Explorer. Born Devon. The first European, while on an expedition with Richard Burton to East Africa in 1858, to discover Lake Victoria. On a subsequent journey with James Grant in 1862, he confirmed its northern outlet as the source of the Nile. Burton queried whether Speke really had found the source of the Nile and the two fell out. Murchison arranged a debate between them. Two days before this debate Speke left a lunch where Burton was present, to go on a partridge shoot. Climbing over a wall he shot himself. Suicide was suspected but never proved. Since his death there have been suggestions that he was a repressed homosexual, although he is known to have fathered a child in Buganda, and even that he and Burton had had an intimate relationship.
Other Subjects
G. A. Macbean
Role on the lost expedition: Officer on SS Terror. See John Franklin.
John McDouall Stuart
Australian explorer. Born Scotland. Trained as a civil engineer and aged 23 emigrated to Australia where 1858 - 62 he made 6 expeditions into the interior searching out new pastures and surveying ...
David Livingstone
Explorer, missionary, writer and medic. Born at Blantyre, just south of Glasgow. Qualified as a doctor in order to go as a medical missionary to China. Got the source of the Nile wrong and failed t...
Person, Exploring, Religion, Seriously Famous, Africa, Scotland
Graham Gore
Role on the lost expedition: Officer on SS Erebus. See John Franklin.
Edward Little
Role on the lost expedition: Officer on SS Terror. See John Franklin.
Previously viewed
Lady Lesley Jowitt
Patron of the arts and Communist Party member. Born as Lesley Stewart McIntyre. Married William, the later Earl Jowitt, in 1913 thus becoming Viscountess Jowitt in 1940. See Boris Anrep for detail...
Sands Films Studio
A British film production company, founded by producer Richard Goodwin and director Christine Edzard in the early 1970's. The company is particularly noted for providing costumes for period dramas.
Henry Charles Fehr
Sculptor. Born Forest Hill into a family of Swiss origin. Died London. Other work in London: Passmore Edwards Library E3, Methodist Central Hall (with Henry Poole) and the 1893 Perseus Rescuing ...
Stéphane Mallarmé
SW3, Brompton Square, 6
London County Council Stéphane Mallarmé, 1842 - 1898, poet, stayed here in 1863.
Newby's ice store
SE5, Burgess Park
Newby's ice store stood on the north bank of the canal in the 1860s. Ice was used to keep food fresh for transport, and in shops. Importe...
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