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Authorised form of nameFitzRoy; Robert (1805 - 1865); hydrographer and meteorologist
Other forms of surnameFitz Roy
Dates1805 - 1865
NationalityBritish
Place of birthAmpton Hall, Suffolk, England
Date of birth05 July 1805
Place of deathUpper Norwood, London
Date of death30 April 1865
Research fieldHydrography
Meteorology
ActivityEducation:
Rottingdean; Harrow School (1817-1818); Royal Naval College, Portsmouth - winner of mathematical prize (1819)
Career:
Volunteer, later midshipman, 'Owen Glendower'; served on the 'Hind' and 'Cambrian' in the Mediterranean; served on the 'Seringapatam' on the English Channel; Lieutenants examination - first out of 27 candidates; served on the 'Thetis' as lieutenant, flag-lieutenant, 'Ganges'; commanded the 'Beagle' charting the coasts of southern South America under Captain Philip Parker King - spent 33 days in an open whaleboat during subantarctic winter; carried four Fuegians back to England, one of whom died, educated the remaining three at his own expense; sailed in the 'Beagle' to return Fuegians to their homeland and continue survey, accompanied by Charles Darwin (November 1831 - October 1836); published a narrative of the 'Beagle' voyages (1839); elected elder brother of Trinity House (July 1839); Gold medal, Royal Geographical Society (1836); MP for Tory seat in Co Durham (1841); Governor of New Zealand (1843-1845); Superintendent, Woolwich Dockyard (September 1848); retired from active service (February 1850), Rear Admiral (1857), Vice Admiral (1863); managing director, General Screw Steam Shipping Company; personal secretary to Lord Hardinge (his uncle); member of Athenaeum (1852); meteorological statist, Meteorological Department, Board of Trade (1854); committee of management, Royal National Lifeboat Institution (1859); co-ordinated first storm warning signals (February 1861), published in newspapers (August 1861); initiated use of term 'forecast'; published 'Weather Book' (1863); Board of Trade demanded that forecasts cease; committed suicide at his home, Lyndhurst, Westwood Hill, Upper Norwood, Surrey.
Memberships:
RGS
Membership categoryFellow
Date of election05/06/1851
RelationshipsSon of Lord Charles Fitzroy (1764-1829) and Lady Frances Anne Stewart (d 1810); married (1836) Maria Henrietta (d 5 April 1852), daughter of Major General Edward James O'Brien; married (1854) Maria Isabella Smyth
SourcesSources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB; DNZB; authority from Charter book signature and Obituary notice
Obituaries:
Proc Roy Soc 1866-1867 vol 15 pp xxi-xxiii
References:
Sir Gavin de Beer, ed, 'Some Unpublished Letters of Charles Darwin' in NR 1959 vol 14 pp 12-66
Gregory Estes, K Thalia Grant and Peter R Grant, 'Darwin in the Galapagos: his footsteps through the Archipelago' in NR 2000 vol 54 pp 343-368
D Carr Agnew, 'Robert Fitzroy and the myth of 'Marsden Square': Transatlantic rivalries in early marine meteorology' in NR 2004 vol 58 pp 21-46
F Kurzer, 'The life and work of Charles Tomlinson FRS: A Career in Victorian Science and Technology' in NR 2004 vol 58 pp 203-226
Virtual International Authority Filehttp://viaf.org/viaf/32057224
Royal Society codeNA6774
Archives associated with this Fellow
Reference numberTitleDate
MM/17/13Letter from Robert Fitzroy to the Secretary of the Royal Society5 March 1863
IM/001428Fitzroy, RobertMarch 2000
MS/426/662Copy letter from B C [Benjamin Collins] Brodie; President of the Royal Society; to Ed [Edward] Hammond Esq, Foreign Office26 February 1859
MM/14/74Memorandum on the Meteorological Office by Edward Sabine1865
IM/Maull/001427Fitzroy, Robertnd
IM/005750Fitzroy, Robert2000
IM/005752Fitzroy, Robert2000
