Everyone knows about Charles Darwin’s epic round the world trip that led to his controversial book On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection. But how many know his journey began from the front door of The Lion Hotel where the young scientist caught the stagecoach to London.
The reason 22-year-old Charles Darwin had to leave the hotel in haste on Monday, September 5, 1831, was that a second person had been offered the job as naturalist on HMS Beagle and Darwin feared he might miss his opportunity.
Charles Robert Darwin, who was born at The Mount, Shrewsbury and was educated at Shrewsbury Grammar School (now the town library), did get the job and set off on a journey that was to last for four years, nine months and five days.
When he returned to Britain he got off the ship at the first opportunity in Cornwall and took the stagecoach to Shrewsbury. As he arrived so late in the evening, it is believed he spent the night at The Lion before arriving at his home for breakfast to a surprised but delighted family.
His controversial views on evolution caused an outcry in Shrewsbury.
When a gale blew down the top 50ft of St Mary’s Church spire on Sunday, February 11, 1894, the day before the anniversary of Darwin’s birth, and while the council were debating putting up a controversial statue of Darwin in the town, the vicar, the Rev Newdegate Poyntz, said it was divine retribution.
Incidentally, that statue can still be seen today in front of the town library.
The debate on evolution has continued ever since and Darwin’s connection with The Lion is not forgotten either.
Every year since 2003, the hotel has hosted the Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival, which has attracted around 40 full-time, professional cartoonists and caricaturists from the UK and abroad. One of them, Bill Stott, drew this Darwin cartoon (pictured below by Richard Bishop) which hangs up in the hotel reception today.
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