Tuesday 5 May 2009

John Lethbridge



St. Mary the Virgin, Wolborough, Newton Abbot. The church sits atop a hill and the grave yard slopes steeply but at this time of the year is covered in spring flowers.

John Lethbridge was the first 'deep sea diver'. He designed and built an underwater vessel which enabled him to explore sunken ships and recover huge quantities of precious metals, which made his fortune. He was so wealthy that he was reported as having 17 children. His grave is the smallest one on the left of the trio.

There is a special exhibition running in Newton Abbot's museum with a mock up of his diving gear.