Martin Frobisher's Voyage

Purpose

All About Him

• Martin Frobisher's purpose was to Discover the Northwest passage, although he failed to do so.
• He also wanted to get as much as gold his ship could fit, but that did not work out on his second passage

His First Voyage: Northwest Passage

His Second Voyage

• Pirate, Martin Frobisher dreamed of finding the passage that lead to China's riches.
• If he did find it, it would be his redemption.
• In 1576, he started the voyage to Asia.
• He thought he found the entrance to the passage, but instead it was a bay on the South of Baffin Island(now named after him)
• On the trip, he ran into trouble, and people kidnapped 5 of his men, and they were never seen again
• His mission, was unfortunately not accomplished.

• In 1577, he started his second voyage.
• He sailed on a 200 ton ship, Ayde.
• He got orders from Queen Elizabeth I to gather as much gold as the ship could fit, to the Arctic regions.
• He found a village, and started mining for gold.
• When he came back, he came back with 200 tons or ore which he thought was valuable.
• This was later on used to pave the streets in London

His Third Voyage - Gold Fever

Early Life

• Martin Frobisher was born in Yorkshire, England in c.1535
• At a young age, his father Bernard Frobisher sent him to live with a relative, Sir John York, in London
• He attended school there
• Frobisher later came in contact with a London seaman, and thats where his interest on navigation and exploration began
• His goal became to discover the Northwest Passage
• He later became a pirate

• He started his third voyage in 1578.
• Queen Elizabeth I again sent him on another journey.
• He set sail with 15 ships, 300 cornish miners, and lumber to build a colony
• It was the biggest Arctic expedition in history.
• One of the ships returned to England, an before settlement, it sank.
• He then continued to mine and brought back 1,100 tons of ore and returned to England.
• The ore turned out to be worthless.
• Then. many of the investors went bankrupted, and Martin Frobisher's reputation was bankrupted.
• After that, he returned to piracy with Francis Drake.
• He returned to England with 60,000 punds of gold.

Martin Frobisher's Voyage

Later Life and Death + What He Was Known For

Legacy

• In 1591 he married his second wife, Dorothy Wentworth
• He fought in a war on the English side, against the Spanish Armada.
• It was November 15, 1594 in Plymouth England
• He was best know for trying to discover the Northwest Passage and discovering Frobisher Bay

• Frobisher Bay, in Canada is named after him.
• All Saints Church, Normanton, has a stained glass window in memory of him
• The Barbican Estate in London, someone named Frobisher Crescent, is named after Martin Frobisher
• An old version of Thanksgiving was celebrated after he came back from trying to find the Northwest Passage
• The Royal Navy was named after him

Sources:

• http://www.cbc.ca/history/EPCONTENTSE1EP2CH1PA4LE.html
• http://www.rmg.co.uk/explore/sea-and-ships/in-depth/north-west-passage/exploration-adventure-and-tragedy/martin-frobishers-expeditions-1576-78
• http://www3.sympatico.ca/goweezer/canada/z00frob2.htm
• http://www.east-buc.k12.ia.us/00_01/Exp/mf/mf.htm
• http://www3.sympatico.ca/goweezer/canada/z00frob3.htm

Age of Exploration Project

By: Hilal Yasan