Robert FitzRoy

Admiral Robert FitzRoy

(Updated 2025 to mark 100 years of The Shipping Forecast)

I first came across Robert FitzRoy while researching the origins of The Shipping News. As 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of The Shipping Forecast, it seems fitting to revisit the life of the man who laid the foundations for modern meteorology and marine weather forecasting. FitzRoy was an extraordinary and accomplished gentleman – a naval officer, scientist, and innovator whose work continues to guide sailors to this day.

TW: Mentions of suicide

Early Life

Robert FitzRoy was born on 5th July 1805 at Ampton Hall, near Euston in Suffolk, to aristocratic parents. At just twelve years old, he joined the Royal Naval College in Portsmouth, beginning what would become a lifelong naval career.

After a year, he joined the Royal Navy as a College Volunteer aboard HMS Owen Glendower, a frigate bound for South America. The ship returned in January 1822, and the young FitzRoy had already earned the rank of Midshipman.

He graduated from college in 1824, passing with distinction, and was soon promoted to Lieutenant.

Robert FitzRoy and HMS Beagle

FitzRoy served on several ships, including HMS Hind and HMS Thetis, until fate took a dramatic turn.

In 1828, the Royal Navy’s survey barque HMS Beagle was conducting a hydrographic survey of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. Her captain, Pringle Stokes, fell into a deep depression and tragically took his own life off the coast of Tierra del Fuego.

The Beagle was ordered to Montevideo for refitting under Lieutenant W.G. Skyring. Upon arrival, Rear-Admiral Sir Robert Otway appointed Flag Lieutenant Robert FitzRoy as the new commander. FitzRoy proved to be a highly capable leader and a meticulous surveyor, qualities that would define his legacy.

The Beagle’s Second Voyage

FitzRoy was confident that the Beagle would embark on a second voyage in 1831, but the Admiralty initially cancelled the plan. With support from his uncle, FitzRoy persuaded them to reinstate it, and preparations began.

The Beagle was refitted at Devonport, where FitzRoy ordered the deck to be raised to improve handling and safety. Yet beyond the technical preparations, he also sought something less tangible, companionship. Commanding a ship in the early 19th century was lonely and mentally taxing, and FitzRoy hoped for an intellectual equal to share the voyage with.

His friend Captain Francis Beaufort (of the Beaufort Scale) helped search for a suitable companion, and soon a young geologist and naturalist named Charles Darwin was suggested.

The discoveries made during the Beagle’s second voyage profoundly influenced Darwin’s thinking and later enabled him to write On the Origin of Species, the cornerstone of evolutionary biology.

Meteorological Pioneer

In 1854, FitzRoy was appointed Meteorological Statist to the Board of Trade, a new department tasked with collecting weather data at sea. This office became the forerunner of today’s Met Office.

FitzRoy equipped ships’ captains with barometers and other instruments to record weather data during their voyages. The information they gathered was compiled into nautical charts, which proved invaluable for sailors and shipowners alike. These charts helped identify dangerous weather patterns and saved countless lives.

He also established fifteen land-based observation stations, linked by Samuel Morse’s telegraph system, to transmit weather data. Soon, newspapers began printing these daily weather forecasts for the public, the first of their kind.

Barometers, Gales, and Public Safety

FitzRoy’s passion for safety at sea extended beyond data collection. He arranged for barometers to be installed in ports around the country, allowing seamen and fishermen to check atmospheric pressure before setting sail. A falling barometer often meant a storm was on the way.

He also introduced a storm warning system using signal cones hoisted at ports to warn of approaching gales. While the system was highly effective, some fishing fleet owners opposed it because it prevented their vessels from leaving harbour, an economic blow. The scheme was unfortunately abandoned for some years after FitzRoy’s death.

Legacy and Later Life

Despite his many achievements, improving maritime safety, pioneering weather forecasting, and shaping scientific understanding, FitzRoy struggled with ill health and depression. Sadly, he took his own life on 30th April 1865.

During his lifetime, FitzRoy received little recognition and was long overshadowed by Darwin’s fame. Yet in later years, his contributions were rightfully acknowledged. He is now celebrated as a visionary meteorologist and the founding father of The Shipping Forecast, a broadcast that has guided mariners for a century.

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