dawn of Jack Nicklaus’s reign.
Bernardo was the first writer to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. He was also a top-of-the-tree Amateur golfer: Captain of the Cambridge golf team; founding member of The Oxford and Cambridge Golfing Society; member of at least 28 golf clubs and captain of several including The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. Darwin played, and won, his singles match over the United States Captain in the first Walker Cup Match. He also waged war (a true ‘Hyde’ when on the green) in 26 British Amateur Championships over five decades (his last at age 59) reaching the semi-finals twice.
Bernardo was many things to many people, some of whom couldn’t care less about golf. Contemporary eminent scholars considered Bernard Darwin to be the greatest living essayist in the English language. Although graduating from Cambridge with a Law degree, and ‘enduring too many years’ practicing as a barrister and a solicitor, he began to write in 1902 about his true love – golf. And he never stopped. His last article appeared in Golf Monthly (UK) the month he died. Most of his writings were for Country Life (UK) magazine and The Times newspaper concurrently from 1907 through 1961. But he had many other loves. Literature permeated whatever subject he was drawn to that day; witness his frequent quotes from Charles Dickens, Sir Walter Scott, Wilke Collins, Sir Arthur Conon Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, just to name a few masters. Although most of his articles, essays, and books were about golf a surprising, almost shocking, percentage were not: for example ‘Fourth Leader’ editorials in The Times, and ‘A Casual Commentary’ articles in Country Life were about subjects as diverse as cricket, elephants, public schools, children, war, foot racing, prize-fighters, railroads, gypsies, murders, zoos, circus art, etc.
He and wife Elinor (nie Monsell, from Ireland) raised their family in Downe Village, Kent, barely one mile from his childhood home, Down House. Their children inherited talent from their parents: drawing and engraving from Mama, writing and singing from Papa. Their oldest child was Ursula Francis Elinor Mommens (1908 – 2010) who became a well-known potter. Sir Robert Vere Darwin, ‘Robin’ (1910 – 1974) became an artist, educator, and Rector of the Royal College of Art. Nicola Mary Elizabeth Fenn (1916 – 1975) was a classical soprano. ‘Niccy’ was born shortly before Bernard left for Macedonia to serve as a Major in the King’s Army during ‘The Great War’.
In short, Bernard Darwin liked to admit that he was blessed to earn a living while doing the things he liked best. Bernardo and Eily rest in peace in St Mary the Virgin Churchyard in Downe.
Dick Verinder, Editor Dormy House Press Washington, Texas
London: Duckworth, ca. 1910. 254p, dec. cloth. Illustrated with plates (mostly in color) from paintings by Harry Rountree; printed tissue-guards, original green cloth decoratively stamped and lettered in gilt, top edge gilt, First Edition. Darwin's famous book covering the courses of Scotland, England and Ireland. The illustrations, from original water..... More
London: The Times, 1912. 141p. Cloth. Early Darwin title, essays culled from the Times.
Very good condition, no spine fade, gilt on front rear and spine all present and clan, no foxing, slight warping of front board.
Interestingly with TIMES book sticker attached. Part of the Percy Boomer golf library. More
London: Burke, 1954. 222p, cloth. Published for the Pleasures of Life Series.
Excellent dust jacket, rare for this flimsy jacket, usually very chipped and torn. D&J D5170.More
London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1928. 332p. Green cloth. Illustrated with several plates from photographs, including frontispiece portrait of the author. Spine lettered in gilt. First Edition, facsimile dust jacket.
Darwin's first autobiography two more would follow. D&J D5320.More
London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1928. 332p. Green cloth. Illustrated with several plates from photographs, including frontispiece portrait of the author. Spine lettered in gilt. First Edition, facsimile ltd ed No. 24 dust jacket.
Darwin's first autobiography two more would follow. D&J D5320.More
London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1928. 332p. Green cloth. Illustrated with several plates from photographs, including frontispiece portrait of the author. Spine lettered in gilt. First Edition, original Dust Jacket present
Darwin's first autobiography two more would follow. D&J D5320.More
London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1928. 332p. Green cloth. Illustrated with several plates from photographs, including frontispiece portrait of the author. Spine lettered in gilt. First Edition, original Dust Jacket present.
Darwin's first autobiography three more would follow. D&J D5320.More
London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1928. 332p. Green cloth. Illustrated with several plates from photographs, including frontispiece portrait of the author. Spine lettered in gilt. First Edition, original Dust Jacket present.
Darwin's first autobiography three more would follow. D&J D5320.More
NP: Konecky & Konecky, 2007. 254p. cloth. Dust jacket. Facsimile of the 1910 original. No further details are included in the book, purely a copy of the original. More
London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1952. 196p, cloth. Biography of Braid, a year after his passing. Darwin quickly put right the missing life story of the 3rd Triumvirate, Vardon, wrote his autobiography in 1933 and Taylor in 1943. This completes the set of the defining 3 golfers of the late 19th..... More
London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1952. 196p, cloth. Biography of Braid, a year after his passing. Darwin quickly put right the missing life story of the 3rd Triumvirate, Vardon, wrote his autobiography in 1933 and Taylor in 1943. This completes the set of the defining 3 golfers of the late 19th..... More
London: Chapman & Hall, 1932. 336 pp. Green cloth, blue flag pole vignette on front cover, spine lettered in blue, color illustrated dust jacket. First Edition. In the rare original dust jacket. Another superb collection of Darwin's columns and articles that had previously appeared elsewhere, one of Darwins harder Jackets..... More
London: Chapman & Hall, 1932. 336p. Green cloth, blue flag pole vignette on front cover, spine lettered in blue, Another superb collection of Darwin's columns and articles that had previously appeared elsewhere. D&J D6040; Good, slight cloth fade.More
London: Collins, 1941. 288p, cloth. 2nd impression. Classic Darwin essay's on a fide range of subject's truly the greatest author in the world of golfing literature. D&J D6070.More
England: Ben Johnson & Co. Ltd., ca 1924. 127p. Illustrated wrappers green, black text. first edition (and most scarce) in this lovely course description series, 2nd ca. 1927 and 3rd 1937. D&J 4120.More
England: Ben Johnson & Co. Ltd., ca 1924. 127p. Illustrated wrappers green, black text. first edition (and most scarce) in this lovely course description series, 2nd ca. 1927 and 3rd 1937. D&J 4120.More
England: Ben Johnson & Co. Ltd., ca 1927. 134p. Beige wrappers, red text. Second edition (scarce) in this lovely course description series, 1st ca. 1924 and 3rd 1937.
Great to compare Darwin's description to today's course, most have not changed a bit! D&J 4140.More
London: Chapman & Hall, 1936. 260p, dec. cloth. Fine Essays, last of a set publish from 1932 to 1936 Out of the Rough and Playing the like the other. Hard to find in a dust Jacket. D&J D6730.More
London: Chapman & Hall, 1936. 260p, dec. cloth. Fine Essays, last of a set publish from 1932 to 1936 Out of the Rough and Playing the like the other. Hard to find in a dust Jacket. D&J D6730.More
London: Chapman & Hall, 1936. 260p, cloth. Fine Essays,
Final instalment of a trio of classic essays, published between 1932 and 1936 Out of the Rough and Playing the Like being the others. D&J D6730.More
London: Newnes, 1930. 178p. Decorative cloth. Frontispiece portrait from a photograph of the author. Publisher's colour pictorial jacket, and plain to see the book has spent its life inside of the jacket. D&J D6820.More