IM/005749Fitzroy, Robert2000
IM/005751Fitzroy, Robert2000
IM/005620Fitzroy, Robert2001
IM/005743Fitzroy, Robert2000
CMB/42/15Meeting of the Kara Sea Bottle Committee17 November 1853
IM/005618Fitzroy, Robert2001
MS/743/1/30Letter from Robert Fitzroy, Board of Trade (and Admiralty) Meteorological Department, to John Hall Gladstone13 November 1858
MS/426/702Copy letter from W [William] Sharpey, Secretary of the Royal Society; to Admiral [Robert] FitzRoy8 November 1860
MS/426/681Copy letter from C R [Charles Richard] Weld, the Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society; to Admiral FitzRoy 21 December 1859
EC/1851/07Fitzroy, Robert: certificate of election to the Royal Society
MS/743/1/31Letter from Robert Fitzroy, 2 Parliament Square, to [John Hall] Gladstone19 November 1858
IM/005619Fitzroy, Robert2001
IM/005741Fitzroy, Robert2000
HS/7/249Draft letter, from Sir John Herschel to Robert FitzRoy, dated at Collingwood2 February 1841
MS/743/1/57Letter from Robert Fitzroy, Meteorological Office, to [John Hall] Gladstone10 March 1863
MS/426/593Copy letter from W [William] Sharpey, Secretary of the Royal Society; to Captain [Francis] McClintock R N6 June 1857
MC/6Volume 6 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society1859-1863
MC/6/366Letter from Rob [Robert] FitzRoy, Board of Trade, Meteorologic Office, 2 Parliament Street, London, to [Sir Edward Sabine], President of the Royal Society18 November 1863
MC/7/222Draft letter from [Sir Edward Sabine, President of the Royal Society], Burlington House, to multiple correspondentsJune 1865
MC/7Volume 7 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society1864-1866
AP/16/12Unpublished paper, 'Magnetic observations at the Royal Observatory Cape of Good Hope' by Robert FitzRoy1836
MS/257/2/156Letter from Robert FitzRoy to Edward Sabine5 May 1857
MS/257/2/157Letter from Robert FitzRoy to Edward Sabine25 June 1860
MS/257/2/158Letter from Robert FitzRoy, Meteorological Office to Edward Sabine26 September 1862
MS/257/4/61Letter from Edward Sabine, 13 Ashley Place to [Robert] FitzRoy5 October 1855
MS/257/4/56Letter from Edward Sabine to [Robert] FitzRoy26 August 1854
MS/257/4/58Letter from Edward Sabine, 13 Ashley Place to [Robert] FitzRoy4 October 1855
MS/257/4/66Letter from Edward Sabine, 13 Ashley Place to [Robert] FitzRoy28 November 1855
MS/257/4/68Letter from Edward Sabine, 13 Ashley Place to [Robert] FitzRoy27 April [1788-1883]
MS/257/4/57Letter from Edward Sabine, 13 Ashley Place to [Robert] FitzRoy7 September 1855
MS/257/4/59Letter from Edward Sabine, 13 Ashley Place to [Robert] FitzRoy5 October 1855
MS/257/4/60Letter from Edward Sabine, 13 Ashley Place to [Robert] FitzRoy5 October 1855
MS/257/4/62Letter from Edward Sabine, 13 Ashley Place to [Robert] FitzRoy8 October 1855
MS/257/4/64Letter from Edward Sabine, 13 Ashley Place to [Robert] FitzRoy9 November 1855
MS/257/4/67Letter from Edward Sabine, 13 Ashley Place to [Robert] FitzRoy19 December 1855
MS/257/4/63Letter from Edward Sabine, 13 Ashley Place to [Robert] FitzRoy11 October 1855
MS/257/4/65Letter from Edward Sabine to [Robert] FitzRoy4 December 1855
HS/7/256Letter, from Robert FitzRoy to Sir John Herschel, dated at Meteorological Dept., B.o.T.17 May 1861
HS/7/258aWeather report, from Robert FitzRoy to Sir John Herschel, dated at Meteorological Department, Parliament Street, London24 January 1862
HS/7/247Letter, from Robert FitzRoy to Sir John Herschel, dated at HMS Beagle, St. Helena8 July 1836
HS/7/266Letter, from Robert FitzRoy to Sir John Herschel, dated at Meteorological Office24 December 1863
HS/7/245Letter, from Robert FitzRoy to Margaret Brodie Herschel, dated at HMS Beagle, at sea29 June 1836
HS/7/265Letter, from Robert FitzRoy to Sir John Herschel20 March 1863
