Tristan da Cunha is described as being the most remote island in the world. It one of a group of six islands which are administered as part of the United Kingdom's colony of Saint Helena 1180 miles to the north. The other five islands in the Tristan da Cunha group are uninhabited, except for a manned meteorological station on the southernmost island of Gough. In addition to Gough, located 230 miles SSE of Tristan da Cunha, the chain includes Inaccessible, Nightingale, and Middle and Stoltenhoff islands - both just off the coast of Nightingale.

The circular island of Tristan da Cunha is approximately 6 miles wide. The island group lies on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and was created by volcanic activity. Queen Mary's Peak 6760 feet on Tristan da Cunha is an active volcano that last erupted in 1961, causing the evacuation of Tristan da Cunha's residents.

When sailing from Brazil to Cape of Good Hope, the Portuguese navigator Tristao da Cunha discovered the island in 1506. Even though he could not land, he named the island after himself.

The first settler to arrive on the island was an american - Captain Lambert - who landed in 1810. Unfortunately he drowned while fishing in 1812.

In 1816, the British claimed the island and set up a garrison as a precaution against the French who, it was thought, were planning to recue Napoleon from exile on the island of St Helena.

Corporal William Glass from Kelso in Scotland, is regarded as the Founder of the present community. Following a tour of duty with the garrison, he returned with his wife and two children, two companions, they made up the total of six inhabitants after the garrison had finally departed. By 1826 the population had risen to 14 including shipwrecked sailors and in 1827 some women volunteers from St.Helena arrived to settle.

In 1867, HRH Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and second son of Victoria, visited the island while voyaging round the world and gave the settlement of Edinburgh its present name.

On August 6th 1961 volcanic activity was felt which became more frequent as the weeks passed. At the beginning of October a fissure was found to have opened in the mountain side. The following day the earth tremors got worse as the administrator considered it wise to move the islanders away from the danger zone and the whole population was evacuted to Nightingale Island some 25 miles away. A ship (Stirling Castle) was scheduled to call at Tristan to pick up half a dozen passenger and was diverted to Nightingale to pick up the residents to take them to Capetown. However the islanders decided to go onwards to England.

The disused Pendell Army Camp at the Warwick Wold end of Bletchingley Road Merstham, just a short distance from Bletchingley, was the home for the islanders while in England.

In 1963 the island was considered safe and the majority sailed home. Of the 268 people which had been evacuated from Tristan in 1961: 14 elected to stay behind in England, 5 elderly islanders had died, but eight babies had been born. Ten island couples had married, and four Tristan girls had married English boys.

In early 1966, 35 islanders decided to return to the UK, as they were disenchanted with island life: they left on the same ship which had brought the resettlement party back, the MV Boissevain.

Today, Tristan da Cunha includes a school, hospital, post office, museum, and a crayfish canning factory. The issue of postage stamps is a major source of revenue for the island. The self-supporting residents fish, raise livestock, make handicrafts, and grow potatoes. The island is visited annually by RMS St. Helena and more regularly by fishing vessels. There is no airport or landing field on the island.

Tristan da Cunha with its neighbouring islands, Inaccessible and Nightingale, is an ornthologists dream with fourteen different types of petrel including the greater shearwater, the prion and the storm petrel; the rockhopper penguins; the yellowed-nosed albatross and the wandering albatross.