The Friends of Charles Darwin

Famous as the captain of HMS Beagle during Darwin's five-year voyage, and a religious fundamentalist who refused to see the self-evident truth of evolution, Robert FitzRoy deserves to be remembered as more than the tragically misguided figure who fell out with Darwin: he was a fascinating and complex man, whose sense of duty and strong moral values drove him to great feats—and more than once landed him in trouble. [More »]

If anyone could lay claim to being one of the greatest Friends of Charles Darwin, it was the Reverend Professor John Stevens Henslow. Not only did this good-natured academic and clergyman teach Darwin much of his scientific technique, but he also arranged a place for his favourite pupil aboard HMS Beagle. The rest, as they say, is history. [More »]

If ever an example were sought of the old dictum that history is written by the victors, we need look no further than that of the brilliant Victorian anatomist and palaeontologist, Sir Richard Owen. By refusing to accept Darwin's theory of evolution by means of Natural Selection, Owen has traditionally been portrayed as the bad boy of nineteenth century biology; but his villainous reputation is, on the whole, undeserved. [More »]