125:, writing out Darwin's records of investigations, Covington became Darwin's assistant as a collector, hunter and taxidermist. In addition to his duties, Covington kept a personal journal regarding his impressions of the voyage. His journal includes accounts ranging from his daily mundane tasks to impressions of the lands and the people he encountered, and it provides an alternative perspective to supplement Darwin's
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built on the coast road above the floodplain where the first
Pambula township had been repeatedly damaged by floods. His original inn was licensed in 1855, and the building which still stands was constructed on the same site about a year later. By 1848 he and his wife had eight children, six sons and
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Covington continued to correspond with Darwin, who sent him a gift of a replacement ear-trumpet to help with
Covington's increasing deafness. His deafness may have been the result of exposure to guns used in collecting specimens. In response to Darwin's request for specimens, Covington and his eldest
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I have asked the
Captain & obtained his consent respecting a servant,—but he has saved me much expence by keeping him on the books for victuals, & will write to the Admiralty for permission. So that it will not be much more than £30 per annum. I shall now make a fine collection in birds &
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The following business piece is to my Father: having a servant of my own would be a really great addition to my comfort,—for these two reasons; as at present, the
Captain has appointed one of the men always to be with me, but I do not think it just thus to take a seaman out of the ship;—and 2nd when
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and was appointed as his personal servant in 1833, continuing in Darwin's service after the voyage until 1839. Originally named Simon
Covington, he was born in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, the youngest child of Simon Covington V and Elizabeth Brown. After Covington's trip on the Beagle, he then
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went elsewhere on survey work. After an excursion into the interior lasting twelve days, they spent several weeks at
Maldonado preparing the collections to be sent back to England. In a letter home started on 22 May, Darwin told his father that he had decided to take Covington on as a servant –
180:. Eliza Twyford was from London, and had traveled to Australia with her family in 1832 on the ship Princess Royal as a free settler. Covington was able to draw on his naval connections to find employment, and by 1843 was working as a clerk at the Sydney coal depot of the
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two daughters. In 1861 Covington died of 'paralysis' at only 47 years old. The inn was then run by his widow, and later by her second husband
Llewelyn Heaven. The license was taken over by John Behl around 1864, and the building became known as
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at sea, I am rather badly off for anyone to wait on me. The man is willing to be my servant, & ALL the expences would be under £60 per annum. I have taught him to shoot & skin birds, so that in my main object he is very useful.
204:. Darwin's letter of 23 November 1850 expressed his delight at having just received the box, which included particularly unusual species. This contributed to the extensive studies of barnacles which established Darwin as a biologist.
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He had been thinking about this for some time, but had not yet consulted the captain. In an addition to the letter, dated 6 July, Darwin announced that he had FitzRoy's agreement, and an unexpected saving –
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In
November 2023 it was announced that Syms Covington was one of 14 people, places and events commemorated in the second round of blue plaques sponsored by the Government of New South Wales alongside
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with this work, but FitzRoy's later account suggests that both Darwin and
Covington worked at excavating the fossils, and on 3 November Darwin arranged some clothing for Covington.
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Covington remained in Darwin's service until 25 February 1839. He decided to emigrate, and was given a personal reference from Darwin in a letter dated 29 May 1839.
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and more recently as a Thai restaurant, and its red tin roof and double chimneys can still be seen beside a sharp bend of the main Coast Road.
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184:. Around 1844 the family, with their first two sons, accepted the invitation of Captain Lloyd and moved to the South coast property at
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233:"The Journal of Syms Covington, Assistant to Charles Darwin Esq." was discussed by Jonathan Hodge and Gregory Radick in
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The children’s book Darwin’s
Dragons by Lindsay Galvin is told from the fictionalised perspective of Syms Covington.
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634:"Darwin Correspondence Project – Letter 2276 – Darwin, C. R. to Covington, Syms, 18 May [1858]"
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Records indicate that Covington landed in Sydney in 1840, and he married Eliza Twyford who lived at
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returned in 1836, Covington became Darwin's manservant and continued in his duties as a general
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When he was fifteen years old, Syms Covington became "fiddler & boy to Poop-cabin" on the
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579:"Darwin Correspondence Project – Letter 1370 – Darwin, C. R. to Covington, Syms, 23 Nov 1850"
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514:"Darwin Correspondence Project – Letter 700 – Darwin, C. R. to Covington, Syms, 7 Oct 1843"
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quadrupeds, which before took up far too much time. We here got 80 birds and 20 quadrupeds.
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299:, one of the first three women to graduate in architecture from the University of Sydney;
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151:. His own collection of bird specimens was invaluable in establishing the relationship of
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In July 1832 Darwin copied out a Watch-bill listing the crew and their positions,
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as, unlike Darwin, he had taken care to label where each specimen had been taken.
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emigrated to Australia and settled as a postmaster, marrying Eliza Twyford there.
