John Clements Wickham
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John Clements Wickham (21 November 17986 January 1864) was a Scottish explorer, naval officer, magistrate and administrator. He was
first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...
on during its second survey mission, 1831–1836, under captain
Robert FitzRoy Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy (5 July 1805 – 30 April 1865) was an English officer of the Royal Navy and a scientist. He achieved lasting fame as the captain of during Charles Darwin's famous voyage, FitzRoy's second expedition to Tierra de ...
. The young naturalist and
geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, althou ...
Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended fr ...
was a
supernumerary Supernumerary means "exceeding the usual number". Supernumerary may also refer to: * Supernumerary actor, a performer in a film, television show, or stage production who has no role or purpose other than to appear in the background, more commonl ...
on the ship, and his journal was published as ''
The Voyage of the Beagle ''The Voyage of the Beagle'' is the title most commonly given to the book written by Charles Darwin and published in 1839 as his ''Journal and Remarks'', bringing him considerable fame and respect. This was the third volume of ''The Narrative ...
''. After that expedition, Wickham was promoted to
Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...
and made captain of the ''Beagle'' on its third voyage, from 1837 and conducted various maritime expeditions and hydrographic surveys along the Australian coastline. In 1843, after his retirement from the Royal Navy, Wickham was made
Police Magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...
and, later,
Government Resident A resident minister, or resident for short, is a government official required to take up permanent residence in another country. A representative of his government, he officially has diplomatic functions which are often seen as a form of indir ...
of the Moreton Bay District, in the
Colony of New South Wales The Colony of New South Wales was a colony of the British Empire from 1788 to 1901, when it became a State of the Commonwealth of Australia. At its greatest extent, the colony of New South Wales included the present-day Australian states of New ...
(NSW). Wickham retired in 1859, when the Moreton Bay District was separated from NSW, forming basis of the
Colony of Queensland The Colony of Queensland was a colony of the British Empire from 1859 to 1901, when it became a State in the federal Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901. At its greatest extent, the colony included the present-day State of Queensland, ...
. When the Queensland and NSW governments disagreed over which was responsible for his pension, Wickham moved to France, where he died.


The Wickham family

The origins of the Wickham family were in Rowley, an
East Yorkshire The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county and unitary authority area in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire to th ...
village which later became depopulated.C.G. Drury Clarke, "Captain John Clements Wickham, R.N. his antecedents and descendants" (1984) ''Journal of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland'', Vol. 12 no. 1, pp 1–25 . In 1638, two brothers, Richard and Thomas Wickham, were among the families to emigrate to America with Rev. Ezekiel Rogers after he was suspended as Rector of the parish church in 1638 for his non-conformist beliefs. Thomas married Sarah and their fifth son, Samuel Wickham, was born in 1664; he later settled in
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
and became a Freeman of that Colony and a Deputy. Samuel Wickham married Barbara Holken in 1691 and their fifth son, Benjamin Wickham, was born 17 November 1701 at Rhode Island. Benjamin was chosen by the Rhode Island colonial Assembly in 1756 to be Lieutenant-Colonel of a Regiment raised for the second expedition against Crown Point. In 1757, a deputy for Newport he became Speaker of the House of Deputies. Benjamin married Mary, daughter of Colonel John Gardner in 1743 and Samuel Wickham, their sixth and youngest son, was born at Newport, Rhode Island in 1758. This Samuel rose to the rank of Lieutenant in the Royal Navy; while he was attached to the Portuguese Navy as an instructor he was given the rank of Captain-Lieutenant. He fought on the British side in the
American War of Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
after which he left America and settled in Scotland. On 16 June 1795 he married Ellen Susan Naylor at Gibraltar. John Clements Wickham was born to them on 21 November 1798 at
Leith Leith (; gd, Lìte) is a port area in the north of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith. In 2021, it was ranked by '' Time Out'' as one of the top five neighbourhoods to live in the world. The earliest ...
in Scotland.


