Sir Martin Frobisher by Cornelis Ketel, c. 1577

Sir Martin Frobisher (c. 1535 or 1539 – November 22, 1594) was an English seaman (from Wakefield, Yorkshire) 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 and carried 200 tons of it home on three ships, where initial assaying determined it to be worth a profit of £5 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 realised that both that batch of ore and the earlier one he had taken were worthless. 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. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (438x961, 142 KB)Sir Martin Frobisher by Cornelis Ketel. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (438x961, 142 KB)Sir Martin Frobisher by Cornelis Ketel. ... pie is nice Year 1535 was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... Events May 30 - In Florida, Hernando de Soto lands at Tampa Bay with 600 soldiers with the goal to find gold. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events February 27 - Henry IV is crowned King of France at Rheims. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Wakefield (disambiguation). ... Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England. ... Frontispiece of Peter Martyr dAnghieras De orbe novo (On the New World). Carte dAmérique, Guillaume Delisle, 1722. ... For other uses, see Northwest Passage (disambiguation). ... Resolution Island, Nunavut (red circle at edge of map). ... Frobisher Bay, Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. ... Frobisher Bay, Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. ... For other uses, see Privateer (disambiguation). ... Look up pirate and piracy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Belligerents England Dutch Republic Spain Portugal Commanders Elizabeth I of England Charles Howard Francis Drake Philip II of Spain Duke of Medina Sidonia Strength 34 warships 163 armed merchant vessels 30 Dutch flyboats 22 galleons 108 armed merchant vessels Casualties and losses 50–100 dead[1] ~400 wounded 6,000... Year 1588 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Early life

Frobisher was born in Wakefield, England. He was the youngest of five children. His father was Bernard Frobisher, and his mother was Margaret Frobisher of Altofts in the parish of Normanton, Yorkshire, England. He grew up as a youth living with his uncle and going on many trips. The family descended from John Frobysler (born about 1255) who was of Scottish extraction and went to fight for Edward I in the Welsh wars. He was granted lands at Chirk in Flintshire, North Wales. Altofts is a village near Normanton, West Yorkshire, England. ... A parish is a type of administrative subdivision. ... Normanton is a town in West Yorkshire, England, lying north east of Wakefield and south west of Castleford. ... Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Events Königsberg was founded Births Emperor Albert I of Germany, in July Deaths Monarchs/Presidents Aragon - James I King of Aragon and count of Barcelona (reigned from 1213 to 1276) Categories: 1255 ... This article is about the country. ... Edward I (17 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), popularly known as Longshanks[1], also as Edward the Lawgiver or the English Justinian because of his legal reforms, and as Hammer of the Scots,[2] achieved fame as the monarch who conquered Wales and tried to do the same to Scotland. ... Wales in the Late Middle Ages covers the period from the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd in late 1282 to the incorporation of Wales into England by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542. ... St Marys Parish Church Aqueduct of Chirk, John Sell Cotman, c. ... Flintshire (Welsh: ) is a principal area and county in north-east Wales. ... Approximate extent of North Wales North Wales (known in some archaic texts as Northgalis) is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales. ...

At an early age, he was sent to a school in London, where he was placed under the care of a kinsman, Sir York JohnIn 1553, Sir John sent him to sea with a trading expedition sailing to the Guinea coast of Africa. The following year on another expedition to Guinea he was held hostage for several months before being freed..^[1] By 1565, he is referred to as Captain Martin Frobisher and in 1571—1572 as being in the public service at sea off the coast of Ireland. Frobisher was charged with piracy at least three times, although the cases never went to trial.^[1] He had married in 1559. // Events June 26 - Christs Hospital in London gets a Royal Charter July 6 - Edward VI of England dies July 10 - Lady Jane Grey is proclaimed Queen of England - for the next nine days July 18 - Lord Mayor of London proclaims Queen Mary as the rightful Queen - Lady Jane Grey... // Events March 1 - the city of Rio de Janeiro is founded. ... Events January 11 - Austrian nobility is granted Freedom of religion. ... January 16 - Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk is tried for treason for his part in the Ridolfi plot to restore Catholicism in England. ... January 15 - Elizabeth I of England is crowned in Westminster Abbey. ...

The first voyage in search of the Northwest Passage

As early as 1560 or 1561, Frobisher had formed a resolution to undertake a voyage in search of a Northwest Passage as a trade-route to India and China (referred to at that time as Cathay). Events February 27 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation of Scotland The first tulip bulb was brought from Turkey to the Netherlands. ... // Events The Edict of Orleans suspends the persecution of the Huguenots. ... Cathay is the Anglicized version of Catai, the name that was given to northern China by Marco Polo (he referred to southern China as Manji). ...

