Admiral Sir Edward Belcher (27 February 1799 – 18 March 1877) was a British naval officer,
hydrographer, and explorer. Born in
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
, he was the great-grandson of
Jonathan Belcher
Jonathan Belcher (8 January 1681/8231 August 1757) was a merchant, politician, and slave trader from colonial Massachusetts who served as both governor of Massachusetts Bay and governor of New Hampshire from 1730 to 1741 and governor of New J ...
, who served as a colonial governor of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New Jersey.
Biography
Early life
Belcher was born in
Halifax,
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
, the second son of
Andrew Belcher and entered the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
in 1812.
Surveys
In 1825, he accompanied
Frederick William Beechey
Frederick William Beechey (17 February 1796 – 29 November 1856) was an English naval officer, artist, explorer, hydrographer and writer.
Life and career
He was the son of two painters, Sir William Beechey, RA and his second wife, Anne ...
's expedition to the
Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...
and
Bering Strait as a
surveyor.
In 1835 he was surveying in the
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea or , gv, Y Keayn Yernagh, sco, Erse Sie, gd, Muir Èireann , Ulster-Scots: ''Airish Sea'', cy, Môr Iwerddon . is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Ce ...
in , and in 1836 he commanded a surveying ship on the north and west coasts of Africa and in the British seas. Belcher took up the work which Beechey had left unfinished on the Pacific coast of
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...
. He was on board , which was ordered to return to England in 1839 via the Trans-Pacific route. Belcher made various observations at a number of islands which he visited, having been delayed by being despatched to take part in the
war in China in 1840.
On 25 January 1841, Commander Belcher landed on
Possession Point at the north shore
Hong Kong Island and made the first British survey of
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
harbour. After the war's end in 1842 he reached home and for his services was made a
Knight Bachelor
The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are th ...
in the following year. He was then engaged on , in surveying work in the
East Indies
The East Indies (or simply the Indies), is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The Indies refers to various lands in the East or the Eastern hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainlands found in and around ...
, the Philippines,
Port Hamilton
Komundo or Port Hamilton, officially Geomun-do in Korean (Hangul: 거문도 'Geomun-do'' Hanja: 巨文島 or 巨門島) is a small group of islands in the Jeju Strait off the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula, located approximately at . Th ...
, and other places, until 1847.
Arctic expedition
In 1852 Belcher led the last and largest Admiralty expedition to attempt to find and rescue
Sir John Franklin
Sir John Franklin (16 April 1786 – 11 June 1847) was a British Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer. After serving in wars against Napoleonic France and the United States, he led two expeditions into the Canadian Arctic and through t ...
. He was also to look for his former surveying officer in Hong Kong,
Sir Richard Collinson, and
Sir Robert McClure, whose ships had not been seen after entering the Bering Strait. He did a great deal of sledge exploration, rescued McClure and abandoned four of his five ships in the ice.
He had five ships: (Belcher), (
Henry Kellett
Vice Admiral Sir Henry Kellett, (2 November 1806 – 1 March 1875) was a British naval officer and explorer.
Career
Born at Clonacody in Tipperary County, Ireland, on 2 November 1806, Kellett joined the Royal Navy in 1822. He spent three yea ...
, second mate
George Nares
Vice-Admiral Sir George Strong Nares (24 April 1831 – 15 January 1915) was a Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer. He commanded the ''Challenger'' Expedition, and the British Arctic Expedition. He was highly thought of as a leader an ...
), the steam tenders ''Pioneer'' (
Sherard Osborn
Sherard Osborn (25 April 1822 – 6 May 1875) was a Royal Navy admiral and Arctic explorer.
Biography
Born in Madras, he was the son of an Indian army officer. Osborn entered the navy as a first-class volunteer in 1837, serving until 18 ...
) and ''Intrepid'' (
Sir Leopold McClintock) and the depot ship (
William Pullen
Vice-Admiral William John Samuel Pullen (4 December 1813 – 22 January 1887) was a Royal Navy officer who was the first European to sail along the north coast of Alaska from the Bering Strait to the Mackenzie River in Canada. His 1849 journ ...
