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William Baffin
Born: 1584, in London, England (most likely, but exact details not known) - Died: 23rd Jan, 1622 in Kishm, Persia, Persian Gulf
Interesting Trivia:
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Discovered amongst other: Baffin Bay and Baffin Island (They got Baffin’s name later when W.E. Parry renamed them "out of respect to the memory of that able and enterprising navigator")
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Known for being the first person to determine the longitude at sea by lunar observation
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Best remembered for the importance and accuracy of his numerous scientific and magnetic observations and, not to be forgotten, geographical discoveries
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Has a rose named after him (one of the most exceptional roses from the Canadian Dept. of Agriculture rose breeding program)
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A brilliant navigator and cartographer
His Story:
William Baffin was an English navigator and discoverer. Exactly what he did before he went on his first journey is not known. In fact, nothing is really known about him prior to 1612, when he became a pilot of the "Patience". A new company was formed to explore the Arctic, calling itself “The Company of Merchants of London, Discoverers of the Northwest Passage” They wanted to follow Henry Hudson's voyage of 1610-1611. The “Patience” was one of the vessels that was to accompany Captain James Hall. Unfortunately, Captain Hall got killed in a fight with the natives on the west coast of Greenland. When Baffin returned from that journey, (not having found the Northwest Passage) he published an account of the expedition.
In 1613, having entered the service of the Muscovy Company (he worked for them in the Spitsbergen whale fishery for a couple of years), he became chief pilot of seven vessels, and visited the Spitzbergen coast for fishing. Again, he wrote an account of this voyage.
He set off again in 1614, with Captain Robert Bylot and charted the south coast of Baffin Island. They gathering useful information on anchorages, tides and currents in the area. Then, in 1615 he piloted the "Discovery", again commanded by Captain Robert Bylot, in the search for the Northwest Passage. Baffin had a chance to examine the Hudson Strait in more detail. They did not find the Northwest Passage and Baffin became convinced that the Northwest Passage did not exist. (His conviction discouraged arctic exploration for a time, and it was not until about 200 years later that another attempt was made.) But the journey was still successful as they discovered the Carey Islands and while they continued along the coasts of Ellesmere, Devon and Bylot Islands where they also discovered Jones and Lancaster Sounds. On this journey he again was able to gather useful information on anchorages, tides and currents in the area. Baffin deduced the first longitude calculated at sea by observing the occultation of a star by the moon.
How accurate and detailed Baffin's tidal and astronomical observations on this voyage were, were confirmed, two centuries later (in1821), by Sir Edward Parry, when he traveled the same area. On this voyage he sailed over 300 miles farther north than his predecessor John Davis, and for 236 years his farthest north (approx. lat. 70° 45') remained unsurpassed in that sea. Still, the Northwest Passage remained nothing more than a dream and in course of time even the discoveries made by Baffin were questioned until they were re-discovered by Captain Ross in 1818.
The British Museum has his original manuscript description of this voyage, which contains much valuable information.
In 1616 he sailed, again with the "Discovery" and went up through Davis Strait, reaching as far as 78° N. latitude, and cruised around the open sea now known as Baffin's Bay. Again, he did not find the Northwest Passage, and in his notes even remarked that he doubted there was a Northwest Passage.
The following years, the traveled to the East twice (in 1617 and 1620) with Captain Shilling, and was now working for East India Company. His valuable surveys which he undertook on his journeys of the Red Sea and Persian Gulf (he drew maps of Persia (now Iran) and of the Red Sea) were highly praised and he received a special recognition of the East India Company for this contribution.
His final voyage, in 1621, was made as master of the "London". It was a war mission with the purpose of driving the Portuguese from Ormuz. Unfortunately, he was fatally shot when engaged in making measurements and died on the 23rd of January 1622.
Te Papa Whale exhibition in Washington, DC