Clements Markham

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Clements Markham : biography

20 July 1830 – 29 January 1916

By contrast, Markham remained on close personal terms with Scott and was godfather to the explorer’s son, born 1909 and named Peter Markham Scott in the old man’s honour.Crane, p. 387 In his tribute to Scott in the preface to Scott’s Last Expedition (1913), Markham describes Scott as "among the most remarkable men of our time", and talks of the "beauty" of his character. As Scott lay dying "there was no thought for himself, only the earnest thought to give comfort and consolation to others."L. Huxley (ed) Vol I, p. vi In one of the last letters written from his final camp, days from death, Scott wrote: "Tell Sir Clements I thought much of him, and never regretted his putting me in command of the ‘Discovery’."L. Huxley (ed) Vol I, p. 604

Retirement

After his retirement from the RGS presidency, Markham led an active life as a writer and traveller. He wrote biographies of the English kings Edward IV and Richard III, and of his old naval friend Admiral Sir Leopold McClintock; he also kept up his editing and translating work.A. Markham, pp. 341–345 He continued to produce papers for the RGS, and remained president of the Hakluyt Society until 1910. Markham continued to travel extensively in Europe, and in 1906 cruised with the Mediterranean squadron, where Scott was acting as Flag-Captain to Rear-Admiral George Egerton. When Scott announced his plans for a new Antarctic venture, the Terra Nova Expedition, Markham assisted with fundraising and served on the expedition’s organising committee, arranging the deal which brought in Lieutenant "Teddy" Evans as second-in-command, in return for the abandonment of Evans’s own expedition plans.Crane, p. 401

Markham was awarded honorary degrees from the Universities of Cambridge and Leeds. In conferring this latter degree, the Chancellor referred to Markham as "a veteran in the service of mankind", and recalled that he had been "for sixty years the inspiration of English geographical science."A. Markham, pp. 344 and 351–52 However, Markham did not altogether avoid controversy. In 1912, when Roald Amundsen, conqueror of the South Pole, was invited by RGS president Leonard Darwin to dine with the Society, Markham resigned his council seat in protest.Jones, p. 92

The news of the death of Scott and his returning polar party reached Markham in February 1913, while he was staying in Estoril.A. Markham, pp. 356–60 He returned to England, and assisted with the preparation of Scott’s journals for publication.Jones, p. 122 Scott’s death was a heavy blow, but Markham continued to lead a busy life of writing and travelling. In 1915 he was present at the service in St Peter’s Church, Binton, near Stratford-upon-Avon, where a window was dedicated to Scott and his companions; later that year he assisted at the unveiling of the Royal Navy’s statue of Scott, in Waterloo Place, London. Markham read his last paper for the RGS on 1915, its title being "The History of the Gradual Development of the Groundwork of Geographical Science".

Peruvian journeys

First journey 1852–53

In the summer of 1852, freed from his naval obligations, Markham made plans for an extended visit to Peru. Supported by a gift from his father of £500 (more than £40,000 at 2008 values) to cover expenses, Markham sailed from Liverpool on . Markham travelled by a roundabout route, proceeding first to Halifax, Nova Scotia, then overland to Boston and New York, before taking a steamer to Panama. After crossing the Isthmus he sailed for Callao, finally arriving there on . He set out for the Peruvian interior on 1852, heading across the Andes towards his goal, the ancient Inca city of Cuzco.A. Markham, pp. 132–37 On the way, Markham paused for nearly a month in the town of Ayacucho, to study the local culture and increase his knowledge of the Quechua. He then travelled on towards Cuzco, and after crossing a swinging bridge (the Apurimac Bridge) suspended above the raging Apurímac River, he and his party passed through fertile valleys which brought them finally to the city of Cuzco, on 1853.A. Markham, pp. 147–52