He was also a talented society physician, and between his good looks, his charm, and his experiences and conversation, he was much in demand.

On 4 December 1836 Holland attended a party hosted by Fanny and Hensleigh Wedgwood for their relatives, shortly after Charles Darwin returned from the Beagle voyage.

Darwin had sent home packets of his "journal", and he asked his relatives about captain FitzRoy's intent of incorporating it into the published Narrative.

Holland "looked over a few pages, and evidently thought that it would not be worth while to publish it alone, as it would be partly going over the same ground with the Captain."

Darwin thought the "little Dr talked much good sense",[3] but Emma Wedgwood did not think Holland "any judge as to what is amusing or interesting",[4] and Hensleigh felt if Holland "thought it would not do for publication it only affects my opinion of his taste & not the least in the world the merits of the thing itself".