Darwin - My Ancestor

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

20090127

20091207 (R4)

Writer and poet Ruth Padel investigates the qualities of her great great grandfather Charles Darwin and attempts to discover the man behind the science.

Ruth explores how Darwin developed the sense of wonder and curiosity about nature which would be so crucial to his work. She investigates how important his childhood collecting was to him and asks how his enthusiasm developed into a scientific understanding of the world around him. Among her interviewees are Darwin's biographer Janet Browne, geologist Richard Fortey, writer and fellow Darwin descendant Randal Keynes and Darwin scholar Gillian Beer.

Writer and poet Ruth Padel on how Darwin developed his sense of wonder and curiosity.

Writer and poet Ruth Padel investigates her great great grandfather Charles Darwin

A Boy's Collection

20090127

20250609 (BBC7)

Charles Darwin was a true Victorian explorer and one of the biggest names in science.

His great-great-granddaughter is Ruth Padel.

The writer and poet sets out on a deeply personal journey to investigate the qualities of her ancestor and the man behind the scientist.

Ruth explores how Darwin developed the sense of wonder and curiosity about nature which would be so crucial to his work.

She investigates how important his childhood collecting was to him and asks how his raw enthusiasm spilled over into scientific understanding of the world around him?

Among her interviewees are:

* Darwin's biographer, Janet Browne

* Geologist, Richard Fortey

* Writer and fellow Darwin descendant, Randal Keynes

* Darwin scholar, Gillian Beer

Producer: Emma Kingsley

Poet Ruth Padel finds out more about her ancestor Charles Darwin and his sense of wonder.

Writer and poet Ruth Padel investigates her great great grandfather Charles Darwin

What fed Charles Darwin's curiosity and wonder as a boy? Ruth Padel goes in search of her great-great-grandfather. From 2009.

[LISTEN NOW]

20090203

20091208 (R4)

Writer and poet Ruth Padel investigates the qualities of her great great grandfather Charles Darwin and attempts to discover the man behind the science.

Ruth explores how her ancestor established relationships as a husband and father and became a family man, able to blend playing with children and working on scientific experiments. She investigates how Darwin's curiosity about nature found expression in the study of his children and she also explores the unique relationship between Darwin and his wife Emma. Ruth also travels to Darwin's home, Down House in Kent, to follow his footsteps in the places that he loved to walk.

Among her interviewees are Darwin biographer Janet Browne, writer and fellow Darwin descendant Randal Keynes and Darwin experts from Down House.

Ruth Padel explores how Darwin established relationships as a husband and father.

Writer and poet Ruth Padel investigates her great great grandfather Charles Darwin

Studying The Children

20090203

20250610 (BBC7)

The writer and poet Ruth Padel is the great great granddaughter of Charles Darwin.

She takes a deeply personal journey to find out more about the man behind the famous scientist.

Ruth explores how her ancestor established relationships as a husband and father and became a family man, able to blend playing with children and working on scientific experiments. She investigates how Darwin's curiosity about nature found vent in the study of his children and she also explores the unique relationship between Darwin and his wife Emma.

She also travels to Down House, Darwin's home in Kent, to follow his footsteps in the places he loved to walk.

Among her interviewees are Darwin's biographer Janet Browne, the writer and fellow Darwin descendant Randal Keynes and experts from Down House.

Producer: Emma Kingsley

Ruth Padel explores Charles Darwin's life as a family man with a visit to Down House.

Writer and poet Ruth Padel investigates her great great grandfather Charles Darwin

Ruth Padel looks at Charles Darwin's marriage to Emma and family life in Kent, to discover more about her ancestor. From 2009.

[LISTEN NOW]

20090210

20091209 (R4)

Writer and poet Ruth Padel investigates the qualities of her great great grandfather Charles Darwin and attempts to discover the man behind the science.

