Erasmus Darwin (12 December 1731 – 18 April 1802) is an English physician who turns down George III's invitation to be a physician to the King.

One of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment, he is also a natural philosopher, physiologist, slave trade abolitionist, inventor and poet.

His poems include much natural history, including a statement of evolution and the relatedness of all forms of life.

He is a member of the Darwin–Wedgwood family, which includes his grandsons Charles Darwin and Francis Galton.

Darwin is also a founding member of the Lunar Society of Birmingham, a discussion group of pioneering industrialists and natural philosophers.

Erasmus Darwin House, his home in Lichfield, is now a museum dedicated to Erasmus Darwin and his life's work.

A school in nearby Chasetown recently converted to Academy status and is now known as Erasmus Darwin Academy.