Vivian Hewitt Explained

Vivian Hewitt
Birth Date:1888
Birth Place:Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England
Death Date:[1]
Nationality:British
Known For:Second flight from Great Britain to Ireland, 26 April 1912[2]
License Date:1 October 1912[3]
License Place:London

Vivian Vaughan Davies Hewitt (1888–1965) was a pioneering Welsh aviator. Born in Grimsby, he moved to Bodfari, Denbighshire, Wales, his mother's family home, on the death of his father during his childhood.[1]

On 26 April 1912, Hewitt successfully completed a flight between Holyhead and Dublin, landing in the Phoenix Park. Interviewed by the press, he expressed the view that Damer Leslie Allen, who had disappeared a few days earlier whilst attempting the same flight, had been insufficiently experienced as an aviator for a task of such difficulty.[2]

Although widely reported to be the first person to cross the sea from Great Britain to Ireland in an aeroplane, several days earlier,[1] on 22 April Denys Corbett Wilson had flown from Goodwick in Pembrokeshire to Enniscorthy.[4] [5] Nevertheless, the view was expressed at the time that Hewitt's flight was "a more difficult and dangerous feat" than Corbett Wilson's.[6]

Hewitt was also a keen ornithologist and set up a bird sanctuary at his home of Bryn Aber at Cemlyn Bay, Anglesey, which is now managed by The North Wales Wildlife Trust.[7] He was known as the "world’s greatest private Great Auk collector", as he built up a collection of the skins and eggs of these extinct birds.[8] [9] His specimens are now in museums in Cardiff, Birmingham, Los Angeles, and Cincinnati.[10]

Notes and References

  1. News: Lewis. Alys. BBC: Captain Vivian Hewitt – the aviation pioneer . 2011-06-19. BBC News. 10 March 2010.
  2. News: Aviation: Flight from Holyhead to Dublin – Mr Hewitt descends in the Phoenix Park. Irish Times. Dublin. 27 April 1912. 7.
  3. http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1912/1912%20-%200894.html Flight Magazine 5 October 1912
  4. 27 April 1912 . Flying the Irish Channel . Flight Magazine . IV . 17 . 379 . Reed Business Information . London . 2011-06-18 . PDF.
  5. News: Irish Aviator's Feat: St. George's Channel Crossed. Irish Times. Dublin. 27 April 1912. 23.
  6. News: Editorial. (Weekly) Irish Times. Dublin. 4 May 1912. 10.
  7. News: Anglesey home of famous airman put up for auction. Wyn-Williams. Gareth. 2017-05-22. northwales. 2018-05-20.
  8. Web site: Captain Vivian Hewitt ~ Lincolnshire Born Aviation Pioneer » Rod Collins. www.rodcollins.com. 2018-05-20.
  9. Birkhead . Tim R. . Clugston . David L. . Fuller . Errol . April 2023 . The dispersal of Vivian Vaughan Davies Hewitt ’ s collection of great auk (Pinguinus impennis) eggs . Archives of Natural History . en . 50 . 1 . 191–206 . 10.3366/anh.2023.0837 . 0260-9541.
  10. Thomas. Jessica E.. Carvalho. Gary R.. Haile. James. Martin. Michael D.. Castruita. Jose A. Samaniego. Niemann. Jonas. Sinding. Mikkel-Holger S.. Sandoval-Velasco. Marcela. Rawlence. Nicolas J.. 2017-06-15. An 'Aukward' Tale: A Genetic Approach to Discover the Whereabouts of the Last Great Auks. Genes. en. 8. 6. 164. 10.3390/genes8060164. 28617333. 5485528. free.