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Robert John Le Mesurier McClure (M’Clure)
28th January, 1807 (Wexford, Ireland) - 17th October, 1873 (London, England)
Interesting Trivia
- Went to Eton and Sandhurst to study
- Joined the Navy at 17 years old
- Was the first to circumnavigate the Americas and transit the Northwest Passage
- Knighted in 1854
- Was awarded gold medals by the English and French geographical societies
- In 1867, became Rear-Admiral
- In 1869 he married Constance Ada Tudor
- In 1873, became Vice-Admiral
- Named after him were; McClure Strait, McClure crater on the Moon
His Story
McClure was raised by his godfather, General Le Mesurier, who was the Governor of Alderney. His father died before he was born and his friend took the young boy under his wing. He got an army education, but nevertheless, joined the British Royal Navy at age 17.
It was not until he was in his late 20’s that he got his first experience of the Arctic when he joined an expedition on the ship “Terror” , which was commanded by Captain George Back.
From 1838, he served on the Canadian lakes for a year as a lieutenant and then got transferred to the North American and West Indian naval stations where he stayed for several more years.
In 1848, he had the chance to join the search for the Franklin party. It was one of the first ships that started the search. He sailed as a first lieutenant on the “Enterprise” with James Clark Ross. The search was unsuccessful, but he was given command of the “Investigator” upon his return in 1850 started a search expedition on his own. This, now famous, journey lasted 4 years, and resulted not in finding Franklin and his team, but he discovered the Northwest Passage. He had sailed to the Bering Strait and continued northeast. He then sailed into the Prince of Wales Strait.
McClure and his team were almost lost themselves as their ship became caught in the ice and they had to abandon it in the spring of 1853. They took sledges to cross the pack ice and were eventually rescued by Captain Henry Kellett, but were suffering from scurvy and malnutrition. He and his team had done exploring over land as he was eager to find out where the Strait led to. He had found the long sought Northwest Passage. Remarkably, the ship with which Kellett traveled, the “Resolute” got caught in ice as well and McClure and his men spent a fourth winter in the Arctic. Luckily, the “Resolute” was able to sail back after the ice gave them free again with the crew of three ships on board. They arrived back in England on 28th September, 1854. Although he was court martialed for loosing the “Investigator”, he was acquitted and got a promotion to Captain as well as the knighthood.
There was a prize connected to the finding of the Northwest Passage. A total of £10,000 was awarded to McClure and his crew, which he did not want to share with their rescuers.
His friend, Captain Sherard Osborn wrote about the discovery of the Northwest Passage, using McClure’s own writings and journal. The book; The Discovery of a North-West Passage was published in 1856.
He had discovered the Northwest Passage, but it would take another 55 years before a navigator would sail it.
From 1856 to 1861, he commanded the division of the Naval Brigade, serving in Eastern waters and before Canton. He never returned to the Arctic.
His retirement was spent in the quiet countryside.
Books
- Admiral Sherard Osborn, The Discovery of a North-West Passage (1856)
- The Royal Navy in Polar Exploration From Frobisher to Ross, by E. C. Coleman 2006 (ISBN 0-7524-3660-0)
Te Papa Whale exhibition in Washington, DC