Capt Matthew Flinders, who gave Wetherspoon pub its name, reburied

The remains of Captain Matthew Flinders were unearthed during work on the HS2 railway near Euston station in 2019  – more than 200 years after his death was recorded in 1814.

Capt Flinders had one more journey to make as his body was taken to Donington, the Lincolnshire village where he was born, on Saturday (July 13).

His body was then laid to rest following a service at the Church of St Mary and the Holy Rood.

Descendants of the explorer travelled from Australia to attend the ceremony in Lincolnshire.

Villagers held a party at Flinders Park in the morning and his coffin was carried through the village. His body was then lowered into his new grave and the service was finished with a fireworks display.

Who was Capt Matthew Flinders?

The Royal Navy explorer led the circumnavigation of Australia and is credited with giving the country its name.

An artist's impression of The Captain Flinders in Eversholt Street, Euston (Image: DV Architects)

Although he was not the first person to use the term Australia, his work and publications popularised it and his surname is associated with many locations around the country.

The location of his burial was lost in the mid-1800s but archaeologists rediscovered his burial site among those of 40,000 other people in Euston’s St James's Gardens burial ground.

His body was identified by the lead breast plate on top of his coffin.

An artist's impression of The Captain Flinders in Eversholt Street, Euston

Even before the discovery, there was an urban myth that he was buried under platform 15.

This year did not only mark his reburial. A new Wetherspoon pub called The Captain Flinders opened on the corner of Eversholt Street and Doric Way near Euston station on January 9.

Formerly the SophistiCats lap dancing club, JD Wetherspoon spent £2.3 million to give the venue a new look, creating 55 new jobs.

The carpet fitted throughout the pub draws its design inspiration from Euston station, with cable patterns, as well as hidden cat faces to celebrate Trim, Captain Flinders’ pet cat who accompanied him on his expeditions.