Martin Frobisher

957
Martin Frobisher bigraphy, stories - English explorer

Martin Frobisher : biography

– 15 November 1594

Sir Martin Frobisher (c. 1535 or 1539 – 22 November 1594) was an English seaman who made three voyages to the New World to look for the Northwest Passage. All landed in northeastern Canada, around today’s Resolution Island and Frobisher Bay. On his second voyage, Frobisher found what he thought was gold ore and carried 200 tons of it home on three ships, where initial assaying determined it to be worth a profit of £5.1 per ton. Encouraged, Frobisher returned to Canada with an even larger fleet and dug several mines around Frobisher Bay. He carted 1,350 tons of the ore back where, after years of smelting, it was realized that both that batch of ore and the earlier one he had taken were worthless iron pyrite. As an English privateer/pirate, he collected riches from French ships. He was later knighted for his service in repelling the Spanish Armada in 1588.

Later life

In 1591, he visited his native Altofts, and there married his second wife, Dorothy Wentworth 3 January 1601), a daughter of Thomas, 1st Baron Wentworth, becoming at the same time a landed proprietor in Yorkshire and Notts. He found, however, little leisure for a country life, and the following year took charge of the fleet fitted out by Sir Walter Raleigh to the Spanish coast, returning with a rich prize.

In November 1594, he was engaged with a squadron in the siege and relief of Brest, where he received a gunshot wound during the Siege of Fort Crozon,

a Spanish-held fortress. Poor medical treatment resulted in his death days later at Plymouth on 15 November. His soft organs were buried at St Andrew's Church, Plymouth on 22 November. His body was then taken to London and buried at St Giles-without-Cripplegate. 

Legacy

The Royal Navy Hawkins-class heavy cruiser HMS Frobisher was named after him.

Frobisher Bay, in the Canadian Territory of Nunavut, is named after him. It was also the former name of Nunavut’s capital, Iqaluit, until 1987.

An early version of Thanksgiving was celebrated after safe landing of Frobisher’s fleet in Newfoundland after an unsuccessful attempt to find the Northwest Passage. (Hogan. 2011)

Frobisher Crescent, part of the Barbican Estate in London, is named after Frobisher.

A stained glass window in memory of him can be found in All Saints Church, Normanton nearby to his birthplace in Altofts, West Yorkshire

Notes

Second voyage

The next year, a much bigger expedition than the former was fitted out. The Queen sold the Royal Navy ship Ayde to the Company of Cathay and provided £1000 towards the expenses of the expedition. The Company of Cathay was granted a charter from the crown, giving the company the sole right of sailing in every direction but the east. Frobisher was appointed high admiral of all lands and waters that might be discovered by him.

On 27 May 1577, the expedition, consisting, besides Ayde, of the ships Gabriel and Michael, with an aggregate complement of 150 men, including miners, refiners, gentlemen, and soldiers, left Blackwall, and sailing by the north of Scotland reached Hall’s Island at the mouth of Frobisher Bay on 17 July. A few days later, the country and the south side of the bay was solemnly taken possession of in the queen’s name.

Several weeks were now spent in collecting ore, but very little was done in the way of discovery, Frobisher being specially directed by his commission to "defer the further discovery of the passage until another time." There was much parleying and some skirmishing with the natives, and earnest but futile attempts were made to recover the men captured the previous year.

The return was begun on 23 August, and Ayde reached Milford Haven on 23 September. Gabriel and Michael later arrived separately at Bristol and Yarmouth.

Frobisher was received and thanked by the queen at Windsor. Great preparations were made and considerable expense incurred for the assaying of the great quantity of "ore" (about 200 tons) brought home. This took up much time, and led to considerable dispute among the various parties interested