George Chaworth Musters

George Chaworth Musters (1841–1879) was a British Royal Navy commander and traveller, known as the "King of Patagonia".

Life He was born in Naples while his parents were travelling, 13 February 1841, the son of John George Musters of Wiverton Hall, Nottinghamshire, formerly of the 10th Royal Hussars, and his wife Emily, daughter of Philip Hamond of Westacre, Norfolk. His paternal grandparents were John Musters of Colwick Hall, Nottinghamshire, "the king of gentlemen huntsmen", who had married in 1805 Mary Anne Chaworth, heiress of Chaworth of Annesley Hall, Nottinghamshire, the "Mary" of Lord Byron's poem, The Dream. Musters was one of three children.

His father dying in 1842, and his mother in 1845, Musters was brought up mainly by his mother's brothers, one of whom, Robert Hamond, had sailed with Admiral Robert Fitzroy in HMS Beagle. He went to school at Saxby's in the Isle of Wight, and Green's at Sandgate, Kent, and then to Burney's academy at Gosport, to prepare for a naval career. After his return home he lived mostly with his brother at Wiverton.

In October 1878 Musters went to London, in order to prepare for Mozambique, where he had been appointed consul. He died on 25 January 1879, with a reputation as a fearless explorer, and a man of tact and winning manners.

Works

The Patagonian journey of Musters was described by him in At Home with the Patagonians, a Year's Wanderings on Untrodden Ground from the Straits of Magellan to the Rio Negro, London, 1871, 2nd ed. 1873.

Family Musters married in 1873 Herminia, daughter of George Williams of Sucre, Bolivia.