Steven Bennet
Encyclopedia
Steven Bennet was an early 17th century explorer, sealer, and whaler.
on a trading and exploratory voyage. After sailing to the Kola River
, they went to the northwest, intending to make "some further discoveries". On August 16 (OS) they sighted Bear Island—the first English
expedition to do so. They spent the next day exploring the coast, but returned aboard ship "without any profit". The expedition returned to London
on September 10.
The following year, 1604, Bennet was sent as master of the 60-ton ship Godspeed on a trading and sealing expedition, with Thomas Welden as merchant. They left London in mid-April, and spent the following two months in Norway
and Russia
. They came to Bear Island early in July. They stayed at the island until July 13, taking over a hundred walrus
with fowling pieces and muskets. They spent the latter half of July and part of August at "Pechingo in Lapland" and Kola, returning to the Thames on October 15. On their return to London they renamed Bear Island Cherry Island, in honor of Sir Francis Cherry, who "was at the charges of this Discoverie".
In 1605 Bennet was again sent as master of a 60-ton ship on a voyage to Cherry Island, with Welden as merchant, again. They left London on May 1, but were captured by a Dunkirk ship on the 23rd, which, "tooke from us two Hogsheads of strong Beere, our Muskets, a Fowling Peece of Master Weldens, which cost three pounds sterling." They arrived at Cherry Island on July 2, and four days later began hunting walrus, now killing them with both "shot and javelings". They obtained eleven tuns of oil, as well as taking their tusks. The expedition returned to London on August 24.
In 1606 Bennet was again master of the same 60-ton ship on a sealing expedition to Cherry Island, with Welden again as merchant. In 1611 he served as master of the 150-ton ship Mary Margaret, which was sent to Spitsbergen
on a whaling
expedition. Due to Bennet's negligence the Mary Margaret was driven ashore by ice in or near Engelskbukta
. The men were forced to row and sail to Bear Island, where they found Jonas Poole
, master of the Elizabeth (which was sent to accompany the Mary Margaret).
Life
In 1603 he was master of the 50-ton ship Grace, sent by Sir Francis CherryFrancis Cherry (diplomat)
Sir Francis Cherry was the English ambassador to the Court of Russia from April 1598 to 23 March 1599.Queen Elizabeth knighted Cherry “for faithful and gallant service” at Chatham on 4 July 1604. He became the founder of the Cherry line at Camberwell....
on a trading and exploratory voyage. After sailing to the Kola River
Kola River
Kola is a river on the Kola Peninsula i Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It is 83 km long, with a drainage basin of 3,850 km². The river flows out of Lake Kolozero north into the Kola Bay of the Barents Sea, some 10 km south of Murmansk. The neighbouring Tuloma River has its mouth just one...
, they went to the northwest, intending to make "some further discoveries". On August 16 (OS) they sighted Bear Island—the first English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
expedition to do so. They spent the next day exploring the coast, but returned aboard ship "without any profit". The expedition returned to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on September 10.
The following year, 1604, Bennet was sent as master of the 60-ton ship Godspeed on a trading and sealing expedition, with Thomas Welden as merchant. They left London in mid-April, and spent the following two months in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. They came to Bear Island early in July. They stayed at the island until July 13, taking over a hundred walrus
Walrus
The walrus is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean and sub-Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the Odobenidae family and Odobenus genus. It is subdivided into three subspecies: the Atlantic...
with fowling pieces and muskets. They spent the latter half of July and part of August at "Pechingo in Lapland" and Kola, returning to the Thames on October 15. On their return to London they renamed Bear Island Cherry Island, in honor of Sir Francis Cherry, who "was at the charges of this Discoverie".
In 1605 Bennet was again sent as master of a 60-ton ship on a voyage to Cherry Island, with Welden as merchant, again. They left London on May 1, but were captured by a Dunkirk ship on the 23rd, which, "tooke from us two Hogsheads of strong Beere, our Muskets, a Fowling Peece of Master Weldens, which cost three pounds sterling." They arrived at Cherry Island on July 2, and four days later began hunting walrus, now killing them with both "shot and javelings". They obtained eleven tuns of oil, as well as taking their tusks. The expedition returned to London on August 24.
In 1606 Bennet was again master of the same 60-ton ship on a sealing expedition to Cherry Island, with Welden again as merchant. In 1611 he served as master of the 150-ton ship Mary Margaret, which was sent 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...
on a whaling
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
expedition. Due to Bennet's negligence the Mary Margaret was driven ashore by ice in or near Engelskbukta
Engelskbukta
Engelskbukta is a 1.5 km wide bay on the eastern side of the northern reaches of Forlandsundet, the sound that separates Prins Karls Forland and Spitsbergen. It derives its name from the fact that English whalers resorted to the bay in the first half of the 17th century...
. The men were forced to row and sail to Bear Island, where they found Jonas Poole
Jonas Poole
Jonas Poole was an early 17th century English explorer, sealer, and whaler. Although Henry Hudson has often been dubbed the "father of English whaling," Poole, who's 1610 voyage led to the establishment of the English whaling trade, deserves the title.-Voyages to Bear Island, 1604-1609:He served...
, master of the Elizabeth (which was sent to accompany the Mary Margaret).