Explorer. Born Devon. The first European, while on an expedition with Richard Burton to East Africa in 1858, to discover Lake Victoria. On a subsequent journey with James Grant in 1862, he confirmed its northern outlet as the source of the Nile. Burton queried whether Speke really had found the source of the Nile and the two fell out. Murchison arranged a debate between them. Two days before this debate Speke left a lunch where Burton was present, to go on a partridge shoot. Climbing over a wall he shot himself. Suicide was suspected but never proved. Since his death there have been suggestions that he was a repressed homosexual, although he is known to have fathered a child in Buganda, and even that he and Burton had had an intimate relationship.
Other Subjects
Canterbury Association
Formed to establish a colony in what is now the Canterbury region of New Zealand.
1 memorial
Thomas Watson
Role on the lost expedition: Petty officer on SS Erebus. See John Franklin.
1 memorial
Henry Wilson (Capt)
Sea captain. He was commander of the packet ship The Antelope, which was part of the fleet of the East India Company. In 1783 he was shipwrecked off the island of Ulong. After some initial animosit...
1 memorial
William Orren
Role on the lost expedition: Able seaman on SS Erebus. See John Franklin.
1 memorial
Celia Fiennes
Traveller and diarist.  Born near Salisbury.  Moved to join a sister's family in London in 1691.  She explored England on horse-back at a time when travel was difficult and particularly so for a wo...
1 memorial
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