The remains of HMS Beagle, the most important ship in the history of science lies buried near Paglesham. It’s the ship on which Charles Darwin travelled to the Galapagos Islands which helped him develop the theory of evolution.
There’s a programme about it tonight at 9pm on Radio 4.
And there’s an article about the hunt for the Beagle on the BBC Website today:
A muddy river bank in the flat, watery landscape of southern Essex may seem an unlikely place to find one of the most important ships in scientific history.
But a combination of painstaking detective work and archaeology have convinced maritime historian Dr Robert Prescott that the banks of the River Roach near the village of Paglesham are the last resting place of HMS Beagle.
Great for tourism if it is The Beagle and it is uncovered and preserved.
Has anyone ever read On the Origin of Species? Interesting theories but absolutely no proof of the development of new species, much like Wallace’s previous work to whom Darwin gave no credit in his volume.