Ruth explores the losses which Darwin experienced in his life, how he coped with them and in what ways they shaped his view of the world. He saw three of his children die, one of which affected him particularly deeply and caused him to lose much of his religious belief. He also had to cope with the death of his mother when he was a boy, the loss of his own health and almost losing his research for On the Origin of Species.

Among Ruth's interviewees are Darwin biographer Janet Browne, writer and fellow Darwin descendant Randal Keynes and the former Bishop of Oxford, Richard Harries.

Ruth explores the losses which Darwin experienced in his life and their effect on him.

Writer and poet Ruth Padel investigates her great great grandfather Charles Darwin

A Time Of Struggle

20090210

20250611 (BBC7)

The writer and poet Ruth Padel is the great great granddaughter of Charles Darwin. Here, she goes on a deeply personal journey to find out more about the scientist and the man.

Ruth examines the losses which Darwin experienced and investigates how he coped and in what ways they shaped his view of the world.

There were the deaths of three of his children, one of which affected him deeply and caused him to lose much of his religious belief. In addition, he had to cope with the death of his mother when he was a young boy - what effect did this have on him? Then, there was his deteriorating health and also the threat to his research underpinning the 'Origin of Species'- an event which however, he managed to circumvent just in time.

Among the interviewees are:

Darwin's biographer Janet Browne

Writer and fellow Darwin descendant Randal Keynes

Former Bishop of Oxford Richard Harries

Producer Emma Kingsley

Ruth Padel assesses the impact of loss on her great great grandfather - Charles Darwin.

Writer and poet Ruth Padel investigates her great great grandfather Charles Darwin

Darwin endured bereavements, illness and research woes. Descendant Ruth Padel finds out how this shaped his views. From 2009.

Charles Darwin was a true Victorian explorer and one of the biggest names in science.

His great-great-granddaughter is Ruth Padel.

The writer and poet is on a deeply personal journey to investigate the qualities of her ancestor and the man behind the scientist.

Among Ruth's interviewees are:

[LISTEN NOW]

20090217

20091211 (R4)

Writer and poet Ruth Padel investigates the qualities of her great great grandfather Charles Darwin and attempts to discover the man behind the science.

Ruth explores the way in which Darwin became a writer and was able to turn scientific theory into readable prose. She looks at the works he read in his early life that shaped his literary imagination and investigates how his writings on the Beagle voyage marked the beginning of his career as an author. Ruth also investigates the continuing power of his books and asks how later novelists were affected by his work.

Among her interviewees are Darwin scholar Gillian Beer, geologist Richard Fortey, writer and fellow Darwin descendant Randal Keynes and the former Bishop of Oxford, Richard Harries.

Ruth Padel explores the way in which Darwin learned to become a writer.

Writer and poet Ruth Padel investigates her great great grandfather Charles Darwin

The Author

20090217

20250612 (BBC7)

Ruth Padel goes in search of her great great grandfather Charles Darwin to uncover the man behind the science.

She explores the way in which Darwin became a writer and was able to turn scientific theory into readable prose. Ruth looks at the works he read in his early life which shaped his literary imagination and investigates how his writings on the 'Beagle' voyage marked the beginning of his career as an author.

Ruth also investigates the continuing power of his books and asks how novelists coming after him were affected by his work.

Among her interviewees are the Darwin scholar Gillian Beer, the geologist Richard Fortey, the writer and fellow Darwin descendant Randal Keynes and the former Bishop of Oxford Richard Harries.

Producer Emma Kingsley

Ruth Padel finds out how her great great grandfather made scientific theories readable.

Writer and poet Ruth Padel investigates her great great grandfather Charles Darwin

On her journey to discover more about her ancestor, the poet Ruth Padel finds out how the scientist became a writer. From 2009.

Charles Darwin was a true Victorian explorer and one of the biggest names in science.

His great-great-granddaughter is Ruth Padel.

The writer and poet is on a deeply personal journey to investigate the qualities of her ancestor and the man behind the scientist.

