Person    | Male  Born 5/7/1805  Died 30/4/1865

Admiral Robert Fitzroy

Categories: Science

Hydrographer and meteorologist. Born Ampton Hall, Suffolk. He attended the Royal Naval College, Portsmouth and eventually took command of The Beagle, with Charles Darwin as a passenger. In his later career, he entered parliament, became governor of New Zealand and pioneered weather forecasting, indeed coined the term "forecast". The shipping forecast area Finisterre was renamed after him in 2002. In his later years he became increasingly deaf and despondent.  He died by suicide at his home, Lyndhurst, Westow Hill, Upper Norwood.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Admiral Robert Fitzroy

Commemorated ati

Admiral Robert Fitzroy - SE19

Admiral Robert Fitzroy, 1805 - 1865, explorer and pioneer of weather forecast...

Read More

Admiral Robert Fitzroy - SW7

Greater London Council Admiral Robert Fitzroy, 1805-1865, hydrographer and me...

Read More

Other Subjects

Sir Norman Lockyer

Sir Norman Lockyer

Astronomer and journal editor, born at Rugby. In 1865 Lockyer and his family moved to a house (no longer extant) near Swiss Cottage. Here, using a special spectroscope to examine the sun, he discov...

Person, Science

1 memorial
Sir Richard Arkwright

Sir Richard Arkwright

Industrialist and inventor. From Preston. Set up a factory with a newly designed method of cotton-spinning. He worked his employees, including children, very hard and became very rich.

Person, Industry, Science

1 memorial
Henry Cavendish

Henry Cavendish

Chemist. Born in Nice, France, to a British aristocratic family. Became a member of the Royal Society and discovered hydrogen. Following his father's death in 1783 he bought a house on Clapham Comm...

Person, Science, France

2 memorials
Sir Joseph Hooker

Sir Joseph Hooker

Botanist and explorer. Born Joseph Dalton Hooker, son of Sir William, at Halesworth, Suffolk. He travelled widely around the world, bringing back many species of plants to Britain. Became director ...

Person, Exploring, Gardens / Agriculture, Science

1 memorial
Sir Arthur Eddington

Sir Arthur Eddington

Astronomer. mathematician and physicist. Born Arthur Stanley Eddington in Kendal, Westmorland. He is famous for his work concerning the theory of relativity, and wrote a number of articles explaini...

Person, Science

2 memorials

Previously viewed

Poplar Town Hall - 1930s

Poplar Town Hall - 1930s

Built by Culpin & Son in 1937-8. Described by Ewart Culpin as 'the first town hall in this country to be erected in the modern style.' Opened by George Lansbury. The listing text is detailed, a...

Building, Politics & Administration

2 memorials