Berwick resident writes biography on the life of renowned natural historian
The latest biography by Berwick resident Gwen Chessell – Franklin’s Doctor: a Life of Sir John Richardson – is now available.
As described on the back cover: ‘The story of Sir John Richardson has been largely overshadowed by his closest friend and relative by marriage, the tragic Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin.
‘Richardson was the second in command of Franklin's first harrowing expedition, an account of mayhem and murder, disaster and privation, in which nine men died.
‘Richardson and Franklin survived and Richardson went on to triumph and success as one of the greatest natural historians of the 19th Century.’
The book is available at local bookshops, priced £12, and also online.
A former medical educationist at the University of Aberdeen, Gwen Chessell is a historical biographer, with an interest in the history of medicine, the Royal Navy and 19th Century exploration.
She enjoys bringing to life personalities who might otherwise be forgotten.