Interesting Trivia:

• his name was also spelled (Davys)
• discovered the Falkland Islands
• Davis Strait was named after him
• three times, he tried to find the Northwest Passage
• invented the backstaff in 1595, a navigational tool to measure latitude
• the inventor of the Davis Quadrant
• noted for his detailed maps of the coast of Greenland, Baffin Island and Labrador
• his friends and neighbours included the explorer (Sir) Walter Raleigh and astronomer and mathematician, John Dee
• named Cumberland Sound, Cape Walsingham, Exeter Sound etc.

His Story:

Not much is known about the early life of John Davis. His father was a farmer. In his childhood, he befriended Walter (later Sir) Raleigh, who also became a great seaman and explorer. Another friend was John Dee, an astronomer and mathematician.  These men introduced Davis to explorers, cartographers and scientists of his time.

His first experiences with the sea came at age sixteen when he went on voyages with Adrian Gilbert, another native of Devon.

Through his very good relationships (amongst them with Francis Walsingham and John Dee), he was able to get backing for his first north-western expedition, in search of the Northwest Passage. Like many of his time, he was looking for a northern passage to China. The English were keen to find the Northwest Passage, which would allow them to trade in Asia without having to cross Portuguese and Spanish territories.

In 7^th June, 1585, he sailed (with two ships) to the southern tip of Greenland, which he named Cape Farewell. On his journey he sailed through, what is now called, Davis Strait and reached Baffin Island.  The headed southwest and explored the coast.  He had actually found Cumberland Sound and had sailed into the Sound. On this journey, he made first contact with the Inuit, and it was a friendly encounter. He returned to England in August of 1585, believing that the passage to Asia was either west through Cumberland Sound or north of Davis Strait.

He set out on his second voyage on 7^th May, 1586, this time with four ships.  Again, he was to explore the passage he had found the year before.  Two of the ships were sent to explore the passage between Iceland and Greenland. Davis went on to Greenland, where, unfortunately, ran into some trouble with the Inuk people and as a result, took an Inuk hostage. The Inuk people had taken the ship’s anchor and he wanted to exchange it for his hostage.  Unfortunately, while in captivity, the man died. They continued their journey, exploring the west coast of Greenland, then Exeter and Cumberland Sounds on Baffin Island. He was convinced he knew where the Northwest Passage was and returned to England on 14^th October, 1586.

His third voyage started on 19^th May, 1587, this time with three ships. This time he went farther north, coasting west Greenland, and almost reached Upernavik, which was farther north than any European explorer before him had ever gone (almost 73° N). He could go no further as violent winds were hammering his small, light ships. He was convinced that there was a passage to Asia when he passed the opening to Hudson Strait. Here the ships were struck by strong currents and ice. Again, because of his light ships, he was not albe to go further (which is a shame, because he would have discovered Hudson Bay). They headed south, and entered the Labrador fjord which bears his name today (Davis Inlet). He returned to England and arrived back home on 15^th September, 1587.

Not much is known about the next couple of years apart from that he fought the Spanish Armada in 1588, commanding the ship “Black Dog”, and that he went to the Azores with the Earl of Cumberland in 1589.

In 1591, he set out with Thomas Cavendish on what was to become a disastrous journey. The aim was to find the Northwest Passage from the Pacific Ocean. The journey was hindered by the fact that the ships could not go through the Strait of Magellan south of South America. Cavendish returned home, but Davis continued on his own. Though bad weather conditions defeated him finding a passage, he discovered the Falkland Islands in August 1592 aboard the vessel “Desire”. The bad weather and other setbacks forced him and his crew to land on the Falkland Island, where they were forced to kill penguins for food.  In his biography it is said that they killed 125,510 penguins, for food while on the Falkland Islands.  The plan was to take food with them for the journey home, but the meat spoiled once they reached the tropics. When he finally returned home he brought back only fourteen of his seventy-six men.

In the next couple of years he published some manuscripts and his inventions of the backstaff and Quadrant, which were very useful at sea, were a success.

His next voyages were with his old friend, Sir Walter Raleigh.  In 1596-97, he went with him to Cádiz and the Azores.  A year later, he traveled with a Dutch expedition to the East Indies.  He returned in 1600.  In 1601, he was appointed first pilot, and sailed in the service of the British East India Company.  He accompanied Sir James Lancaster and returned from his voyage in 1603.  On his voyages to the Indies, he drew geographical maps and records information that was important for navigating in the Orient. 

His next voyage was to be his last one, never to return to England.  He left England in December 1604 with Sir Edward Michelborne, again as a pilot. A year into the journey, on 29^th December 1605, they were engaged in a fight with Japanese pirates off Bintang near Sumatra. He was mortally wounded and died. 

Davis greatly contributed to Europe's knowledge of the Arctic and to the conducting of subsequent explorations. He drew maps of long stretches of the coast of Greenland, Baffin Island and Labrador, and recorded observations of the ice, relief, rock formations, temperature, vegetation and animal life of these areas.

Publications:

• “The Seaman's Secrets”, publication with illustrations (published by Davis himself), in two parts, 1594
• “A Traverse Book” made by John Davis in 1587
• an “Account of his Second Voyage” in 1586
• a “Report of Master John Davis” of his three voyages made for the Discovery of the North West Passage
• Various references to Davis are in the “Calendars of State Papers”, Domestic (1591-94), and East Indies (1513-1616)
• “The World's Hydrographical Description”, 1595