Frances Crofts Darwin Cornford (Frances Cornford)

Frances Crofts Darwin Cornford

English Poet. Because of the similarity of her Christian name and her husband’s, she was known to her family before her marriage as “FCD” and after her marriage as “FCC” and her husband Francis Cornford was known as “FMC”. Her father Sir Francis Darwin, a son of Charles Darwin, yet another ‘Francis’, was known to their family as “Frank”, or as “Uncle Frank”. She was the daughter of the botanist Francis Darwin and Newnham College fellow Ellen Wordsworth Crofts (1856-1903), and born into the Darwin — Wedgwood family. She was a granddaughter of the British naturalist Charles Darwin. Her elder half-brother was the golf writer Bernard Darwin. She was raised in Cambridge, among a dense social network of aunts, uncles, and cousins, and was educated privately. Frances Cornford published several books of verse, including her debut (as “F.C.D”), The Holtbury Idyll (1908), Poems (1910), Spring Morning (1915), Autumn Midnight (1923), and Different Days (1928). Mountains and Molehills (1935) was illustrated with woodcuts by her cousin Gwen Raverat. She wrote poems including “The Guitarist Tunes Up.” She is possibly best remembered for her triolet poem “To a Fat Lady Seen from the Train” in Poems of 1910. (bio courtesy of: Wikipedia)  Family links:  Parents:  Francis Darwin (1848 – 1925)  Ellen Wordsworth Crofts Darwin (1856 – 1903)  Spouse:  Francis MacDonald Cornford (1874 – 1943)*  Children:  Helena Darwin Cornford Henderson (1913 – 1996)*  John Cornford (1915 – 1936)*  Christopher Francis Cornford (1917 – 1993)*  Hugh Wordsworth Cornford (1921 – 1997)*  Ruth Clare Cornford Chapman (1923 – 1992)*  Sibling:  Bernard Richard Meirion Darwin (1876 – 1961)**  Frances Crofts Darwin Cornford (1886 – 1960) *Calculated relationship**Half-siblingCause of death: Heart failure Inscription:” O sing unto the Lord  a new song sing unto  the Lord all the earth.”

Born

  • March, 29, 1886
  • England

Died

  • August, 08, 1960
  • England

Cause of Death

  • Heart failure 

Cemetery

  • Ascension Parish Burial Ground
  • Cambridgeshire
  • England

2081 profile views