John Brodie-Innes
Encyclopedia
The Reverend John Brodie-Innes ( December 26, 1815 – October 19, 1894 ) was a close friend and correspondent of Charles Darwin
.
John Brodie-Innes of Milton Brodie was born in 1815, the son of Colonel John Innes ( 1763-1836 ) of Ipstone ( or Ibstone ) House and Mary Leslie ( died 1857 ) of Burdsbank. Ipstone House is located in the parish of Ipstone ( Ibstone ), which lies mostly in the county of Oxfordshire but also partly in the county of Buckinghamshire, England. The boundary line of these two counties passes straight through the parlor of Ipstone House. John Brodie-Innes married Eliza Mary Laidlaw ( July 31, 1817 - March 6, 1909 ) in 1847.
As John Innes he became Curate
of Farnborough
in Kent
in 1842, and made the acquaintance of Darwin who moved to Down House
in the nearby village of Downe
in the same year. Innes became Vicar of Downe in 1846. Darwin became involved with local charitable organisations including the Coal and Clothing Fund, a savings club to which he made honorary contributions and which he later ran from 1848 to 1869, taking over from Innes.
Darwin also co-founded a Friendly Club with Innes, to which local people subscribed for assurance of assistance in times of financial need, and served as its treasurer for over 30 years, even hosting the Friendly Club’s annual meeting on the lawn of Down House
, the Darwin family
's home.
In a letter written to Darwin in December 1878, Innes explains how he described Darwin to bishops at a Church Congress in Dundee
:
Innes continued to correspond with Darwin after 1869 when Innes moved to take up an inherited estate at Milton Brodie, Forres
in Scotland, and changed his name to reflect his position as chief of the Brodies of the Milton branch of Clan Brodie
. The last letter between the two listed by the Darwin Correspondence Project is dated 1881.
Brodie-Innes was the Chaplain to the Bishop of Moray from 1861 to 1880 and again from 1886 to 1894.
His son was the barrister
and novelist John William Brodie-Innes
.
In the 2009 film Creation
Brodie-Innes was played by actor Jeremy Northam
.
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
.
John Brodie-Innes of Milton Brodie was born in 1815, the son of Colonel John Innes ( 1763-1836 ) of Ipstone ( or Ibstone ) House and Mary Leslie ( died 1857 ) of Burdsbank. Ipstone House is located in the parish of Ipstone ( Ibstone ), which lies mostly in the county of Oxfordshire but also partly in the county of Buckinghamshire, England. The boundary line of these two counties passes straight through the parlor of Ipstone House. John Brodie-Innes married Eliza Mary Laidlaw ( July 31, 1817 - March 6, 1909 ) in 1847.
As John Innes he became Curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
of Farnborough
Farnborough, London
Farnborough is a settlement in the London Borough of Bromley. It is a suburban development located 13.4 miles southeast of Charing Cross.-History:...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
in 1842, and made the acquaintance of Darwin who moved to Down House
Down House
Down House is the former home of the English naturalist Charles Darwin and his family. It was in this house and garden that Darwin worked on his theories of evolution by natural selection which he had conceived in London before moving to Downe....
in the nearby village of Downe
Downe
Downe is a village in the London Borough of Bromley in London, UK.Downe is south west of Orpington and south east of Charing Cross. Downe lies in a wooded valley, and much of the centre of the village is unchanged; the former village school now acts as the village hall.-Darwin:Charles Darwin...
in the same year. Innes became Vicar of Downe in 1846. Darwin became involved with local charitable organisations including the Coal and Clothing Fund, a savings club to which he made honorary contributions and which he later ran from 1848 to 1869, taking over from Innes.
Darwin also co-founded a Friendly Club with Innes, to which local people subscribed for assurance of assistance in times of financial need, and served as its treasurer for over 30 years, even hosting the Friendly Club’s annual meeting on the lawn of Down House
Down House
Down House is the former home of the English naturalist Charles Darwin and his family. It was in this house and garden that Darwin worked on his theories of evolution by natural selection which he had conceived in London before moving to Downe....
, the Darwin family
Darwin–Wedgwood family
The Darwin–Wedgwood family is actually two interrelated English families, descended from the prominent 18th century doctor, Erasmus Darwin, and Josiah Wedgwood, founder of the pottery firm, Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, the most notable member of which was Charles Darwin...
's home.
In a letter written to Darwin in December 1878, Innes explains how he described Darwin to bishops at a Church Congress in Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
:
"I have the pleasure of the intimate friendship of one of the very first Naturalists in Europe. He is a most accurate observer, and never states anything as a fact which he has not most thoroughly investigated. He is a man of the most perfect moral character, and his scrupulous regard for the strictest truth is above that of almost all men I know. I am quite persuaded that if on any morning he met with a fact which would clearly contradict one of his cherished theories he would not let the sun set before he made it known. I never saw a word in his writings which was an attack on Religion. He follows his own course as a Naturalist and leaves Moses to take care of himself."
Innes continued to correspond with Darwin after 1869 when Innes moved to take up an inherited estate at Milton Brodie, Forres
Forres
Forres , is a town and former royal burgh situated in the north of Scotland on the Moray coast, approximately 30 miles east of Inverness. Forres has been a winner of the Scotland in Bloom award on several occasions...
in Scotland, and changed his name to reflect his position as chief of the Brodies of the Milton branch of Clan Brodie
Clan Brodie
Clan Brodie is a Scottish clan whose origins are uncertain. The first known Brodie chiefs were the Thanes of Brodie and Dyke in Morayshire. The Brodies were present in several clan conflicts, and during the civil war were ardent covenanters...
. The last letter between the two listed by the Darwin Correspondence Project is dated 1881.
Brodie-Innes was the Chaplain to the Bishop of Moray from 1861 to 1880 and again from 1886 to 1894.
His son was the barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and novelist John William Brodie-Innes
John William Brodie-Innes
John William Brodie-Innes was a leading member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn's Amen-Ra Temple in Edinburgh....
.
In the 2009 film Creation
Creation (2009 film)
Creation is a 2009 British biographical drama film. Produced by Jeremy Thomas, the film was directed by Jon Amiel, and stars Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly as Charles and Emma Darwin...
Brodie-Innes was played by actor Jeremy Northam
Jeremy Northam
Jeremy Philip Northam is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Ivor Novello in the 2001 film Gosford Park, as Dean Martin in the 2002 television movie Martin and Lewis, and as Thomas More on the Showtime series The Tudors...
.
External links
- Innes' Recollections of Darwin
- Darwin at St Mary's Church, Downe
- Letters between Innes and Darwin on the Darwin Correspondence Project website
- Darwin correspondnce with Innes on The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online
- 'Darwin and the Clergyman' Article by Samantha Evans in Seed Magazine February 12 2009