 |
|
Sir Martin Frobisher - Privateer
& Explorer (c1535 - 1594) |
Sir Martin Frobisher was an explorer and Privateer
for Queen Elizabeth I. He was well known for
his expeditions to Canada where he discovered
the bay that would later be given his name,
and found ore which he believed to be gold.
He played an instrumental role in the fleet
that defeated the Spanish Armada, for which
he received a knighthood.
This page details facts about Sir Martin Frobisher's
life and the events that shaped his history.
|
|
|
Sir Martin Frobisher the Privateer
& Explorer - Fun Facts for Kids ! |
|
Sir Martin Frobisher
Fact 1: |
Martin Frobisher was born the son of
a merchant in Yorkshire circa 1535. Following the death
of his mother he was sent to London where he stayed with
a relative, Sir John York. Not much is known of his early
life, however Martin Frobisher was schooled in London before
going to sea. |
|
Sir Martin Frobisher
Fact 2: |
Martin Frobisher sailed to the African
coast of Guinea as part of Thomas Wyndham’s 1553 expedition,
and in 1554 he returned there as part of a trading expedition.
Around this time he was imprisoned by the Portuguese, however
he managed to escape and returned to England. |
|
Sir Martin Frobisher
Fact 3: |
Between 1555 and 1575 Martin Frobisher
sailed as an Elizabethan privateer under a Letter of Marque
issued by the English Crown, and in 1569/70 he fought for
England in the Irish War. |
|
Sir Martin Frobisher
Fact 4: |
Martin Frobisher
married twice. His first marriage, on 30 may 1559, was
to Isabel Richard; his second to Dorothy Wentworth in
1591.
|
 |
|
|
|
Sir Martin Frobisher
Fact 5: |
As with many explorers
of the day, Martin Frobisher became fascinated with
the idea of finding the fabled North West Passage joining
the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. He had gained inspiration
from reading ‘A discourse of a discouerie for a new
passage to Cataia’ written by
Sir Humphrey
Gilbert as a thesis on the subject.
|
|
|
|
Sir Martin Frobisher
Fact 6: |
Martin Frobisher
managed to secure backing from a consortium of English
merchants, known as the Muscovy Company, and set off
on his first expedition in June 1576.
|
|
|
| |
Picture
of Sir Humphrey Gilbert
|
| |
|
Sir Martin Frobisher
Fact 7: |
The expedition sighted what is now known
as Resolution Island, near Labrador, at the end of July
1576. Martin Frobisher then sailed west where he discovered
the bay which would be named after him (Frobisher Bay),
on the south of what is now known as Baffin Island. While
there, he lost five of his men. They were kidnapped by the
local Inuit and never seen again. |
|
Sir Martin Frobisher
Fact 8: |
When Martin Frobisher returned to England
he brought a large black stone with him. Following examination
by several experts, the stone was believed, by one of them,
to contain gold. This evidence was sufficient for him to
obtain backing to launch another expedition. |
|
Sir Martin Frobisher
Fact 9: |
Toward the end of spring 1577, he set
off on his second expedition. By the middle of July he had
arrived at Baffin Island and, putting his search for the
North West Passage on hold, began collecting ore. He also
made several unsuccessful attempts to find the five men
he had lost during the first expedition. |
 |
Sir Martin Frobisher
Fact 10: |
Martin Frobisher
arrived back in England in September 1577, along
with 200 tons of ore and 3 Inuit that had been captured.
Soon after returning, all 3 Inuit died. Queen Elizabeth
I thanked him and, with other backers, resolved
to launch a larger expedition which would also aim
to establish a settlement.
|
|
|
|
Sir Martin Frobisher
Fact 11: |
In late spring
1578 Martin Frobisher set off on his third expedition
with a fleet of fifteen ships. The expedition arrived
at Frobisher Bay in July 1578 and sailed 60 miles
up the ‘Mistaken Strait’. The Mistaken Strait later
became known as the Hudson Strait.
|
|
Picture
of Queen Elizabeth I
|
|
|
Sir Martin Frobisher
Fact 12: |
Martin Frobisher returned to Frobisher
Bay and made an unsuccessful attempt to establish a settlement.
He loaded over 1,000 tons of ore onto the ships and, at
the end of August 1578, he began his return journey to England. |
|
Sir Martin Frobisher
Fact 13: |
He arrived in October
and the ore was taken to some smelting furnaces that
had been built at Dartford to process it. The ore turned
out to be iron pyrites, also known as ‘Fools Gold’.
This worthless cargo left Martin Frobisher out of favour,
so he returned to being a privateer.
|
 |
|
|
|
Sir Martin Frobisher
Fact 14: |
In 1585 Martin Frobisher
joined Sir
Francis Drake on an expedition to the West Indies
to raid Spanish ports and ships, and in 1588, along
with John Hawkins
and Drake, took part in the battle which saw the destruction
of the Spanish Armada. He received a knighthood from
Queen Elizabeth I for his brave service in the battle.
|
| |
Picture
of Sir Francis Drake
|
| |
|
Sir Martin Frobisher
Fact 15: |
In 1590 Sir Martin Frobisher once again
resumed his role as a privateer. He attacked mainly Spanish
ships and the Spanish coastline. In 1594 he took part in
an attack, by sea, on the Spanish held Fort Crozon. During
the attack on the Fort, near Brest in France, he was mortally
wounded. |
|
Sir Martin Frobisher
Fact 16: |
Sir Martin Frobisher died from his wounds
on 22 November 1594. |
|
Sir Martin Frobisher
the Privateer & Explorer (c1535 - 1594) Fun Facts
Info for Kids ! |
|
|
|
