Julius Brenchley
Encyclopedia
Julius Lucius Brenchley of Maidstone
, was a 19th-century English
explorer, naturalist
and author.
, Kent
, Julius Brenchley was educated at Maidstone Grammar School
and the St John's College, Cambridge
. He was set for a life in the Church, having been ordained at Holy Trinity, Maidstone, in 1843. However, in 1845, his father persuaded Brenchley to accompany him on a European tour, and he was bitten by the travel bug. From 1845 to 1867 he travelled the world, collecting, recording and sending material home. He was a passionate collector of art, ethonography and natural history, and was called a 'gentleman
explorer'. Travelling the globe in search of knowledge and adventure, he sent many artefacts from his travels home which are now on display in Maidstone museum
. A park adjacent to the museum, Brenchley Gardens, is named after him to honour his contributions, both cultural and financial, to the museum. During his travels, Brenchley visited every continent except Antarctica. He was especially active in the South Seas.
Brenchley spent much of his adult life exploring the world in his tireless search for knowledge. His life was shaped by his 'passionate love of wandering'. He never got married because he was too busy exploring.
He died aged only 56, on February 24, 1873 in a Folkestone
hotel and is buried in the family vaults at All Saints' Church, Maidstone. He is known as a pre-eminent adventurer of his time.
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
, was a 19th-century English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
explorer, naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
and author.
Life
Born at Kingsley House, MaidstoneMaidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, Julius Brenchley was educated at Maidstone Grammar School
Maidstone Grammar School
Maidstone Grammar School is a grammar school located in Maidstone, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1549.-Admissions:The school takes boys at the age of 11 and over by examination and boys and girls at 16+ on their GCSE results. The school currently has almost 1200 students and approximately 120...
and the St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
. He was set for a life in the Church, having been ordained at Holy Trinity, Maidstone, in 1843. However, in 1845, his father persuaded Brenchley to accompany him on a European tour, and he was bitten by the travel bug. From 1845 to 1867 he travelled the world, collecting, recording and sending material home. He was a passionate collector of art, ethonography and natural history, and was called a 'gentleman
Gentleman
The term gentleman , in its original and strict signification, denoted a well-educated man of good family and distinction, analogous to the Latin generosus...
explorer'. Travelling the globe in search of knowledge and adventure, he sent many artefacts from his travels home which are now on display in Maidstone museum
Maidstone Museum & Art Gallery
Maidstone Museum & Bentlif Art Gallery is in Maidstone, Kent, England. It is located on St. Faith's Street, opposite Fremlin Walk, a new shopping centre in the region.- Overview :...
. A park adjacent to the museum, Brenchley Gardens, is named after him to honour his contributions, both cultural and financial, to the museum. During his travels, Brenchley visited every continent except Antarctica. He was especially active in the South Seas.
Brenchley spent much of his adult life exploring the world in his tireless search for knowledge. His life was shaped by his 'passionate love of wandering'. He never got married because he was too busy exploring.
He died aged only 56, on February 24, 1873 in a Folkestone
Folkestone
Folkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
hotel and is buried in the family vaults at All Saints' Church, Maidstone. He is known as a pre-eminent adventurer of his time.
Publications
Brenchley published at least two books:- A Journey to Great Salt Lake City, 1861
- Jottings during the cruise of H.M.S. Curac̜oa among the South Sea Islands in 1865, 1873
External links
- http://cnum.cnam.fr/CGI/fpage.cgi?4KY28.2/153/100/432/0/0La NatureLa NatureLa Nature was a French language magazine aimed at the popularization of science founded in 1873 by French scientist and adventurer Gaston Tissandier...
] Account of the voyage of the Curacoa In French - Internet Archive Digitised Jottings during the cruise of HMS Curacoa among the South Sea islands in 1865