Naval career

On 21 February 1812 John Clements Wickham joined the Royal Navy. By 1815 he was an Admiralty Midshipman and was posted to HMS ''Nightingale'' and in 1818 was posted to HMS ''Hyperion'' before being paid off. He passed his Lieutenant's examination in 1819. In 1825 he was appointed Second-Lieutenant on the British warship ''
Adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...
'' under the command of
Phillip Parker King Rear Admiral Phillip Parker King, FRS, RN (13 December 1791 – 26 February 1856) was an early explorer of the Australian and Patagonian coasts. Early life and education King was born on Norfolk Island, to Philip Gidley King and Ann ...
, son of
Philip Gidley King Captain Philip Gidley King (23 April 1758 – 3 September 1808) was a British politician who was the third Governor of New South Wales. When the First Fleet arrived in January 1788, King was detailed to colonise Norfolk Island for defence an ...
, third Governor of New South Wales. The ''Adventure'' and the ''Beagle'' were ordered to survey the coasts of the southern part of South America, including
Patagonia Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and gl ...
and
Tierra del Fuego Tierra del Fuego (, ; Spanish for "Land of the Fire", rarely also Fireland in English) is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of the main island, Isla ...
. Wickham transferred to the ''Beagle'' in 1831 as
First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...
, under
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
Robert Fitzroy Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy (5 July 1805 – 30 April 1865) was an English officer of the Royal Navy and a scientist. He achieved lasting fame as the captain of during Charles Darwin's famous voyage, FitzRoy's second expedition to Tierra de ...
and first officer
Philip Parker King Rear Admiral Phillip Parker King, FRS, RN (13 December 1791 – 26 February 1856) was an early explorer of the Australian and Patagonian coasts. Early life and education King was born on Norfolk Island, to Philip Gidley King and Anna J ...
(1791–1856), to complete the survey of
Patagonia Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and gl ...
and
Tierra del Fuego Tierra del Fuego (, ; Spanish for "Land of the Fire", rarely also Fireland in English) is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of the main island, Isla ...
, as part of a
circumnavigation Circumnavigation is the complete navigation around an entire island, continent, or astronomical object, astronomical body (e.g. a planet or natural satellite, moon). This article focuses on the circumnavigation of Earth. The first recorded circ ...
of the globe. Wickham and King were lifelong friends and brothers-in-law as they married sisters, the daughters of Hannibal Hawkins Macarthur. This would be the most famous voyage of the Beagle, with naturalist
Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended fr ...
, and artists
Augustus Earle Augustus Earle (1793–1838) was a British painter. Unlike earlier artists who worked outside Europe and were employed on voyages of exploration or worked abroad for wealthy, often aristocratic patrons, Earle was able to operate quite indepen ...
and (later)
Conrad Martens Conrad Martens (21 March 1801 – 21 August 1878) was an English-born landscape painter active on HMS ''Beagle'' from 1833 to 1834. He arrived in Australia in 1835 and painted there until his death in 1878. Life and work Conrad Martens' f ...
also on board. After entering the Pacific Ocean, the Beagle surveyed the coasts of
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
and
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...
, the
Galápagos Islands The Galápagos Islands (Spanish: , , ) are an archipelago of volcanic islands. They are distributed on each side of the equator in the Pacific Ocean, surrounding the centre of the Western Hemisphere, and are part of the Republic of Ecuador ...
, the Society Islands, the
Navigator A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation.Grierson, MikeAviation History—Demise of the Flight Navigator FrancoFlyers.org website, October 14, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2014. The navigator's primar ...
(Samoa) and
Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
island groups, New Zealand,
Port Jackson Port Jackson, consisting of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers, is the ria or natural harbour of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The harbour is an inlet of the Tasman Sea (p ...
(Sydney),
Van Diemen's Land Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania used by the British during the European exploration of Australia in the 19th century. A British settlement was established in Van Diemen's Land in 1803 before it became a sepa ...
(Tasmania),
King George's Sound King George Sound ( nys , Menang Koort) is a sound on the south coast of Western Australia. Named King George the Third's Sound in 1791, it was referred to as King George's Sound from 1805. The name "King George Sound" gradually came into use ...
, the
Cocos (Keeling) Islands ) , anthem = "''Advance Australia Fair''" , song_type = , song = , image_map = Australia on the globe (Cocos (Keeling) Islands special) (Southeast Asia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands , map_caption = ...
and
Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...
. It then returned, via
Saint Helena Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...
, Ascension Island,
Bahia Bahia ( , , ; meaning "bay") is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (sta ...
and
Pernambuco Pernambuco () is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. With an estimated population of 9.6 million people as of 2020, making it seventh-most populous state of Brazil and with around 98,148 km², being the 19 ...
to England in 1836. On 10 January 1837, Wickham was promoted from lieutenant to captain and given command of the ''Beagle'', while Lt
John Lort Stokes Admiral John Lort Stokes, RN (1 August 1811 – 11 June 1885)Although 1812 is frequently given as Stokes's year of birth, it has been argued by author Marsden Hordern that Stokes was born in 1811, citing a letter by fellow naval officer Crawford ...
– a shipmate from the first two journeys of the ''Beagle'' – was made first officer. From 1837 to 1841, the ''Beagle'' charting the coasts of north western Australia and Arnhem Land. In 1839, Stokes sighted a natural harbour which Wickham named
Port Darwin Port Darwin is the port in Darwin, Northern Territory, in northern Australia. The port has operated in a number of locations, including Stokes Hill Wharf, Cullen Bay and East Arm Wharf. In 2015, a 99-year lease was granted to the Chinese-owned ...
after their former shipmate. In 1841, Wickham fell ill and resigned his command which was taken over by Stokes, who continued the survey and completed the voyage in 1843. Darwin also took a
Galápagos tortoise The Galápagos tortoise or Galápagos giant tortoise (''Chelonoidis niger'') is a species of very large tortoise in the genus ''Chelonoidis'' (which also contains three smaller species from mainland South America). It comprises 15 subspecies ( ...
named Harriet which he gave to Wickham, who brought it to Brisbane. The tortoise gained fame for her
longevity The word " longevity" is sometimes used as a synonym for "life expectancy" in demography. However, the term ''longevity'' is sometimes meant to refer only to especially long-lived members of a population, whereas ''life expectancy'' is always d ...
, living 175 years until 2006.


