Great Britain has always had a proud maritime history, Shipbuilding on the Clyde, the Wear and the Tyne produced many ships that were essential to the economy and security of the country. Captain Cook and John Hudson relied on good ships for exploration just as the Royal Navy need them today for our country's defence.
Wear shipyards at Sunderland, please see link below
Captain Robert Falcon Scott found at:
http://www.scottslastexpedition.org/content/images/447/1890x800crop/header.jpg
Britain has a long history of explorers, some more successful than others. The first one that springs to mind is Captain Scott who perished so tragically in the race to the South Pole. Without these brave people, the British Empire would not have existed.
Mary Kingsley
Mary Kingsley, niece of the famous author Charles Kingsley, travelled extensively in Africa. She explored Angola and Sierra Leone. Kingsley also had views about Africa and its inhabitants which upset the Church of England, she said Polygamy was a necessity, and also stated that African colonies should be be indirectly ruled by White men, insisting that there was some work that could only be completed by White Men. Mary Kingsley died in 1900 after contracting malaria whilst working as a nurse in the Boer War. What makes her stand out from the rest of the exploring elite is that she is a woman, who dd not toe the line, overcame discrimination and proved she was as good an explorer as anyone else. Kingsley discovered previously unknown species of fish and at least three types were named after her.
Henry Hudson (1565-1611), had the Hudson River and Hudson Bay named after him. His exploration in North America provided more detailed knowledge of the east coast of America.
