Saved by the shell
Historic specimens from Cook last voyage rescued from skip
SEASHELLS from Captain Cook’s last voyage will go on display 50 years after being thrown in a skip.
The remarkable collection was amassed before the explorer was killed by Hawaiian islanders in 1779.
They were loaned to Armstrong College, now Newcastle University, in 1934 but nearly met an untimely end in the 1970s when they were thrown away. Luckily, passing marine biology lecturer Dr John Buchanan spotted them in a skip and saved them.
The shells were then cared for by his family until they were discovered to be part of a collection owned by Bridget Atkinson, who lived from 1732-1814. Dr Buchanan’s family said: “The shells remained in our family home for 35 years. “Following the death of our mother, we discovered they were from the Clayton Collection. We were delighted to return them to English Heritage for future generations to enjoy.”
English Heritage is to display them beside a giant clam previously thought to be the only survivor. Dr Frances McIntosh, English Heritage’s collections curator, said: “We’ve always known about this collection, but believed it was lost.
“To discover the shells have not only survived but been loved all this time is a miracle.” The shells, gathered by Cook’s armourer George Dixon on his third Pacific voyage, include the first to be seen in the UK from Tasmania.
Bridget, who never left Britain, amassed more than 1,200 shells from across the globe. Her passion was shared by her grandson, John Clayton, with the collection named after him.
The shells will be displayed from tomorrow at Chesters Roman Fort near Walwick in Northumberland.