HS/7/264Letter, from Robert FitzRoy to Sir John Herschel, dated at Meteorological Office16 May 1863
HS/7/255Letter, from Robert FitzRoy to Sir John Herschel, dated at Meteorological Dept., B.o.T.14 May 1861
HS/7/263Letter, from Robert FitzRoy to Sir John Herschel, dated at Meteorological Dept., B.o.T.10 March 1863
HS/7/259Letter, from Robert FitzRoy to Sir John Herschel, dated at Meteorological Dept., B.o.T.21 April 1862
HS/7/250Letter, from Robert FitzRoy to Sir John Herschel, dated at 25 Lowndes St.20 February 1841
HS/7/251Letter, from Robert FitzRoy to Sir John Herschel, dated at Meteorological Dept., B.o.T.8 April 1858
HS/7/261Letter, from Robert FitzRoy to Sir John Herschel, dated at 1 Parliament St.24 December 1862
HS/7/254Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to Robert FitzRoy, dated at Collingwood12 May 1861
HS/7/246Letter, from Robert FitzRoy to Sir John Herschel, dated at HMS Beagle, at sea1 July 1836
HS/23/315Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to Robert FitzRoy, dated at Collingwood31 October 1860
HS/23/369Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to Robert FitzRoy, dated at Collingwood17 April 1862
HS/23/400Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to Robert FitzRoy, dated at Collingwood25 December 1862
HS/23/311Incomplete copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to Robert FitzRoy22 October 1860
HS/23/304Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to Robert FitzRoy, dated at Collingwood22 August 1860
HS/23/341Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to Robert FitzRoy, dated at Collingwood7 October 1861
HS/19/217Letter, from Robert FitzRoy to Sir John Herschel11 March 1863
HS/23/371Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to Robert FitzRoy, dated at Collingwood2 May 1862
HS/25/14/11Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to Robert FitzRoy, dated at Collingwood1852 or later
HS/23/312Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to Robert FitzRoy, dated at Collingwood24 October 1860
HS/23/318Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to Robert FitzRoy, dated at Collingwood28 November 1860
HS/23/327Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to Robert FitzRoy, dated at Collingwood13 March 1863
HS/23/360Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to Robert FitzRoy27 January 1862
HS/23/330Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to Robert FitzRoy, dated at Collingwood6 May 1861
HS/23/370Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to Robert FitzRoy, dated at Collingwood23 April 1862
HS/23/316Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to Robert FitzRoy, dated at Collingwood6 November 1860
HS/23/229Copy letter, from Sir John Herschel to Robert FitzRoy, dated at Collingwood10 April 1858
HS/7/260Letter, from Robert FitzRoy to Sir John Herschel, dated at Meteorological Dept., B.o.T.25 April 1862
HS/7/248Draft letter, from Sir John Herschel to Robert FitzRoy, dated at Feldhausen3 October 1836
HS/7/252Letter, from Robert FitzRoy to Sir John Herschel, dated at Meteorological Dept., B.o.T.4 May 1858
HS/7/258Letter, from Robert FitzRoy to Sir John Herschel, dated at Meteorological Dept., B.o.T.24 January 1862
HS/7/262Letter, from Robert FitzRoy to Sir John Herschel, dated at Meteorological Dept., B.o.T.15 January 1863
HS/7/253Letter, from Robert FitzRoy to Sir John Herschel, dated at Meteorological Dept., B.o.T.10 May 1861
HS/7/257Letter, from Robert FitzRoy to Sir John Herschel, dated at Meteorological Dept., B.o.T.5 October 1861
HS/16/315Letter, from William Henry Smyth to Admiral Robert FitzRoy24 November 1860
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