John Edmonstone and His Influence on Darwin
Many people have heard of Charles Darwin, the naturalist, geologist and biologist, but have you heard of John Edmonstone, who played an integral role in Darwin’s work on natural selection?
Darwin learnt techniques of taxidermy from John Edmonstone, who was teaching at the University in Edinburgh, and the two lived quite close together on Lothian Street.
According to a letter from Darwin to his sister about the course the Edmonstone taught, “it has the recommendation of cheapness, if it has nothing else, as he only charges one guinea, for an hour every day for two months.”
John Edmonstone learnt taxidermy while enslaved in a plantation near Demerara in Guyana (then British Guiana), in South America. British naturalist Charles Waterton visited the plantation owner and enslaver, Charles Edmonstone (who was to become Waterton’s father-in-law), and John Edmonstone accompanied Waterton on his bird collecting trips. He was often tasked with stuffing the birds shortly after capture as, in the hot and humid climate, specimens could spoil quickly.
Edmonstone was freed after travelling to Scotland with the plantation owner around 1817, ten years after the Slave Trade Act 1807 which made the purchase or ownership of enslaved people illegal within the British Empire. Although we have little information about why John travelled to Scotland with Charles, it may have been influenced by the unrest in Demerara between those enslaved and the land owners, which led to a rebellion and the killing of many enslaved people.
Once freed in Scotland, Edmonstone first lived in Glasgow and was employed as a taxidermist at local museums before he moved to Edinburgh and started teaching taxidermy to students at the University.
During their conversations, Edmonstone painted a picture of life in Guyana to Darwin, including the rainforests and his experiences with the native wildlife.
It is thought that Edmonstone’s descriptions of South America may have inspired Darwin to venture on his journey south on HMS Beagle. They became close, and Darwin wrote of Edmonstone in his memoir that Edmonstone “was a very pleasant and intelligent man… I spent many hours in conversation at his side.”
The techniques learnt from Edmonstone were certainly employed by Darwin throughout his life, including his work with the Galapagos finches.
After this, information becomes sparse.
Edmonstone stayed in Edinburgh, moving to South St David’s street in the 1830s. According to the museum register for the Scottish Industrial & Natural History Museum (later the Royal Scottish Museum), they acquired the 15ft of boa constrictor skin presented by Mr Edmonstone, which seems likely to be John.
In the museum’s weekly report there are two further records relating to Edmonstone. The first in 1823, “Purchased from John Edmonstone - 2 swallows, 1 water ouzel & 1 chaffinch for British Colln” and in 1825, “Paid to John Edmonstone £3–5–0 for fishes purchased some time ago (not in reg).”
If anyone has any more information about what happened to John Edmonstone or knows any more about specimens he sold to Museums, we would love to hear more.