Later life

Wickham became the
police magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...
at the
Moreton Bay Moreton Bay is a bay located on the eastern coast of Australia from central Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources. The waters of Moreton Bay are a popular destination for recreational anglers and are ...
District of New South Wales (now
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...
).L. E. Skinner, "Law and justice for the Queensland colony", (1972) ''Journal of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland'', Vol. 9 no. 3 pp 94-106. From 1853 he was
Government Resident A resident minister, or resident for short, is a government official required to take up permanent residence in another country. A representative of his government, he officially has diplomatic functions which are often seen as a form of indir ...
of the Moreton Bay District and resided at
Newstead House, Brisbane Newstead House is Brisbane's oldest surviving residence and is located on the Breakfast Creek bank of the Brisbane River, in the northern Brisbane suburb of Newstead, in Queensland, Australia.Trent Dalton, "Grand residence", ''Brisbane News'', ...
. In 1859, Wickham moved to the
south of France Southern France, also known as the South of France or colloquially in French as , is a defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi atlantique'', A ...
, where he lived until his death in 1864.A. A. Morrison
"Wickham, John Clements (1798–1864)"
, ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, accessed 8 September 2011.


Commemorations


Places

;Australia *
Cape Wickham Cape Wickham is the most northerly point of King Island, Tasmania, Australia. From here, it is to Cape Otway on the Australian mainland. In the 19th century, ships coming from Europe would sometimes attempt to sail between Cape Wickham and Cap ...
and
Cape Wickham Lighthouse The Cape Wickham Lighthouse is a lighthouse situated at Cape Wickham on King Island, Tasmania. At tall, it is Australia's tallest lighthouse. The lighthouse is listed on the Commonwealth Heritage Register. There are eleven timber flights o ...
, Tasmania; * Point Wickham, now known as Caloundra Headland on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; * two islands in Western Australia ** a small island off
Bernouilli Island The Bernoulli family () of Basel was a Patrician (post-Roman Europe), patrician family, notable for having produced eight mathematically gifted academics who, among them, contributed substantially to the development of mathematics and physics dur ...
(Timor Sea); ** a former name of Stanley Island, in the
Recherche Archipelago The Archipelago of the Recherche, known locally as the Bay of Isles, is a group of 105 islands, and over 1200 "obstacles to shipping", off the south coast of Western Australia. The islands stretch from east to west and to off-shore encom ...
; * two different hills or peaks named Mount Wickham, in the Northern Territory and Queensland; *
Wickham, New South Wales Wickham is an inner suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district. History The Aboriginal people, in this area, the Awabakal, were the first people of this land. Wickham which was a Miss ...
, a suburb of Newcastle, which includes Wickham Park; * the town of
Wickham, Western Australia Wickham is a town located 1,572 km north of Perth and 13 km north of Roebourne in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. In 2016 Wickham had a population of 2,295 people. Aboriginal people made up 17.2% of the population, five times ...
;Landgate, 2012, "History of Country Town Names"
(9 November 2012).
* the headland of Wickham Point in the Northern Territory *
Wickham Park, Brisbane Wickham Park is a park at 330 Wickham Terrace, Spring Hill, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Geography Wickham Park lies on the fall of the land from Wickham Terrace to down to Albert Street. To the north-west, it is adjacent to the Roma Str ...
; *
