Dukinfield Darbishire in 1911Plate from Breeding and the Mendelian Discovery, by A.D. Darbishire)Darbishire's name is listed on panel 3 of the Brookwood Memorial
Arthur Dukinfield DarbishireFRSE (14 February 1879 – 26 December 1915) was a short-lived but influential British zoologist and geneticist. He was the first person to lecture in Genetics in the UK. He caused a stir in the world of genetics in the early 20th century in the debate over theory, sometimes referred to as The Mendel Wars.[1]
From 1901 he conducted a series of experiments (working under Raphael Weldon) on the hybridisation of mice in the laboratory.[2]
He was author of the highly influential book Breeding and the Mendelian Discovery.
He was born in Kensington in London on 14 February 1879, the son of Florence Eckersley (1848–1917) and Dr Samuel Dukinfield Darbishire (1846–1892). Soon the family moved to Oxford, where his father was appointed Physician at the Radcliffe Infirmary. In 1881, the family are listed as living at 15 New Inn Hall Street with four servants. In 1888 his father took early retirement on health grounds and the family moved to Plas Mawr in Wales. However, the family returned to Oxford following his father’s premature death in 1892. Having suffered from rheumatic fever, as a child Arthur was considered unsuitable for boarding school and was taught locally at Magdalen College School before attending the University of Oxford.[3]
His career was cut short by the First World War. In 1914 he was lecturing in Genetics at the School of AgricultureinColumbia, Missouri. He was unable to accept either of the two offers of professorships while in the United States, and instead returned to Britain at the outbreak of war. At first he was declared unfit for active service due to his physical condition, and was given a posting at munitions production. Not enjoying his alternative posting, he persevered and was eventually accepted as a private into the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in July 1915. He became seriously ill during training at Gailes Training Camp near London.[5]
Darbishire's name on the University of Edinburgh War Memorial
Although Darbishire never married, he allegedly had a child by Mrs Winifred Carritt, wife of Prof Edgar Carritt of University College, London. Anthony Carritt was raised as the professor's son. Shortly after being told of his true father, Carritt joined the volunteers in the Spanish Civil War with his brother, Noel Carritt. Anthony Carritt was killed at the Battle of Brunete in 1937.[7]
