The British Empire and its effect on Plymouth


Montagu Brownlow Parker (Fifth Earl of Morley) in Jerusalem


This photograph shows the 5th Earl on his Parker Expedition to attempt to excavate King Solomon's Temple and find the Lost Ark of the Covenant. In many ways he was the prototype for the adventurer archaeologist that eventually culminated in the pulp fiction story of Indiana Jones. In many ways though, Montagu Parker was more interesting still as a decorated war hero and the first person to attempt to excavate such an important biblical site. The news paper cutting below hints at the size of the expedition but also the disruption that it caused.

At the bottom, you can see Montagu Parker in his Boer War Grenadier Guards uniform.


Empire in Your Backyard: Plymouth Article


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by Stephen Luscombe