Martin Frobisher
English sea captain who sought the North-west Passage.
Martin Frobisher, born around 1535 or 1536 in Yorkshire, was the third of five children. His father, merchant Bernard Frobisher, died in 1542, leaving the family under the care of an uncle. After a basic education, Frobisher was sent to London in 1549 to live with a wealthy relative, Sir John York, who had ties to the royal government and the Merchant Taylors.
In 1553, Frobisher joined an English expedition to West Africa backed by York. The fleet plundered Portuguese ships near Madeira, traded cloth for gold on the Gold Coast, and negotiated with the Oba of Benin for pepper. Disease killed many crew members, including the leader, Thomas Wyndham. Two ships were lost, and only 40 of the original 140 men returned to England. Frobisher survived, which York later attributed to his spirit and physical toughness.
Despite the losses, the voyage was profitable, so York funded another expedition in 1554. Frobisher signed on as an apprentice merchant. After seven weeks at sea, the fleet reached present-day Liberia and then the Gold Coast. Local authorities demanded a hostage for negotiations, and Frobisher volunteered. Before a deal was struck, a Portuguese ship fired on the English, who abandoned Frobisher and sailed home with gold, pepper, and ivory. His captors handed him to the Portuguese, who imprisoned him at the castle of São Jorge da Mina. After about nine months, he was sent to Portugal and eventually made his way back to England around 1558.
By 1559, Frobisher had married Isobel Richard, a Yorkshire widow with two children and a settlement from her previous marriage. She used her inheritance to fund his ventures, but he left her and her children by the mid-1570s; she died in a poorhouse in 1588. Around the same time, Frobisher was involved in a plot to attack the Portuguese fortress where he had been held, and he led a voyage to the Barbary Coast to free an English hostage. In 1563, he captained a ship in a privateering fleet licensed to seize French Catholic vessels, and by May they had captured five French ships.
Frobisher made three voyages to the New World searching for the North-west Passage. On the first, he likely sighted Resolution Island near Labrador and entered what is now Frobisher Bay, landing on Baffin Island. During his second voyage, he collected what he thought was gold ore, bringing back 200 tons on three ships. He calculated a profit o
- born
- c. 1535 or 1536 (possibly 1539), Yorkshire, England
- died
- 22 November 1594
- field
- Exploration, privateering
- nationality
- English
- known_for
- Voyages to the New World seeking the North-west Passage; mistaken gold ore; service against the Spanish Armada
Lore & Background
Martin Frobisher was probably born in 1535 or 1536, the son of merchant Bernard Frobisher of Altofts, Yorkshire, and Margaret York. After his father died in 1542, he was sent to London in 1549 to live with his maternal relative, Sir John York. In 1553, Frobisher accompanied the first English expedition to West Africa, where disease killed many crew members; he was one of only 40 survivors. He returned to Africa in 1554 as an apprentice merchant, and after being left as a hostage, was imprisoned by the Portuguese for about nine months before eventually returning to England around 1558.
Frobisher married Isobel Richard in 1559, but spent her inheritance on his ventures and left her by the mid-1570s. He engaged in privateering, seizing French ships, but was repeatedly arrested for piracy and involvement in attacks on Spanish vessels. He was imprisoned in 1563, 1565, and 1569, but each time secured release, sometimes with help from officials like the lord admiral. In 1571, he was commissioned to hunt pirates, and in 1572 he provided logistical support in Ireland. He also participated in various plots possibly as a double agent.
Reader's Guide
Martin Frobisher's significance lies in his exploration of the New World and his role in the early English search for the North-west Passage. He probably sighted Resolution Island near Labrador and landed on Baffin Island, giving his name to Frobisher Bay. His voyages, however, are most remembered for the disastrous misidentification of hornblende as gold ore: after carrying 200 tons on his second voyage and 1,350 tons on his third, the ore proved worthless after years of smelting. This failure dampened English interest in Arctic exploration for decades. As a privateer, Frobisher plundered French ships, and he was later knighted for his service in repelling the Spanish Armada in 1588. His legacy is preserved in the name Frobisher Bay, near Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut.
Did You Know?
- Frobisher was one of only 40 survivors out of 140 crew on the 1553 West African expedition.
- He was held as a hostage in Africa and later imprisoned by the Portuguese for about nine months.
- He mistakenly carried 1,350 tons of worthless hornblende ore to England, believing it was gold.
- Frobisher was knighted for his service in repelling the Spanish Armada in 1588.
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