It took him fifteen years to gain the necessary funding for his project. In 1576 Frobisher managed to convince the Muscovy Company, an English merchant consortium which had previously sent out several parties searching for the Northwest Passage, to license his expedition. With the help of Micheal Lok, the Muscovy Company's director, Frobisher was able to raise enough capital for three barks: the Gabriel and Michael, of about 20-25 tons each, and a pinnace of ten tons, with a total crew of 35. ^[1] Events May 5 - Peace of Beaulieu or Peace of Monsieur (after Monsieur, the Duc dAnjou, brother of the King, who negotiated it). ... Ivan IV of Russia demonstrates his treasures to the English ambassador (1875) The Muscovy Company (also called Russian Company or Muscovy Trading Company, Russian: Московская компания), was a trading company chartered in 1555. ... A barc is a type of sailing vessel. ... A pinnace is a light boat, propelled by sails or oars, formerly used as a tender for guiding merchant and war vessels. ...

He weighed anchor at Blackwall, and, after having received a good word from Queen Elizabeth I of England at Greenwich, set sail on June 7th, 1576, by way of the Shetland Islands. Blackwall Frigate Blackwall is an area of the East End of London, situated in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. ... Elizabeth I redirects here. ... This article is about Greenwich in England. ... June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ... Events May 5 - Peace of Beaulieu or Peace of Monsieur (after Monsieur, the Duc dAnjou, brother of the King, who negotiated it). ... The Shetland Islands, also called Shetland (archaically spelled Zetland) formerly called Hjaltland, comprise one of 32 council areas of Scotland. ...

In a storm, the pinnace was lost, and the Michael was abandoned, but on 28 July, the Gabriel sighted the coast of Labrador. is the 209th day of the year (210th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Labrador (also Coast of Labrador) is a region of Atlantic Canada. ...

a few days later, the mouth of Frobisher Bay was reached, and because ice and wind prevented further travel north, Frobisher determined to sail westward up this passage (which he conceived to be a strait) to see "whether he might carry himself through the same into some open sea on the back side." Frobisher Bay, Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. ...

Baffin Island was reached on the 18 August 1576, where the expedition met some of the local natives. Having made arrangements with one of the natives to guide them through the region, Frobisher sent five of his men in a ship's boat to return the native to shore, but instructing them to avoid getting too close to any of the other natives. The boat's crew disobeyed, however, and were apparently taken captive by the Inuit. After days of searching Frobisher could not recover them, and eventually took hostage the man who had agreed to guide them to see if an exchange for the missing boat's crew could be arranged. The effort was fruitless, and the men were never seen again, but Inuit legend tells that the men lived among them for a few years until they died attempting to leave Baffin Island in a self-made boat. Frobisher turned homewards, and reached London on 9 October. Among the things which had been hastily brought away by the men was a "piece of a black stone,". There assayers were unimpressed with the ore. Only one out of four experts consulted believed the ore to be gold-bearing, and he admitted he "knew how to flatter nature". Nevertheless, Frobisher's backers, led by Micheal Lok and the Muscovy Company used this assessment to lobby for investment for another voyage. ^[2] Baffin Island (Inuktitut: , French: ) in the territory of Nunavut is the largest member of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. ... is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events May 5 - Peace of Beaulieu or Peace of Monsieur (after Monsieur, the Duc dAnjou, brother of the King, who negotiated it). ... For other uses, see Inuit (disambiguation). ... Baffin Island (Inuktitut: , French: ) in the territory of Nunavut is the largest member of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... is the 282nd day of the year (283rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The 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. This article is about the navy of the United Kingdom. ...

On 25 May 1577 the expedition, consisting, besides the 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. is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events March 17 - formation of the Cathay Company to send Martin Frobisher back to the New World for more gold May 28 - Publication of the Bergen Book, better known as the Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord, one of the Lutheran confessional writings. ... Blackwall Frigate Blackwall is an area of the East End of London, situated in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. ... This article is about the country. ... is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... British Arctic Territories was the series of islands in Canadas high arctic. ...

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 the Ayde reached Milford Haven on 23 September. The Gabriel and Michael later arrived separately at Bristol and Yarmouth. {| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 235th day of the year (236th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the town. ... is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the English city. ... Yarmouth may refer to one of the following places. ...

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. This article is about the castle in Windsor. ...

The third voyage

Meantime, the faith of the queen and others remained strong in the productiveness of the newly discovered territory, which she herself named Meta Incognita, and it was resolved to send out a larger expedition than ever, with all necessaries for the establishment of a colony of 100 men. Frobisher was again received by the queen, and Her Majesty threw a fine chain of gold around his neck.

On the 30 June 1578, the expedition, consisting in all of fifteen vessels, left Harwich, and sailing by the English Channel on June 20 reached the south of Greenland, where Frobisher and some of his men managed to land. On 2 July, the foreland of Frobisher Bay was sighted. Stormy weather and dangerous ice prevented the rendezvous from being gained, and, besides causing the wreck of the barque Dennis of 100 tons, drove the fleet unwittingly up a new strait (Hudson). After proceeding about sixty miles up this "mistaken strait," Frobisher with apparent reluctance turned back, and after many buffetings and separations, the fleet at last came to anchor in Frobisher Bay. is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events January 31 - Battle of Gemblours - Spanish forces under Don John of Austria and Alexander Farnese defeat the Dutch. ... Arms of Harwich Town Council Harwich (IPA, /hɑːˈɹɪtʃ/) is a town in Essex, England, located on the coast with the North Sea to the east. ... For the Thoroughbred racehorse of the same name, see English Channel (horse). ... is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Frobisher Bay, Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. ... A barc is a type of sailing vessel. ...