Wickham River The Wickham River is an ephemeral river, located in the Victoria Bonaparte bioregion of the Northern Territory in Australia. Course and features The headwaters of the Wickham River are situated on an area of rugged stony hills and a sandstone p ...
, Northern Territory; * a major street in Brisbane,
Wickham Terrace Wickham Terrace is one of the historic streets of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is known as the street of private medical specialists. Geography Wickham Terrace commences at the western corner of the intersection of Ann Street and Whar ...
, where is the notable
Wickham Hotel Wickham Hotel is a heritage-listed hotel at 308 Wickham Street, Fortitude Valley, Queensland, Fortitude Valley, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Originally trading as the Oriental, it was designed by Richard Gailey and built in 1885 by ...
, as well as "Wickham Streets" in
Fortitude Valley, Queensland Fortitude Valley (often called "The Valley" by local residents) is an inner suburb of the City of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. In the , Fortitude Valley had a population of 9,708 people. The suburb features two pedestr ...
,
East Perth, Western Australia East Perth is an inner suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located next to the Perth central business district. Claise Brook and Claisebrook Cove are within the suburb. Formerly characterised by industrial land uses and urban blight, the rede ...
,
Ayr Ayr (; sco, Ayr; gd, Inbhir Àir, "Mouth of the River Ayr") is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. It is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire Subdivisions of Scotland, council area and the historic Shires of Scotlan ...
,Ismail Street became Wickham St in 1922. ''Ayr Advocate'', 13 August 2004, p16 (via factiva.com; accessed 12 September 2011). and
Townsville Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...
, and
Wyndham Vale, Victoria Wyndham Vale is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Wyndham local government area. Wyndham Vale recorded a population of 20,518 at the . The suburb of Ma ...
. ;Chile * Wickham Island ;Falkland Islands *
Wickham Heights The Wickham Heights ( es, Alturas Rivadavia) are a rugged chain of mountains on East Falkland in the Falkland Islands. They include the island group's highest peak, Mount Usborne, Mount Wickham and are partly contiguous with No Man's Land. The ...
, including
Mount Wickham Mount Wickham is a mountain on East Falkland, Falkland Islands.Strange, Ian (1983) ''The Falkland Islands'' It is the chief summit of the Wickham Heights. It stands 1,984 ft, 605 m. References Wickham Heights The Wickham Heights ( es, Alt ...
;Solomon Islands * Wickham Island,
New Georgia Islands The New Georgia Islands are part of the Western Province of Solomon Islands. They are located to the northwest of Guadalcanal. The larger islands are mountainous and covered in rain forest. The main islands are New Georgia, Vella Lavella, Ko ...
group


Other commemorations

Two defunct electorates in Australian state parliaments, namely * Electoral district of Wickham (New South Wales) *
Electoral district of Wickham (Queensland) Wickham was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland from 1873 to 1878. Wickham was a single-member constituency which arose from the break-up of the three-member constituency of Town of Brisbane ...
An Australian plant: * '' Grevillea wickhamii'' (Wickham's Grevillea).


See also

*


References


Further reading

* A. A. Morrison
"Wickham, John Clements (1798–1864)"
''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', National Centre of Biography, Australian National University (also available in hard copy in ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', Vol. 2, (1967, Melbourne University Press) p 597). * G. J. McCarthy

Encyclopedia of Australian Science 2010. {{DEFAULTSORT:Wickham, John Clements 1798 births 1864 deaths Explorers of Australia Explorers of Western Australia Australian magistrates Royal Navy officers People from Leith People from New South Wales Pre-Separation Queensland