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Hadleigh Nub News delves into the life of former Hitcham resident, priest botanist and geologist John Stevens Henslow.

Born in Rochester, Kent on February 6 1796, he was the son of John Prentis Henslow and the grandson of navy surveyor, Sir John Henslow.

He studied at St. John's College, Cambridge where he graduated as 16th wrangler in 1818. At the University of Cambridge, a wrangler is a student who achieves first class honours in the final year of the university's degree in mathematics.

From childhood, he always had a passion for natural history. In 1819, after graduation, he accompanied Adam Sedgwick on a tour in the Isle of Wight where he learned his first lessons in geology.

Henslow is best remembered as a friend and mentor to Charles Darwin, and for inspiring him with a passion for natural history.

The two first met in 1828 when Henslow became his tutor, and it was not long before he marked Darwin as a promising student.

In 1831, Henslow was offered the opportunity to sail aboard the survey ship HMS Beagle on a voyage to survey South America, However, his wife, Harriet, dissuaded him from going.

However, Henslow saw this as a great opportunity for his pupil thus he wrote to the ship's captain to tell him that Darwin was the right man to join the voyage.

Darwin frequently corresponded with Henslow. After arriving in the Galapagos Island, Darwin wrote to Henslow, "I certainly recognise S. America in Ornithology, would a botanist?" He collected many plant samples and, notably, theorised that a group of mockingbirds that he found were of a species despite their variations.

This set the groundwork in his theory of evolution. Henslow's teaching also continued to influence Darwin's work on evolution.

In 1837, Henslow was appointed to the remunerative Crown living in Hitcham. Two years later, he moved to the parish and, as rector of Hitcham, he lived at the rectory.

His energies and time were dedicated to improving the lives of his parishioners.

At the time, Hitcham was a poor parish, and most people were illiterate. Henslow raised funds and donated his own money to support opening a school. The school was founded in 1841.

He also saw the importance of museums, thus helped establish Ipswich Museum in 1847 and, in 1850, he was elected its President.

Henslow died on May 16 1861 in Hitcham, leaving behind his children and grandchild.