Admiral Robert FitzRoy 1805 - 1865

Robert FitzRoy was an officer of the Royal Navy and meteorologist. He was born in Ampton, Suffolk, into the aristocracy, beginning his training ay the Royal Naval College in Portsmouth. Having established himself as a surveyor and commander, in 1831 he was appointed commander of HMS Beagle for her second voyage. He recruited Charles Darwin as his gentleman’s companion, the voyage famously inspiring the young naturalist’s theories of evolution by natural selection.

FitzRoy was appointed Governor of New Zealand, a position he fulfilled from 1843 until 1848, during which time his actions exacerbated existing tensions between the Maori and the colonial government.

Following his return to Britain he was appointed head of a new department to oversee the collection of weather data at sea, the forerunner of the UK’s Meteorological Office. In this post he pioneered storm warnings and the science of weather forecasting.

FitzRoy struggled with his mental health throughout his life and a combination of financial difficulties, professional stress and physical health problems contributed to severe depression. He died of suicide in 1865.