
How many people were on the Beagle when it set sail?
When HMS Beagle set sail on 27 December 1831, Captain Fitzroy stated that there were 74 people on board. On this page, you can discover the stories behind some of the passengers aboard the ship with whom Darwin spent five years away from home. When the Beagle left England in 1831 there were 74 men on board.
How many crew members died on the Beagle?
When the Beagle left England in 1831 there were 74 men on board. On her return almost 5 years later there were 12 less. Some crew members left and unfortunately 5 died during the voyage from illness or accident. During the time in Galapagos there were approximately 65 crew on board.
Who were the crew of the HMS Beagle?
HMS Beagle, Ship's company. 1832-1835. · Morgan - ? (Died May 1832) William Thayer, Master; George Biddlecombe, second master; Alexander B.Usborne, assistant surveyor; James Bennet, gunner; James Nutcher, boatswain's mate; John MacIntosh & John Mitchell; able seamen.
What happened to the passengers on the Beagle?
On this page, you can discover the stories behind some of the passengers aboard the ship with whom Darwin spent five years away from home. When the Beagle left England in 1831 there were 74 men on board. On her return almost 5 years later there were 12 less. Some crew members left and unfortunately 5 died during the voyage from illness or accident.
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Who were the crew of the HMS Beagle?
William Thayer, Master; George Biddlecombe, second master; Alexander B. Usborne, assistant surveyor; James Bennet, gunner; James Nutcher, boatswain's mate; John MacIntosh & John Mitchell; able seamen.
Who traveled aboard the HMS Beagle?
Charles DarwinIn 1831, Charles Darwin received an astounding invitation: to join the HMS Beagle as ship's naturalist for a trip around the world. For most of the next five years, the Beagle surveyed the coast of South America, leaving Darwin free to explore the continent and islands, including the Galápagos.
Who was the captain of the HMS Beagle ship?
Robert FitzRoy, Captain of HMS Beagle and second governor of New Zealand, has two contradictory reputations among modern academics.
Did HMS Beagle sink?
HMS Beagle was a Cherokee-class 10-gun brig-sloop of the Royal Navy, one of more than 100 ships of this class....HMS Beagle.HistoryUnited KingdomCommissioned1820Decommissioned1845, transferred to CoastguardFateSold and broken up 187014 more rows
Where is the HMS Beagle now?
In 1845, the ship was repurposed again into a customs service watch vessel, and after 25 years, it moored in the Paglesham mudflats in the town of Rochford, where the historic vessel was dismantled for scrap.
Why is the HMS Beagle famous?
Beagle was a Royal Navy ship, famed for taking English naturalist Charles Darwin on his first expedition around the world in 1831–36. Beagle was launched at Woolwich Dockyard, London, in 1820.
Was the HMS Beagle armed?
The Beagle was designed to carry eight 18-pounder carronades and two 6-pounder long guns. Her bulwarks were pierced with six gunports on each side and two at the stern. In normal times, the carronades were mounted down the sides, and the long guns were used as stern or bow “chasers.”
Why is it called HMS Beagle?
Eight vessels of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Beagle, after a dog breed. The most notable of these ships is the second HMS Beagle, 1820–1870, which transported Charles Darwin around the world in the voyage of Beagle.
What does HMS stand for?
Her Majesty's ShipHis Majesty's Ship / Full name
What did Darwin see on the Beagle?
How old and diverse was Earth's animal life? Darwin was also fortunate that the Beagle took him to the Galapagos Islands, where he observed various animals and birds that had evolved in an isolated environment. His observations led him to his famous theory of natural selection.
How long was the journey of HMS Beagle?
five yearsDarwin traveled the world for five years collecting samples then returned to England to analyze his samples. Charles Darwin set sail on the ship HMS Beagle on December 27, 1831, from Plymouth, England.
How long did it take the HMS Beagle to reach South America?
five yearsInstead, the voyage took nearly five years, from December 1831 to October 1836. The primary purpose of the trip, sponsored by the British government, was to survey the coastline and chart the harbors of South America, in order to make better maps and protect British interests in the Americas.
What did Charles Darwin do on the HMS Beagle?
