There are more big names in the history of science at Westminster Abbey than any other place in the world (Paris' Pantheon and Göttingen's cemeteries would be distant second and third). Within a few metres of each other in the north-east corner of the nave lie Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Ernest Rutherford, Lord Kelvin, JJ Thomson, John Herschel, John Hunter, and Charles Lyell. There are also memorials to Howard Florey, William Herschel, Michael Faraday, Paul Dirac, James Clark Maxwell, James Joule, Joseph Lister, Joseph Hooker, Robert Hooke, Edmund Halley, Alfred Russell Wallace, Humphrey Davy, and Lord Rayleigh.
Once you enter via the Great North Door, the first memorial you encounter is Robert Hooke's diamond-shaped floor stone in front of the Sacrarium's stairs (left, or north, of centre). It's easy to miss and is not on the audioguide. The stone is next to his old Westminster schoolmaster Richard Busby. There is also a 2009 memorial to Hooke in the crypt of St Pauls. Hooke was originally buried at St Helens Bishopsgate (opposite the Gherkin) but all the graves there were moved to the City of London cemetery (Manor Park) in 1892. There is a memorial to St Helens Bishopsgate there, but no mention of Robert Hooke. Another memorial exists on The Monument near London Bridge.
Before you leave the North Transept, one memorial and grave of tangential note to the history of science is that of Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh. This was the statesman uncle of Robert FitzRoy, Captain of the Beagle on its famous circumnavigation with Charles Darwin in the 1830s. Castlereagh represented Britain at the Congress of Vienna after the fall of Napoleon and infamously committed suicide, instilling in Fitzroy a fear that he would do the same, which he did after Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species. The memorial to Castlereagh is prominent on the west side of the North Transept near the information desk, but the gravestone itself has faded. It's right in the middle of the main thoroughfare adjacent to William Wilberforce. To the left of Wilberforce is his friend, Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger (also faded), and underneath William Pitt is Castlereagh's gravestone. Robert FitzRoy himself is buried at All Saints Church in Upper Norwood in south London.Next, if you follow the main tourist route of the Abbey east towards the Henry VII Lady Chapel and immediately turn left and enter the Chapel of St John the Evangelist and pass through St Michaels Chapel (marked 4 on the audioguide) and walk to the far north wall (known as the St Andrews Chapel you'll see wall memorials to Lord Rayleigh (buried on his family plot) and Humphrey Davy. Lord Rayleigh, who's name was John Strutt, was responsible for the discovery of argon and the reason for why the sky is blue (Rayleigh scattering). He's buried in the family church plot at Terling Place, Witham in Essex. Below Rayleigh's wall memorial plaque is one to Humphrey Davy, who is buried in Geneva. On the way out of these three small chapels in North Transept, take note of the wall memorial plaque of John Franklin on the west wall near the entrance.
There's more monarchs than scientists in the east of the Abbey as you follow the tourist route. There are two kings who are especially famous for fostering science, Charles II and George III. Unfortunately there are no tombs to any of Stuart monarchs, and the best you can find is that of a tiny diamond-shaped floor stone memorial to Charles II at the end of the section that houses Mary Queen of Scots (south Henry VII Lady Chapel). Under his patronage, the Royal Society was established in the 1660s. George III is buried in the crypt of St Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle and can not be visited by the public.
Once you loop around to Poets Corner, have a look for the white plaque to John Pringle, President of the Royal Society, high on the west wall. He was a regular travelling companion of Benjamin Franklin. Exit the Abbey via the Cloisters where you'll find two gleaming new memorial plaques to Edmund Halley and Captain Cook on the south wall. Halley is buried at St Margarets at Blackheath in the same tomb as fellow Astronomer Royal John Pond. The original tombstone of Halley is now displayed near the entrance to Flamsteed's House at the Royal Observatory at Greenwich. There is no grave of Captain Cook, his body having been hacked to pieces and eaten in Hawaii in 1779. Some recovered remains were buried at sea.
Re-enter the nave of the Abbey and walk around to the northern wall and turn right towards the North Choir Aisle. At the end are the biggest names: Charles Darwin is under a very plain grey gravestone next to his friend John Herschel (son of William Herschel). Near the centre lies Isaac Newton below one of the most ornate memorials in the abbeys. Note the scientific motifs. Have a good look around here and see how many names you can identify. As a general rule, the rectangular gravestone indicate a burial and a diamond-shaped stone represents a memorial, although this practice is not always followed. Paul Dirac is buried in Florida, James Clerk Maxwell is on his family plot in Scotland, and Michael Faraday is in Highgate's west cemetery (special permission needs to be sought to visit it). Hooker is at Kew together with his father. Joseph Lister and John Harrison (H4 clock) are in Hampstead and Alfred Russell Wallace is in Broadstone, Dorset.
Unlike the other great cathedrals of Europe, photography is not allowed in Westminster Abbey. This seems mean-spirited seeing as so many tourists would like to and are constantly told 'No Photography' by some of attendants who seem to have infinite energy for this game all day long. Other attendants don't seem to mind if you sneak a quick discreet shot of your favourite scientist, especially possible if you hang an SLR around your next and it's a bright day so you don't need to use a flash. :)
View Larger Map
No comments:
Post a Comment