). Belcher and one tender were to enter the
Wellington Channel
The Wellington Channel () (not to be confused with Wellington Strait) is a natural waterway through the central Canadian Arctic Archipelago in Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut. It runs north–south, separating Cornwallis Island and Devon Island. Quee ...
, between
Cornwallis Island and
Devon Island, where Franklin was thought to be, while Kellett was to go west to
Melville Island and look for Collinson and McClure. ''North Star'' was to stay at
Beechey Island
Beechey Island ( iu, Iluvialuit, script=Latn) is an island located in the Arctic Archipelago of Nunavut, Canada, in Wellington Channel. It is separated from the southwest corner of Devon Island by Barrow Strait. Other features include Wellington C ...
as a supply base.
He left the
Nore in April 1852. By early winter ''Assistance'' and ''Pioneer'' were frozen in at Northumberland Sound to the north of Wellington Channel while ''Resolute'' and ''Intrepid'' were frozen in off Melville Island —the first ships this far West since
Sir William Edward Parry
Sir William Edward Parry (19 December 1790 – 8 July 1855) was an Royal Navy officer and explorer best known for his 1819–1820 expedition through the Parry Channel, probably the most successful in the long quest for the Northwest Pass ...
in 1819. A great deal of exploration was done by
manhauled sledges. In April 1853
Leopold McClintock
Sir Francis Leopold McClintock (8 July 1819 – 17 November 1907) was an Irish explorer in the British Royal Navy, known for his discoveries in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. He confirmed explorer John Rae's controversial report gather ...
and others left ''Resolute'' on sledges and returned 105 days later, having covered and discovered
Prince Patrick Island
A member of the Arctic Archipelago, Prince Patrick Island is the westernmost of the Queen Elizabeth Islands in the Northwest Territories of Canada, lying northwest of Melville Island. The area of Prince Patrick Island is , making it the 55th la ...
.
Another party went West and discovered Robert McClure, whose ship was frozen in at
Mercy Bay
Mercy Bay is a Canadian Arctic waterway in the Northwest Territories. It is a southern arm of M'Clure Strait on northeast Banks Island. The mouth of Castel Bay is less than to the west. These bays are a part of Aulavik National Park.
HMS '' ...
. Belcher went north by sledge and found a channel at the northern tip of
Devon Island, hinting that Franklin might have used it to escape to
Baffin Bay. When the ice broke up that summer, he pushed his ships up Wellington Channel and became trapped again.
By February 1854, Belcher was becoming increasingly worried about the safety of his ships and men. In April he ordered Kellett to abandon his ships and return by sledge to ''North Star''. Belcher abandoned his two ships in late July. Aided by two ships that showed up at Beechey Island ( and ), the whole party returned to England. Belcher went through a
court martial
A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...
, which was automatic for any captain who had lost a ship.
![WilliamsNorthStar1845](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/WilliamsNorthStar1845.jpg)
He was exonerated, but his sword was returned to him "without observation". He never again received an active command. Curiously ''Resolute'' broke free of the ice and drifted all the way to
Davis Strait
Davis Strait is a northern arm of the Atlantic Ocean that lies north of the Labrador Sea. It lies between mid-western Greenland and Baffin Island in Nunavut, Canada. To the north is Baffin Bay. The strait was named for the English explorer John ...
, where it was picked up by an American
whaler
A whaler or whaling ship is a specialized vessel, designed or adapted for whaling: the catching or processing of whales.
Terminology
The term ''whaler'' is mostly historic. A handful of nations continue with industrial whaling, and one, Japa ...
. The American government graciously returned the ship to the United Kingdom, and when many years later the ship was
broken up
Ship-breaking (also known as ship recycling, ship demolition, ship dismantling, or ship cracking) is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for either a source of Interchangeable parts, parts, which can be sold for re-use, ...
, its timbers were used to make a desk for the American president by way of a thank you. This
''Resolute'' desk, a gift from
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...
, is still used today in the
Oval Office.