In 1831, when Darwin was just 22 years old, he set sail on a scientific expedition on a ship called the HMS Beagle. He was the naturalist on the voyage. As a naturalist, it was his job to observe and collect specimens of plants, animals, rocks, and fossils wherever the expedition went ashore.
Where did Darwin travel?
Setting sail Originally planned for two years, the voyage stretched to five, and took Darwin not only to South America but to Tahiti, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, and many of the Atlantic and Pacific islands in between. Darwin often left the ship to travel hundreds of miles on horseback.
What route did the HMS Beagle take?
The Beagle sailed around the tip of South America and passed Tierra del Fuego – Spanish for "the land of fire." Darwin's journey would continue north from there to the coast of Chile and eventually to the Galapagos Islands off the western coast of Ecuador.
Who was the captain of Darwin's ship?
Robert FitzRoyRobert FitzRoy was captain of HMS Beagle when Darwin was aboard. From 1831 to 1836 the two men lived in the closest proximity, their relationship revealed by the letters they exchanged while Darwin left the ship to explore the countries visited during the Beagle's voyage round the world.
What class is the HMS Beagle?
HMS Beagle in the Straits of Magellan at Monte Sarmiento, reproduction of R. T. Pritchett 's frontispiece from the 1890 illustrated edition of The Voyage of the Beagle. HMS Beagle was a Cherokee -class 10-gun brig-sloop of the Royal Navy, ...
Who was the commander of the HMS Beagle?
FitzRoy was re-appointed as commander on 27 June 1831 and Beagle was commissioned on 4 July 1831 under his command, with Lieutenants John Clements Wickham and Bartholomew James Sulivan. Longitudinal section of HMS Beagle as of 1832.
What happened to Captain Stokes?
Faced with the more difficult part of the survey in the desolate waters of Tierra del Fuego, Captain Stokes fell into a deep depression. At Port Famine on the Strait of Magellan he locked himself in his cabin for 14 days, then after getting over-excited and talking of preparing for the next cruise, shot himself on 2 August 1828. Following four days of delirium Stokes recovered slightly, but then his condition deteriorated and he died on 12 August 1828. Captain Parker King then replaced Stokes with the First Lieutenant of Beagle, Lieutenant William George Skyring as commander, and both ships sailed to Montevideo. On 13 October King sailed Adventure to Rio de Janeiro for refitting and provisions. During this work Rear Admiral Sir Robert Otway, commander in chief of the South American station, arrived aboard HMS Ganges and announced his decision that Beagle was also to be brought to Montevideo for repairs, and that he intended to supersede Skyring. When Beagle arrived, Otway put the ship under the command of his aide, Flag Lieutenant Robert FitzRoy.
Why did the Beagle leave?
Beagle was originally scheduled to leave on 24 October 1831, but because of delays in her preparations the departure was delayed until December. Setting forth on what was to become a ground-breaking scientific expedition, she departed from Devonport on 10 December. Due to bad weather her first stop was just a few miles ahead, at Barn Pool, on the west side of Plymouth Sound. Beagle left anchorage from Barn Pool on 27 December, passing the nearby town of Plymouth. After completing extensive surveys in South America she returned via New Zealand, Sydney, Hobart Town (6 February 1836), to Falmouth, Cornwall, England, on 2 October 1836.
What was the name of the ship that was a brig sloop?
HMS Beagle was a Cherokee -class 10-gun brig-sloop of the Royal Navy, one of more than 100 ships of this class. The vessel, constructed at a cost of £7,803 (roughly equivalent to £628,000 in 2018), was launched on 11 May 1820 from the Woolwich Dockyard on the River Thames. Later reports say the ship took part in celebrations of the coronation of King George IV of the United Kingdom, passing through the old London Bridge, and was the first rigged man-of-war afloat upriver of the bridge. There was no immediate need for Beagle so she " lay in ordinary ", moored afloat but without masts or rigging. She was then adapted as a survey barque and took part in three survey expeditions.
What was the significance of the second voyage of the HMS Beagle?
He gained fame by publishing his diary journal, best known as The Voyage of the Beagle, and his findings played a pivotal role in the formation of his scientific theories on evolution and natural selection.
When was the first voyage of the Beagle?
