Richard Mayne (explorer) facts for kids
Richard Charles Mayne (born July 7, 1835 – died May 29, 1892) was an important officer in the Royal Navy. He was also a brave explorer and later became a politician. He explored many new places and helped map them.
Richard Mayne came from a well-known family. His father, Sir Richard Mayne, helped start the Metropolitan Police in London. His grandfather was Judge Edward Mayne. Richard went to a famous school called Eton College. His family had lived in Ireland for a long time, in places like County Fermanagh and County Cavan.
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Exploring British Columbia's Coast
In 1856, Richard Mayne, then a Lieutenant, joined a team surveying Vancouver Island and British Columbia. He sailed with Captain George Henry Richards on two ships, HMS Plumper and HMS Hecate. Their job was to map the coast of British Columbia between 1857 and 1859.
Mayne also worked with the Royal Engineers under Colonel Richard Moody. He was given the exciting task of exploring and mapping parts of the colony that no one had seen before. His notes from these trips are very important for understanding the history of British Columbia.
Because of his great work, an island in the Gulf Islands was named Mayne Island after him. Also, Hecate Strait was named after one of the ships he sailed on. In 1860, he was promoted to Commander and returned to England.
Service in New Zealand
In 1862, Mayne took command of HMS Eclipse. He served in New Zealand during the New Zealand Wars. In 1863, he was badly wounded and had to return home. For his bravery, he was promoted to Captain. In 1867, he received a special honor called the Companionship of the Bath.
Journey to the Straits of Magellan
From 1866 to 1869, Captain Mayne commanded HMS Nassau. This ship was on a survey expedition to the Straits of Magellan, which is a waterway at the southern tip of South America.
A famous scientist, Charles Darwin, asked Captain Mayne to collect fossil bones. These bones were from extinct animals and were found near the Straits. They were very old and important for science. Many of these fossils were collected and sent to the British Museum.
In 1871, the British Navy created a guide for sailors using the Strait, based on the information gathered. Admiral Mayne became a member of the Royal Geographical Society, a group for explorers and geographers. He also wrote a book called Four years in British Columbia and Vancouver Island.
Richard Mayne's Family Life
In 1870, Captain Mayne married Sabine Dent. Her father, Sir Thomas Dent, founded a trading company in Hong Kong. After his marriage, Mayne served only a short time commanding HMS Invincible. He retired from the Navy in 1879 with the rank of Rear-Admiral.
Becoming a Politician
After leaving the Navy, Richard Mayne decided to enter politics. He ran as a Conservative candidate for the Pembroke and Haverfordwest area in Wales during the 1885 election. He lost by a small number of votes.
However, in the next election in 1886, he won! He became a Member of Parliament (MP) for that area. He served in this role until he passed away in 1892, just before the next election.