Among Ruth's interviewees are:

[LISTEN NOW]

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
01		20090127	20091207 (R4)	Writer and poet Ruth Padel investigates the qualities of her great great grandfather Charles Darwin and attempts to discover the man behind the science. Ruth explores how Darwin developed the sense of wonder and curiosity about nature which would be so crucial to his work. She investigates how important his childhood collecting was to him and asks how his enthusiasm developed into a scientific understanding of the world around him. Among her interviewees are Darwin's biographer Janet Browne, geologist Richard Fortey, writer and fellow Darwin descendant Randal Keynes and Darwin scholar Gillian Beer. Writer and poet Ruth Padel on how Darwin developed his sense of wonder and curiosity. Writer and poet Ruth Padel investigates her great great grandfather Charles Darwin
01	A Boy's Collection	20090127	20250609 (BBC7)	Charles Darwin was a true Victorian explorer and one of the biggest names in science. His great-great-granddaughter is Ruth Padel. The writer and poet sets out on a deeply personal journey to investigate the qualities of her ancestor and the man behind the scientist. Ruth explores how Darwin developed the sense of wonder and curiosity about nature which would be so crucial to his work. She investigates how important his childhood collecting was to him and asks how his raw enthusiasm spilled over into scientific understanding of the world around him? Among her interviewees are: * Darwin's biographer, Janet Browne * Geologist, Richard Fortey * Writer and fellow Darwin descendant, Randal Keynes * Darwin scholar, Gillian Beer Producer: Emma Kingsley Poet Ruth Padel finds out more about her ancestor Charles Darwin and his sense of wonder. Writer and poet Ruth Padel investigates her great great grandfather Charles Darwin What fed Charles Darwin's curiosity and wonder as a boy? Ruth Padel goes in search of her great-great-grandfather. From 2009. [LISTEN NOW]
02		20090203	20091208 (R4)	Writer and poet Ruth Padel investigates the qualities of her great great grandfather Charles Darwin and attempts to discover the man behind the science. Ruth explores how her ancestor established relationships as a husband and father and became a family man, able to blend playing with children and working on scientific experiments. She investigates how Darwin's curiosity about nature found expression in the study of his children and she also explores the unique relationship between Darwin and his wife Emma. Ruth also travels to Darwin's home, Down House in Kent, to follow his footsteps in the places that he loved to walk. Among her interviewees are Darwin biographer Janet Browne, writer and fellow Darwin descendant Randal Keynes and Darwin experts from Down House. Ruth Padel explores how Darwin established relationships as a husband and father. Writer and poet Ruth Padel investigates her great great grandfather Charles Darwin
02	Studying The Children	20090203	20250610 (BBC7)	The writer and poet Ruth Padel is the great great granddaughter of Charles Darwin. She takes a deeply personal journey to find out more about the man behind the famous scientist. Ruth explores how her ancestor established relationships as a husband and father and became a family man, able to blend playing with children and working on scientific experiments. She investigates how Darwin's curiosity about nature found vent in the study of his children and she also explores the unique relationship between Darwin and his wife Emma. She also travels to Down House, Darwin's home in Kent, to follow his footsteps in the places he loved to walk. Among her interviewees are Darwin's biographer Janet Browne, the writer and fellow Darwin descendant Randal Keynes and experts from Down House. Producer: Emma Kingsley Ruth Padel explores Charles Darwin's life as a family man with a visit to Down House. Writer and poet Ruth Padel investigates her great great grandfather Charles Darwin Ruth Padel looks at Charles Darwin's marriage to Emma and family life in Kent, to discover more about her ancestor. From 2009. [LISTEN NOW]
