James Gurney
Goldsworthy Marlinspike  2005

The Mayor of Bilgewater, Goldsworthy Marlinspike is a Dinotopian innovator. A former sea captain, he devised a plan for rescuing sunken ships, carrying them overland with the assistance of dinosaurs to create housing for the city's residents. Also a celestial navigator, he displays astronomical and navigational instruments in his cabin. These include a binnacle or ship's compass, an armillary sphere, and an ancient astrological chart.

The character's name was inspired by Goldsworthy Gurney, the artist's paternal uncle, several generations removed, who was also an inventor. He developed a steam carriage in England in the 1830s and drove his own steam-driven car during the 1840s.

Illustration for Dinotopia: Journey to Chandara
Oil on board

Link to image of plaque at Norman Rockwell Museum