ament " ▁long , ▁long ▁ago . ▁He ▁further ▁proposed ▁evolution ▁by ▁acquired ▁characteristics , ▁anticip ating ▁the ▁theory ▁later ▁developed ▁by ▁Jean - B apt iste ▁L amar ck . ▁ ▁Although ▁Charles ▁was ▁born ▁after ▁his ▁grand father ▁Er as mus ▁died , ▁his ▁father ▁Robert ▁found ▁the ▁texts ▁an ▁in valu able ▁medical ▁guide ▁and ▁Charles ▁read ▁them ▁as ▁a ▁student . ▁Doctor ▁Robert ▁also ▁followed ▁Er as mus ▁in ▁being ▁a ▁fre eth ink er , ▁but ▁as ▁a ▁wealth y ▁society ▁phys ician ▁was ▁more ▁dis cre et ▁and ▁attended ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁England ▁patron ised ▁by ▁his ▁clients . ▁ ▁Child hood ▁ ▁Charles ▁Robert ▁Dar win ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Sh rew s bury , ▁Sh ro pshire , ▁England ▁on ▁ 1 2 ▁February ▁ 1 8 0 9 ▁at ▁his ▁family ▁home , ▁the ▁Mount , ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁fifth ▁of ▁six ▁children ▁of ▁wealth y ▁society ▁doctor ▁and ▁financi er ▁Robert ▁Dar win , ▁and ▁Sus ann ah ▁Dar win ▁( née ▁Wed g wood ). ▁Both ▁families ▁were ▁largely ▁Un itar ian , ▁though ▁the ▁Wed g wood s ▁were ▁adopt ing ▁Ang lic an ism . ▁Robert ▁Dar win , ▁himself ▁quietly ▁a ▁fre eth ink er , ▁had ▁baby ▁Charles ▁ ▁bapt ized ▁on ▁ 1 5 ▁November ▁ 1 8 0 9 ▁in ▁the ▁Ang lic an ▁St ▁Ch ad ' s ▁Church , ▁Sh rew s bury , ▁but ▁Charles ▁and ▁his ▁sib lings ▁attended ▁the ▁Un itar ian