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published a novel based on Syms Covington's life and his work for Darwin, called
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Covington became Postmaster of Pambula in 1854, and managed an inn called the
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On 29 April 1833, Darwin and Covington landed and took up residence ashore at
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which were collected and sent to England. It is not clear if he was assisting
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63:, which left England on 27 December 1831 under the command of captain
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in South America he noted wildlife found there, including a find of
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Covington kept a journal of the voyage, and in September 1832 at
541:"Contributions of deaf people to entomology: A hidden legacy"
188:, which Lloyd had been given in lieu of a pension from the
710:"New round of Blue Plaques recognises the stories of NSW"
684:"The 'clever girl' who helped build the Harbour Bridge"
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Covington was portrayed by Sam Downes in the 2009 film
614:. Pambula Area Progress and Planning Association Inc
609:"Discover Pambala, Walk in the Pioneers' Footsteps"
311:(Jack) and Antonios (Tony) Notaras; Ken Thomas of
539:Lang, Harry G.; Santiago-Blay, Jorge A. (2012).
488:"The Journal of Syms Covington – Chapter Eight"
377:"The Journal of Syms Covington – Chapter Three"
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435:"The Journal of Syms Covington – Chapter Four"
743:. Charles Darwin and the voyage of the Beagle
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121:As well as working as a servant and general
763:. London: Michael Joseph, Penguin Group.
801:. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
789:. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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853:English emigrants to colonial Australia
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663:. The Charles Darwin Trust. p. 61
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283:, an Aboriginal midwife and activist;
279:, godmother of Sydney Harbour Bridge;
139:Return, work for Darwin and emigration
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451:
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317:Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club
607:Angela George; Pat Raymond (2006).
708:Plaques, Blue (20 November 2023).
14:
682:Power, Julie (19 November 2023).
235:The Cambridge Companion to Darwin
818:Chapter 7 of Covington's Journal
813:Chapter 4 of Covington's Journal
196:son collected a large number of
58:second survey expedition of HMS
264:The Voyage that Shook the World
216:in 1895. It has been used as a
182:Australian Agricultural Company
29:(1816–1861) was a fiddler and
1:
798:Charles Darwin's Beagle diary
787:Charles Darwin's Beagle Diary
661:"Charles Darwin: A companion"
545:Terrestrial Arthropod Reviews
795:Keynes, R. D., ed. (2001).
313:Thomas Nationwide Transport
240:In 1998, Australian author
176:, a small town in northern
40:who became an assistant to
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229:Books discussing Covington
688:The Sydney Morning Herald
557:10.1163/18749836-05031052
319:and the first release of
132:The Voyage of the Beagle
659:Freeman, R. B. (2007).
285:Susan Katherina Schardt
746:. London: Pilot Press.
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109:
23:
297:Beryl Mary McLaughlin
21:
838:People from Bedford
281:Emma Jane Callaghan
247:Mr Darwin's Shooter
127:Journal and Remarks
640:on 16 January 2009
585:on 16 January 2009
520:on 16 January 2009
129:, better known as
95:Maldonado, Uruguay
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301:Grace Emily Munro
257:Portrayal in film
168:Life in Australia
159:Galapagos Islands
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154:Darwin's Finches
78:eggs, and giant
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209:Forest Oak Inn
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65:Robert FitzRoy
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22:Syms Covington
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717:. Retrieved
714:Blue Plaques
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691:. Retrieved
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665:. Retrieved
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642:. Retrieved
638:the original
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616:. Retrieved
587:. Retrieved
583:the original
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518:the original
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72:Bahía Blanca
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848:1861 deaths
843:1816 births
719:21 November
693:21 November
462:, pp.
460:Barlow 1945
426:Keynes 2001
410:Barlow 1945
402:Keynes 2001
360:Keynes 2001
343:Keynes 2001
321:myxomatosis
214:The Retreat
202:Twofold Bay
84:megatherium
858:Amanuenses
827:Categories
428:, p.
412:, p.
404:, p.
362:, p.
345:, p.
327:References
200:at nearby
190:Royal Navy
149:amanuensis
143:After the
123:amanuensis
736:(1945) .
565:1874-9828
291:; writer
198:barnacles
31:cabin boy
781:(2001).
759:(1991).
785:(ed.).
740:(ed.).
667:20 July
644:20 July
618:21 July
589:20 July
524:20 July
498:20 July
440:18 July
387:13 July
309:Ioannis
186:Pambula
767:
761:Darwin
563:
303:, Sir
224:Legacy
174:Stroud
145:Beagle
99:Beagle
80:fossil
60:Beagle
52:voyage
50:Beagle
37:Beagle
612:(PDF)
464:85–88
765:ISBN
721:2023
695:2023
669:2008
646:2008
620:2008
591:2008
561:ISSN
526:2008
500:2008
442:2008
389:2008
76:rhea
35:HMS
553:doi
430:152
414:169
406:179
347:449
33:on
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