First voyage (1826–1830) Captain Pringle Stokes was appointed captain of The Beagle on 7 September 1825, and the ship was allocated to the surveying section of the Hydrographic Office. On 27 September 1825 The Beagle docked at Woolwich to be repaired and fitted out for her new duties.
When did Stokes become Admiral?from darwinproject.ac.uk
Stokes spent several years in England on half pay, apparently doing ‘ little but shoot and hunt ’ until the 1860s, when he was appointed rear-admiral, and finally admiral in 1877.
What was Stokes' final voyage?from darwinproject.ac.uk
Stokes spent his final voyage surveying Australasian waters, succeeding to the ship’s command in 1841, and eventually returned to England in 1843. Shortly after, he unwittingly involved Darwin in an extremely awkward situation with the then governor of New Zealand, George Grey.
When did the HMS Beagle set off?
In 1837 HMS Beagle set off on a survey of Australia.
What was the second survey ship launched?
The Beagle was the 2nd survey ship launched, while H.M.S. Barracouta was the 1st and was the Beagle's sister ship. The Chanticleer, Fairy, Saracen and Scorpion were the other four survey ships.
What was the name of the ship Charles Darwin sailed on?
HMS Beagle was the ship in which the naturalist, Charles Darwin, sailed around the world between 1831 and 1836.
What was the first time the Beaufort Wind Scale was used for wind observations?
The Darwin voyage was the first time the Beaufort wind scale was used for wind observations. The crew also undertook various experiments and, despite some disappointments, they produced useful results. They were especially successful in the measurement of earthquakes during experiments in 1835.

Overview
Third voyage (1837–1843)
In the six months after returning from the second voyage, some light repairs were made and Beagle was commissioned to survey large parts of the coast of Australia under the command of Commander John Clements Wickham, who had been a lieutenant on the second voyage, with assistant surveyor Lieutenant John Lort Stokes who had been a midshipman on the first voyage of Beagle, th…
Design and construction
The Cherokee class of 10-gun brig-sloops was designed by Sir Henry Peake in 1807, and eventually over 100 were constructed. The working drawings for HMS Beagle and HMS Barracouta were issued to the Woolwich Dockyard on 16 February 1817, and amended in coloured ink on 16 July 1817 with modifications to increase the height of the bulwarks (the sides of the ship extended above the upper deck) by an amount varying from 6 inches (15 cm) at the stem to 4 inches (10 c…
First voyage (1826–1830)
Captain Pringle Stokes was appointed captain of Beagle on 7 September 1825, and the ship was allocated to the surveying section of the Hydrographic Office. On 27 September 1825 The Beagle docked at Woolwich to be repaired and fitted out for her new duties. Her guns were reduced from ten cannon to six and a mizzen mast was added to improve her handling, thereby changing her from a brig to a bark (or barque).
Second voyage (1831–1836)
FitzRoy had been given reason to hope that the South American Survey would be continued under his command, but when the Lords of the Admiralty appeared to abandon the plan, he made alternative arrangements to return the Fuegians. A kind uncle heard of this and contacted the Admiralty. Soon afterwards FitzRoy heard that he was to be appointed commander of HMS Chanticleer to go to Tier…
Final years
In 1845, Beagle was refitted as a static coastguard watch vessel like many similar watch ships stationed in rivers and harbours throughout the nation. She was transferred to HM Customs and Excise to control smuggling on the Essex coast in the navigable waterways beyond the north bank of the Thames Estuary. She was moored mid-river in the River Roach which forms part of an extensive maze of waterways and marshes known as The River Crouch and River Roach Tidal …
Possible resting place
Investigations started in 2000 by a team led by Dr Robert Prescott of the University of St Andrews found documents confirming that "W.V. 7" was Beagle, and noted a vessel matching her size shown midstream on the River Roach (in Paglesham Reach) on the 1847 hydrographic survey chart. A later chart showed a nearby indentation to the north bank of Paglesham Reach near the Eastend Wharf and near Waterside Farm. This could have been a dock for W.V. 7 – Beagle. Sit…
See also
• Museo Nao Victoria § HMS Beagle, a full-scale replica of the vessel completed in 2016
• Beagle 2 – Mars space probe, lost on 25 December 2003, named after HMS Beagle
• Ship's chronometer from HMS Beagle