Despite his achievements, Belcher would later be described by a
Hydrographer of the Navy as “a tyrannical martinet who made every ship he commanded a floating hell.”
Later life
Following his last active service, Belcher was appointed Knight Commander of the
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved Bathing#Medieval ...
in 1867, and an admiral in 1872.
Personal life
He was briefly married to Diana Jolliffe, stepdaughter of Captain
Peter Heywood
Peter Heywood (6 June 1772 – 10 February 1831) was a British naval officer who was on board during the mutiny of 28 April 1789. He was later captured in Tahiti, tried and condemned to death as a mutineer, but subsequently pardoned. He ...
; that marriage ending upon her application for legal separation for his having infected her with venereal disease.
Legacy
Belcher is commemorated in Hong Kong through
Belcher's Street
Belcher's Street is a main street in Kennedy Town of Hong Kong. It connects east Victoria Road and joins west Queen's Road West. A small section in its west end built a ''turn around'' for Hong Kong Tramways.
The street was named after E ...
,
Belcher Bay
Belcher Bay is a bay at Kennedy Town on the northwest shore of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It is located east of Sulphur Channel. The bay is named after Edward Belcher, a Nova Scotia-born British naval officer who surveyed the surroundin ...
and
The Belcher's
The Belcher's () is a private residential estate in Shek Tong Tsui, Hong Kong Island. It consists of six residential buildings constructed in two phases; three buildings were constructed in each phase. Construction for the first phase was compl ...
in
Kennedy Town. His name is also commemorated in the
Belcher Islands
The Belcher Islands ( iu, script=latn, ᓴᓪᓚᔪᒐᐃᑦ, Sanikiluaq) are an archipelago in the southeast part of Hudson Bay near the centre of the Nastapoka arc. The Belcher Islands are spread out over almost . Administratively, they belo ...
, in the
Canadian Arctic. He is also commemorated with a plaque in the Admiralty Garden,
CFB Halifax
Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Halifax is Canada's east coast naval base and home port to the Royal Canadian Navy Atlantic fleet, known as Canadian Fleet Atlantic (CANFLTLANT), that forms part of the formation Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT).
I ...
.
A highly venomous
seasnake
Sea snakes, or coral reef snakes, are elapid snakes that inhabit marine environments for most or all of their lives. They belong to two subfamilies, Hydrophiinae and Laticaudinae. Hydrophiinae also includes Australasian terrestrial snakes, wher ...
, ''
Hydrophis belcheri
''Hydrophis belcheri'', commonly known as the faint-banded sea snake or Belcher's sea snake, is an extremely venomous species of elapid sea snake. It has a timid temperament and would normally have to be subjected to severe mistreatment before ...
'', is also named in his honour.
[Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. . (Belcher, p. 22.)] Belcher collected the
holotype
A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of sever ...
which is housed in the
Natural History Museum, London
The Natural History Museum in London is a museum that exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history. It is one of three major museums on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, the others being the Science Museum an ...
.
Works
* ''Treatise on Nautical Surveying'' (1835)
* ''Narrative of a Voyage Round the World'' (1843).
Vol. 1Vol. 2.
* ''Narrative of the Voyage of H.M.S. Samarang, During the Years 1843–46'' (1848).
Vol. 1Vol. 2.
* ''The Last of the Arctic Voyages'' (1855).
Vol. 1Vol. 2.
* ''Horatio Howard Brenton'' (1856).
Vol. 1Vol. 2Vol. 3.
See also
*
European and American voyages of scientific exploration
The era of European and American voyages of scientific exploration followed the Age of Discovery and were inspired by a new confidence in science and reason that arose in the Age of Enlightenment. Maritime expeditions in the Age of Discovery were ...
Notes
References
*
*
*
External links
*
*
*
*
Edward Belcher Notebook, 1860at Dartmouth College Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Belcher, Edward
1799 births
1877 deaths
British polar explorers
Canadian people of Dutch descent
Canadian people of English descent
Explorers of Canada
Explorers of the Arctic
Knights Bachelor
Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath
English hydrographers
Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada)
Royal Navy admirals
Royal Navy personnel of the Napoleonic Wars