Fellows, Charles, Sir (1799 -1860)

Sir Charles Fellows was the fourth son of John Fellows, a banker and gentleman of fortune, of Nottingham and Beeston in Nottinghamshire, and Sarah, daughter of Michael Pearson M.D. of London. Born at Nottingham in August 1799, in early life he travelled through a great part of Britain and in 1820 settled in London where he became an active member of the British Association. On 25 July 1827 in company with William Hawes, he made the thirteenth recorded ascent of Mount Blanc. In 1832 he spent much of two years in Italy. In 1838 he travelled all over Asia Minor and published A journal written during an excursion in Asia Minor (London, 1839). As a result, the British Museum asked the Sultan for permission to bring away some antiquities at the ancient capital at Lycia. Late in 1839, Fellows returned to Turkey accompanied by the artist George Scharf. This expedition resulted in the discovery of thirteen ancient cities, but permission could not be obtained to remove any antiquities. A third expedition and a fourth resulted in the removal of a total of over a hundred cases of architectural and sculptural features from the various sites. In 1844 Fellows presented his manuscript accounts of these expeditions to the British Museum. On the 7 May 1845 he was knighted. During the latter part of his life he lived on the Isle of Wight and busied himself with agriculture. He died in London on 8 November 1860. He married twice, firstly Eliza, only daughter of Francis Hart, banker of Nottingham; secondly Harriett, daughter and coheir of John Eames, of the Isle of Wight, and widow of William Knight of Oaklands. He was survived by his only son by his first wife, Charles Francis Fellows