Dr Charles M Lansley

Dr. Charles Morris Lansley has strong connections to the Isle of Wight through his father’s side of the family who lived on the Island, his Stark and Morris ancestors having had grazing rights in 1425 in the reign of Henry VI. He still maintains his connection to the Island through his home in Shanklin and his interest in Island family and social history.

Charles Morris Lansley’s other research interests are in eighteenth and nineteenth century natural history, science and literature. He was awarded his PhD by the University of Winchester in 2016 for research into Charles Darwin and his book Charles Darwin’s Debt to the Romantics: How Alexander von Humboldt, Goethe and Wordsworth Helped Shape Darwin’s View of Nature was published in 2018 by Peter Lang.

Prior to his research on Darwin, he worked in education and training before retiring. He is a Fellow of The Linnean Society of London.