Paper short abstract:

Charles Darwin married a first cousin but was concerned about the consequences of inbreeding. He and his cousin, Francis Galton, stimulated debates on consanguineal marriage. Yet while cousin marriage was a key strategy of the Victorian bourgeoisie, they ignored its sociological implications.

Paper long abstract:

Charles Darwin married a first cousin but came to believe in the evolutionary advantages of 'cross-fertilisation' and commissioned his son George Darwin to undertake a study of the incidence of cousin marriage in Britain. Darwin's cousin, Francis Galton, developed another theory of marriage and evolution, under the label of 'eugenics'. They participated in anthropological debates on marriage but far from reflecting only on exotic practices they were concerned with marriage policies for Britain. Yet while cousin marriage was a key strategy of the Victorian bourgeoisie, they ignored its sociological implications.