Robert Bylot
Encyclopedia
Robert Bylot was a 17th-century explorer who made four voyages to the Arctic. He was uneducated and from a working class background, but was able to rise to rank of Master
in the British Royal Navy.
Bylot was first mate on Henry Hudson's
ship Discovery
, during Hudson's 1610-1611 expedition into what is now known as Hudson Bay
. In the spring of 1611, Hudson wanted to continue the expedition, but the crew wanted to return home. There was discontent between the Captain (Hudson) and members of the crew, Bylot was stripped of his rank. Later there was a mutiny in which Hudson, his son and several sailors were set adrift in an open boat. It was due to Bylot's navigational skills that the ship was able to return from the Arctic safely. Upon return to England, Bylot was tried as a mutineer but was pardoned.
Bylot returned to Hudson Bay in 1612 with Sir Thomas Button
. They wintered over at the mouth of the Nelson River, and in the spring of 1613 continued north. They were able to reach latitude 65°
, then returned to England.
In 1615, the Muscovy Company
hired Bylot to find the Northwest Passage
as captain of the Discovery. On this voyage, Bylot proved that Hudson Strait
was not a shipping route to Asia
.
The following year (1616), the Muscovy Company again hired Bylot to continue to search for the Northwest Passage. This time he was accompanied by pilot William Baffin
. The Bylot-Baffin voyage resulted in several notable achievements. First was the circumnavigation and mapping of what is now called Baffin Bay
. Second was the discovery of Smith Sound
, by which the North Pole would eventually be reached. Third was the discovery of Lancaster Sound
, through which the Northwest Passage would eventually be found three centuries later. Fourth, and perhaps most significantly, they were able to reach 77° 45' North latitude, a record which held for 236 years.
Bylot and Baffin's work in Baffin Bay was doubted by cartographers back in England. As late as 1812, charts of the area only showed a dotted bulge with the words: Baffin's Bay according to the relation of W. Baffin in 1616, but not now believed. When the bay was "rediscovered" by Sir John Ross
in 1818, the charts of the Bylot-Baffin voyage proved extremely accurate. In England, almost total credit for the discovery was given to Baffin, and Bylot was virtually ignored. Historian Farley Mowat
has speculated two possible reasons for this: Bylot's lack of education and lower position relative to Baffin in English society, and his involvement in the mutiny during Hudson's expedition.
Bylot Island
, one of the more dramatic of the Arctic Islands, was named after him.
Master mariner
A Master Mariner or MM is the professional qualification required for someone to serve as the person in charge or person in command of a commercial vessel. In England, the term Master Mariner has been in use at least since the 13th century, reflecting the fact that in guild or livery company terms,...
in the British Royal Navy.
Bylot was first mate on Henry Hudson's
Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson was an English sea explorer and navigator in the early 17th century. Hudson made two attempts on behalf of English merchants to find a prospective Northeast Passage to Cathay via a route above the Arctic Circle...
ship Discovery
Discovery (1602 ship)
Discovery was a 20-ton "fly-boat" of the British East India Company, launched before 1602.Discovery was the smallest of three ships that were led by Captain Christopher Newport on the voyage that resulted in the founding of Jamestown in the new Colony of Virginia in 1607...
, during Hudson's 1610-1611 expedition into what is now known as Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
. In the spring of 1611, Hudson wanted to continue the expedition, but the crew wanted to return home. There was discontent between the Captain (Hudson) and members of the crew, Bylot was stripped of his rank. Later there was a mutiny in which Hudson, his son and several sailors were set adrift in an open boat. It was due to Bylot's navigational skills that the ship was able to return from the Arctic safely. Upon return to England, Bylot was tried as a mutineer but was pardoned.
Bylot returned to Hudson Bay in 1612 with Sir Thomas Button
Thomas Button
Sir Thomas Button was a Welsh officer of the Royal Navy and explorer who in 1612–1613 commanded an expedition that unsuccessfully attempted to locate explorer Henry Hudson and to navigate the Northwest Passage. It was, nonetheless, a voyage of discovery andThomas Button was an explorer as...
. They wintered over at the mouth of the Nelson River, and in the spring of 1613 continued north. They were able to reach latitude 65°
65th parallel north
The 65th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 65 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Asia and North America....
, then returned to England.
In 1615, 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...
hired Bylot to find the Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage
The Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
as captain of the Discovery. On this voyage, Bylot proved that Hudson Strait
Hudson Strait
Hudson Strait links the Atlantic Ocean to Hudson Bay in Canada. It lies between Baffin Island and the northern coast of Quebec, its eastern entrance marked by Cape Chidley and Resolution Island. It is long...
was not a shipping route to Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
The following year (1616), the Muscovy Company again hired Bylot to continue to search for the Northwest Passage. This time he was accompanied by pilot William Baffin
William Baffin
William Baffin was an English navigator and explorer. Nothing is known of his early life, but it is conjectured that he was born in London of humble origin, and gradually raised himself by his diligence and perseverance...
. The Bylot-Baffin voyage resulted in several notable achievements. First was the circumnavigation and mapping of what is now called Baffin Bay
Baffin Bay
Baffin Bay , located between Baffin Island and the southwest coast of Greenland, is a marginal sea of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is connected to the Atlantic via Davis Strait and the Labrador Sea...
. Second was the discovery of Smith Sound
Smith Sound
Smith Sound is an uninhabited Arctic sea passage between Greenland and Canada's northernmost island, Ellesmere Island. It links Baffin Bay with Kane Basin and forms part of the Nares Strait....
, by which the North Pole would eventually be reached. Third was the discovery of Lancaster Sound
Lancaster Sound
Lancaster Sound is a body of water in Qikiqtaaluk, Nunavut, Canada. It is located between Devon Island and Baffin Island, forming the eastern portion of the Northwest Passage. East of the sound lies Baffin Bay; to the west lies Viscount Melville Sound...
, through which the Northwest Passage would eventually be found three centuries later. Fourth, and perhaps most significantly, they were able to reach 77° 45' North latitude, a record which held for 236 years.
Bylot and Baffin's work in Baffin Bay was doubted by cartographers back in England. As late as 1812, charts of the area only showed a dotted bulge with the words: Baffin's Bay according to the relation of W. Baffin in 1616, but not now believed. When the bay was "rediscovered" by Sir John Ross
John Ross (Arctic explorer)
Sir John Ross, CB, was a Scottish rear admiral and Arctic explorer.Ross was the son of the Rev. Andrew Ross, minister of Inch, near Stranraer in Scotland. In 1786, aged only nine, he joined the Royal Navy as an apprentice. He served in the Mediterranean until 1789 and then in the English Channel...
in 1818, the charts of the Bylot-Baffin voyage proved extremely accurate. In England, almost total credit for the discovery was given to Baffin, and Bylot was virtually ignored. Historian Farley Mowat
Farley Mowat
Farley McGill Mowat, , born May 12, 1921 is a conservationist and one of Canada's most widely-read authors.His works have been translated into 52 languages and he has sold more than 14 million books. He achieved fame with the publication of his books on the Canadian North, such as People of the...
has speculated two possible reasons for this: Bylot's lack of education and lower position relative to Baffin in English society, and his involvement in the mutiny during Hudson's expedition.
Bylot Island
Bylot Island
Bylot Island lies off the northern end of Baffin Island in Nunavut Territory, Canada. At it is ranked 71st largest island in the world and Canada's 17th largest island. It is also one of the largest uninhabited islands in the world. While there are no permanent settlements on this Canadian Arctic...
, one of the more dramatic of the Arctic Islands, was named after him.