03		20090210	20091209 (R4)	Writer and poet Ruth Padel investigates the qualities of her great great grandfather Charles Darwin and attempts to discover the man behind the science. Ruth explores the losses which Darwin experienced in his life, how he coped with them and in what ways they shaped his view of the world. He saw three of his children die, one of which affected him particularly deeply and caused him to lose much of his religious belief. He also had to cope with the death of his mother when he was a boy, the loss of his own health and almost losing his research for On the Origin of Species. Among Ruth's interviewees are Darwin biographer Janet Browne, writer and fellow Darwin descendant Randal Keynes and the former Bishop of Oxford, Richard Harries. Ruth explores the losses which Darwin experienced in his life and their effect on him. Writer and poet Ruth Padel investigates her great great grandfather Charles Darwin
03	A Time Of Struggle	20090210	20250611 (BBC7)	The writer and poet Ruth Padel is the great great granddaughter of Charles Darwin. Here, she goes on a deeply personal journey to find out more about the scientist and the man. Ruth examines the losses which Darwin experienced and investigates how he coped and in what ways they shaped his view of the world. There were the deaths of three of his children, one of which affected him deeply and caused him to lose much of his religious belief. In addition, he had to cope with the death of his mother when he was a young boy - what effect did this have on him? Then, there was his deteriorating health and also the threat to his research underpinning the 'Origin of Species'- an event which however, he managed to circumvent just in time. Among the interviewees are: Darwin's biographer Janet Browne Writer and fellow Darwin descendant Randal Keynes Former Bishop of Oxford Richard Harries Producer Emma Kingsley Ruth Padel assesses the impact of loss on her great great grandfather - Charles Darwin. Writer and poet Ruth Padel investigates her great great grandfather Charles Darwin Darwin endured bereavements, illness and research woes. Descendant Ruth Padel finds out how this shaped his views. From 2009. Charles Darwin was a true Victorian explorer and one of the biggest names in science. His great-great-granddaughter is Ruth Padel. The writer and poet is on a deeply personal journey to investigate the qualities of her ancestor and the man behind the scientist. Among Ruth's interviewees are: [LISTEN NOW]
04		20090217	20091211 (R4)	Writer and poet Ruth Padel investigates the qualities of her great great grandfather Charles Darwin and attempts to discover the man behind the science. Ruth explores the way in which Darwin became a writer and was able to turn scientific theory into readable prose. She looks at the works he read in his early life that shaped his literary imagination and investigates how his writings on the Beagle voyage marked the beginning of his career as an author. Ruth also investigates the continuing power of his books and asks how later novelists were affected by his work. Among her interviewees are Darwin scholar Gillian Beer, geologist Richard Fortey, writer and fellow Darwin descendant Randal Keynes and the former Bishop of Oxford, Richard Harries. Ruth Padel explores the way in which Darwin learned to become a writer. Writer and poet Ruth Padel investigates her great great grandfather Charles Darwin
04	The Author	20090217	20250612 (BBC7)	Ruth Padel goes in search of her great great grandfather Charles Darwin to uncover the man behind the science. She explores the way in which Darwin became a writer and was able to turn scientific theory into readable prose. Ruth looks at the works he read in his early life which shaped his literary imagination and investigates how his writings on the 'Beagle' voyage marked the beginning of his career as an author. Ruth also investigates the continuing power of his books and asks how novelists coming after him were affected by his work. Among her interviewees are the Darwin scholar Gillian Beer, the geologist Richard Fortey, the writer and fellow Darwin descendant Randal Keynes and the former Bishop of Oxford Richard Harries. Producer Emma Kingsley Ruth Padel finds out how her great great grandfather made scientific theories readable. Writer and poet Ruth Padel investigates her great great grandfather Charles Darwin On her journey to discover more about her ancestor, the poet Ruth Padel finds out how the scientist became a writer. From 2009. Charles Darwin was a true Victorian explorer and one of the biggest names in science. His great-great-granddaughter is Ruth Padel. The writer and poet is on a deeply personal journey to investigate the qualities of her ancestor and the man behind the scientist. Among Ruth's interviewees are: [LISTEN NOW]