George Henry Richards
Encyclopedia
Admiral Sir George Henry Richards (13 January 1820 – 14 November 1896) was Hydrographer
to the British Admiralty
from 1864 to 1874.
against China
, in South America
, the Falkland Islands
, New Zealand
and Australia
. He was promoted to captain in 1854 and from 1857 to 1864 he was in command of the two survey ships and .
in 1857-62. He is responsible for the selection and designation of dozens of placenames along the British Columbia coast. In the Vancouver
area, for example, he named False Creek
. In 1859, after his engineer Francis Brockton
found a vein of coal, he named Brockton Point
and the area of Coal Harbour
. In 1860, he named Mount Garibaldi
after Giuseppe Garibaldi
. Other landmarks in the area named by him are the Britannia Range, and Brunswick Mountain and many features in the Howe Sound
, Sunshine Coast, and Jervis Inlet
areas.
In 1864 he was appointed Hydrographer and held that position until 1874 when he retired.
A portrait of him by Stephen Pearce
, dated 1865, hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in London
.
Hydrographer of the Navy
Hydrographer of the Navy is a Royal Naval appointment. From 1795 until 2001 the post was responsible for the production of charts for the Royal Navy, and around this post grew the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office...
to the British Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
from 1864 to 1874.
Early life
Richards was born in Anthony, Cornwall, the son of Captain G S Richards, and joined the navy in 1832.Opium War and promotion to captain
He served in the Opium WarsOpium Wars
The Opium Wars, also known as the Anglo-Chinese Wars, divided into the First Opium War from 1839 to 1842 and the Second Opium War from 1856 to 1860, were the climax of disputes over trade and diplomatic relations between China under the Qing Dynasty and the British Empire...
against China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He was promoted to captain in 1854 and from 1857 to 1864 he was in command of the two survey ships and .
Survey work in Canada
He was the second British commissioner to the San Juan Islands Boundary Commission and a hydrographer on the coast of British ColumbiaBritish Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
in 1857-62. He is responsible for the selection and designation of dozens of placenames along the British Columbia coast. In the Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
area, for example, he named False Creek
False Creek
False Creek is a short inlet in the heart of Vancouver. It separates downtown from the rest of the city. It was named by George Henry Richards during his Hydrographic survey of 1856-63. Science World is located at its eastern end and the Burrard Street Bridge crosses its western end. False Creek is...
. In 1859, after his engineer Francis Brockton
Francis Brockton
Francis Brockton was the ship's engineer of HMS Plumper under Captain Henry Richards when, in 1859, Brockton found a vein of coal in the Vancouver area...
found a vein of coal, he named Brockton Point
Brockton Point
Brockton Point is located in Vancouver harbour at the east end of Stanley Park. It is named after Francis Brockton. Brockton Point Lighthouse, an automated light, is located at the point....
and the area of Coal Harbour
Coal Harbour
Coal Harbour is the name for a section of Burrard Inlet lying between Vancouver, Canada's downtown peninsula and the Brockton Peninsula of Stanley Park...
. In 1860, he named Mount Garibaldi
Mount Garibaldi
Mount Garibaldi is a potentially active stratovolcano in the Sea to Sky Country of British Columbia, north of Vancouver, Canada. Located in the southernmost Coast Mountains, it is one of the most recognized peaks in the South Coast region, as well as British Columbia's best known volcano...
after Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
. Other landmarks in the area named by him are the Britannia Range, and Brunswick Mountain and many features in the Howe Sound
Howe Sound
Howe Sound is a roughly triangular sound, actually a network of fjords situated immediately northwest of Vancouver.-Geography:Howe Sound's mouth at the Strait of Georgia is situated between West Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast. The sound is triangular shaped, open on its southeast towards the...
, Sunshine Coast, and Jervis Inlet
Jervis Inlet
Jervis Inlet is a principal inlet of the British Columbia Coast, about northwest of Vancouver.-Geography:It stretches from its head at the mouth of the short Skwakwa River to its opening into the Strait of Georgia near Texada Island...
areas.
In 1864 he was appointed Hydrographer and held that position until 1874 when he retired.
Later life
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in June 1866 He was knighted in 1877, received the KCB in 1881 and became an Admiral in 1884. He died in Bath, Somerset aged 76.A portrait of him by Stephen Pearce
Stephen Pearce
Stephen Pearce was a portrait and equestrian painter. Forty-four portraits which he painted are in the National Portrait Gallery in London, which also contains two self-portraits.-External links:*...
, dated 1865, hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.