Some attempt was made at founding a settlement, and a large quantity of ore was shipped. Too much dissension and discontent prevented a successful settlement. On the last day of August, the fleet set out on its return to England, which was reached in the beginning of October. The ore was taken to a specially constructed smelting plant at Powder Mill Lane in Dartford. Kent. Despite many attempts, the ore was apparently not worth smelting and was eventually used in Elizabethan road construction. ^[2] This ended Frobisher's attempts at the Northwest Passage. . , Dartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. ... For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ...

Action against the Spaniards, 1580-1588

In 1580, Frobisher was employed as captain of one of the queen's ships in preventing the plans of Spain to assist the Irish in their resistance of encroaching English rule, and in the same year obtained a grant of the reversionary title of clerk of the Royal Navy. Events March 1 - Michel de Montaigne signs the preface to his most significant work, Essays. ... This article is about the navy of the United Kingdom. ...

In 1585, he commanded the Primrose, as vice-admiral to Sir Francis Drake in his expedition to the West Indies. Soon afterwards, the country was threatened with invasion by the Spanish Armada, and Frobisher's name was one of four mentioned by the Lord High Admiral in a letter to the queen of "men of the greatest experience that this realm hath." For his signal services in the Triumph, in the dispersion of the Armada, Martin Frobisher was knighted. He continued to cruise about in the Channel until 1590, when he was sent in command of a small fleet of ships to the coast of Spain. 1585 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. ... Vice Admiral is a naval rank of three star level, equivalent to Lieutenant General in seniority. ... This article is about the Elizabethan naval commander. ... The Caribbean or the West Indies is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. ... Belligerents England Dutch Republic Spain Portugal Commanders Elizabeth I of England Charles Howard Francis Drake Philip II of Spain Duke of Medina Sidonia Strength 34 warships 163 armed merchant vessels 30 Dutch flyboats 22 galleons 108 armed merchant vessels Casualties and losses 50–100 dead[1] ~400 wounded 6,000... For the international law of the sea, see Admiralty law. ... Bold text{| align=right cellpadding=3 id=toc style=margin-left: 15px; |- | align=center colspan=2 | Years: 1587 1588 1589 - 1590 - 1591 1592 1593 |-vdsf gno[gldw[pvkijxaiamknn csogfhbvdowkhbfkqhjkhrjkhwgfhbjkpnkfokfgok3pkpk9pjhkt9erktyujkip9kijker9thhrkg9hkitr9gtkih9t0ykltk[u0jo0iey9uhyit90ertyhige9rity9riyh9ujirtyuhjnh-4e9tyigh9thiuy0h8tyh34tu8uy8u8u8u8rtu5y8ru8thu0tru0ut0rhutuh0trhu0hseogtrhr8uyhju8t89er9te9r8fy8shit ass dick bitch fuck | align=center colspan=2 | Decades: 1560s 1570s 1580s - 1590s - 1600s 1610s 1620s |- | align=center | Centuries...

Later life

In 1591, he visited his native Altofts, and there married his second wife, a daughter of Lord 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. Year 1591 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England. ... Nottinghamshire (abbreviated Notts) is an English county in the East Midlands, which borders South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire. ... This article is about the sixteenth-century explorer. ...

In November 1594, he was engaged with a squadron in the siege and relief of Brest, when he received a gunshot wound at Fort Crozon,^[3] a Spanish-held fortress and due to poor medical treatment, died 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 Events February 27 - Henry IV is crowned King of France at Rheims. ... Brest is a city in Brittany, or the Bretagne région, north-west France, sous-préfecture of the Finistère département. ... This article is about the city in England. ... is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Categories: British churches | London places of worship | Stub ...

Legacy

One of the houses of Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn, is named after Frobisher, as is one of the four houses at Bishopsgate School in Englefield Green. In addition, the Royal Navy Hawkins class heavy cruiser HMS Frobisher was named after him. There are a number of schools called Queen Elizabeths Grammar School, including: Queen Elizabeths Grammar School, Ashbourne Queen Elizabeths Grammar School, Alford Queen Elizabeths Grammar School, Barnet Queen Elizabeths Grammar School, Blackburn Queen Elizabeths Grammar School, Horncastle Queen Elizabeths Grammar School, Wakefield This... The Hawkins class was a class of five heavy cruisers of the Royal Navy designed in 1915 and constructed throughout the First World War. ... For other ships of the same name, see HMS Frobisher. ...

Martin Frobisher Infant/First/Primary School. Altofts, Yorkshire, is named after him.

References

• Hoffman, A. (1977). Lives of the Tudor Age. New York: Barnes & Noble. 

Notes

External links

• The Canadian Museum of Civilization - The Nunavut Voyages of Martin Frobisher
• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online