Matsyn Island
Encyclopedia
During his 1553 voyage across the Barents Sea
, English explorer Hugh Willoughby thought he saw islands to the north. Based on his description, these islands were subsequently depicted and named "Willoughby's Land
" and "Macsinof Island" on maps published by Petrus Plancius
in 1592 and 1594 (although he was doubtful of their existence). Gerardus Mercator
included them on his 1595 map. Willem Barentsz found no sign of Willoughby's discoveries and omitted them from his map published in 1599, but they continued to appear on Arctic maps published by Jan Janssonius
and Willem Blaeu
at least into the 1640s. Macsinof Island also appears as Macsin or Matsyn Island.
A theory propagated in 1612 held that Willoughby's Land was identical to Spitsbergen
, thus supporting an English claim prior to the Dutch discovery by Barentsz in 1596. This theory was used to justify a monopoly charter on whaling rights granted to the Muscovy Company
in 1613.
Asher (1860) believed the two islands to be merely a western transposition of the two islands of Novaya Zemlya
, and he saw a connection between Matsyn Island and "Matthew's Island," an early name for Severny Island
.
Barents Sea
The Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
, English explorer Hugh Willoughby thought he saw islands to the north. Based on his description, these islands were subsequently depicted and named "Willoughby's Land
Willoughby's Land
During his 1553 voyage across the Barents Sea, English explorer Hugh Willoughby thought he saw islands to the north. Based on his description, these islands were subsequently depicted and named "Willoughby's Land" and "Macsinof Island" on maps published by Petrus Plancius in 1592 and 1594 ....
" and "Macsinof Island" on maps published by Petrus Plancius
Petrus Plancius
Petrus Plancius was a Dutch astronomer, cartographer and clergyman. He was born as Pieter Platevoet in Dranouter, now in Heuvelland, West Flanders. He studied theology in Germany and England...
in 1592 and 1594 (although he was doubtful of their existence). Gerardus Mercator
Gerardus Mercator
thumb|right|200px|Gerardus MercatorGerardus Mercator was a cartographer, born in Rupelmonde in the Hapsburg County of Flanders, part of the Holy Roman Empire. He is remembered for the Mercator projection world map, which is named after him...
included them on his 1595 map. Willem Barentsz found no sign of Willoughby's discoveries and omitted them from his map published in 1599, but they continued to appear on Arctic maps published by Jan Janssonius
Jan Janssonius
Johannes Janssonius was a Dutch cartographer who lived and worked in Amsterdam in the 17th century....
and Willem Blaeu
Willem Blaeu
Willem Janszoon Blaeu , also abbreviated to Willem Jansz. Blaeu, was a Dutch cartographer, atlas maker and publisher....
at least into the 1640s. Macsinof Island also appears as Macsin or Matsyn Island.
A theory propagated in 1612 held that Willoughby's Land was identical to Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
, thus supporting an English claim prior to the Dutch discovery by Barentsz in 1596. This theory was used to justify a monopoly charter on whaling rights granted to the Muscovy Company
Muscovy Company
The Muscovy Company , was a trading company chartered in 1555. It was the first major chartered joint stock company, the precursor of the type of business that would soon flourish in England, and became closely associated with such famous names as Henry Hudson and William Baffin...
in 1613.
Asher (1860) believed the two islands to be merely a western transposition of the two islands of Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya , also known in Dutch as Nova Zembla and in Norwegian as , is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean in the north of Russia and the extreme northeast of Europe, the easternmost point of Europe lying at Cape Flissingsky on the northern island...
, and he saw a connection between Matsyn Island and "Matthew's Island," an early name for Severny Island
Severny Island
Severny Island is the northern island of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, lying north of Russia. It has an area of , making it one of the largest islands in the world. It is separated from Yuzhny Island by the narrow Matochkin Strait...
.
See also
- Willem Blaeu 1645 map showing Willoughby's Land and Matsyn Island