A NEW blue plaque honouring an English naturalist has been unveiled in Poole.

The blue plaque unveiled at Skinner Street Church highlights the importance of Philip Henry Gosse for his contributions in forwarding the cause of natural history.

Residents attended the unveiling along with the Mayor of Poole, Councillor Julie Bagwell.

Henry’s childhood home in Poole, was just across the street from Skinner Street Church, where he was a member of the choir.

His aunt Susan Bell, taught him to draw and introduced him to zoology, using specimens from the harbour.

In 1827, he sailed to Newfoundland to work as a clerk. In his spare time, he became a dedicated, self-taught student of Newfoundland natural history.

He repeated this pattern of study whilst he farmed unsuccessfully in Quebec.

Returning to London in 1839 he published the Canadian Naturalist this was followed by 34 books and scientific papers on various subjects.

Weymouth in the 1850s, is the backdrop to his most popular book The Aquarium: An Unveiling of the Wonders of the Deep Sea, which was published in 1854.

The plaque is the result of a joint project between Skinner Street Church, the Poole Flag Trust and Poole Group of the Dorset Wildlife Trust.

Gerald Rigler, spokesperson for the joint project, said: “It was good to learn that several of the people able to attend were related to Henry Gosse and relatives from across the world have also expressed their pleasure about the plaque.”

Councillor Mark Howell, said: "I attended and spoke at the unveiling at the request of Gerald Rigler, as Philip Gosse was my third great grand uncle.

"I was delighted to attend to recognise the hard work of Gerald and his colleagues in honouring a famous Poole figure. Discovering that Philip’s father, my 4th great grandfather Thomas Gosse, lived opposite the plaque was a pleasant surprise."