Mrs Churchill and the Tuatara

Drawing of Tuataras by Mary Edith Durham (1863-1944) for Hans Gadow's volume Amphibia and Reptiles
in the Cambridge Natural History series of 1901

The most likely introduction to the Tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus), that sole living survivor of an ancient reptilian group the Rhynchocephalia, to anybody studying zoology in the last century was by means of its skull. The reason why zoology departments had a tuatara skull was because it exhibits two holes on either side—the diapsid or ‘two arches’ condition—that was used as a key feature in the classification of reptiles. The skull would have to do. The chances of seeing a live tuatara in the wild, or for that matter in a zoo, were remote. Indeed, after searching for them on islands off New Zealand where they are known to occur but without success, I still regard the chances as remote. However, one person who did encounter one in the wild while lost in a forest was Clementine Churchill (1885-1977). Yes, that Mrs Churchill, ‘Clemmie’ wife of Winston.

In a previous article HERE I wrote a little of Lord Moyne, Walter Edward Guinness, (1880-1944) and the expedition cruises with his mistress, Vera Delves-Broughton, and guests on his diesel-powered yacht, Rosaura. In December 1934 the yacht set off for the islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Clementine Churchill, then aged 49, was one of the guests. Winston had been invited but had been unable or perhaps less than willing to go for such a long voyage. The aspect of the voyage that has excited most interest is the relationship between Mrs Churchill and another guest, the art dealer Terence Philip. My reading is that Moyne had chosen him carefully. A charming but ‘confirmed bachelor’ Philip seems to have been regarded as a homosexual and therefore safe with lady guests. However, it is well recorded that Mrs Churchill did fall for him on the voyage. That ‘fall’ though appears to have been unreciprocated.

Back to more important, i.e. zoological, matters. Clementine’s biographer who was also her daughter quoted from one of the long and frequent letters she had written to Winston. Rosaura was anchored off a small island and the whole party had gone ashore by dinghy to search for tuataras in the hope of taking some back to London. Clementine loved rock climbing but tired easily. Having climbed the steep cliff and scrambled on hands and knees through thick bush, she was done in and decided to head back. It was then that she realised she was lost. She tried to retrace her steps but failed. Exhausted by scrambling through thick undergrowth, soaked by a passing shower and her shouts for help unheard she spotted, what she called in her letters home to Winston, a ‘lizard:

Suddenly I saw one of the lizards, quite close looking at me with his agate eyes. He was motionless. I sat down near him & we watched each other—Then I started shouting again & thought, Now the lizard will scuttle off but he did not move. They are stone deaf. But my voice did not carry far...—Presently the lizard moved off and left me. Suddenly I heard Walter's voice far away... I called back but I felt he could not hear - Still I felt comforted—Presently I heard a loud crackling of branches & there was the second officer—I almost kissed him. He blew a whistle which was the signal Walter had arranged for whichever found me first. There were about 8 looking for me by now. Presently Walter appeared white with anxiety—I was really lost for only 1 hour, but it felt like much more in that dense enchanted wood—Of course there was no danger really I suppose but I thought of lying there & dying of hunger as far away from you as I can be on this earth.

Only one of the ‘several’ Tuataras captured by the Moyne Expedition made it back to London alive. At London Zoo it survived for only ‘5-6 months’.

Having seen Clementine Churchill in newspapers and on the television I have difficulty in imagining her other than as an old lady and that she had a long and active life before and after she reached that stage in life. And her adventures zoological on Rosaura in 1935 were not over. There was—and is—more to come.

Soames M. 2002. Clementine Churchill. Revised and updated edition. London: Doubleday.