Steven Borough
Encyclopedia
Steven Borough English
navigator, was born at Northam, Devon
.
In 1553 he took part in the expedition which was dispatched from the Thames under Sir Hugh Willoughby
to look for a northern passage to Cathay
and India
, serving as master of the Edward Bonaventure, on which Richard Chancellor
sailed as pilot in chief. Separated by a storm from the Bona Esperanza and the Bona Confidentia, the other two ships of the expedition, Borough proceeded on his voyage alone, and sailing into the White Sea
, in the words of his epitaph, "discovered Moscouia by the Northerne sea passage to St. Nicholas (Archangel)".
In a second expedition, made in the Serchthrift in 1556, he discovered Kara Strait
, between Novaya Zemlya
and Vaygach Island
. Encumbered by ice, Borough sailed to into the White Sea
and wintered at Colomogro. In 1560 he was in charge of another expedition to Russia
.
Around 1558, he visited the navigational school in Seville. Here he brought back to England a copy of Martín Cortés de Albacar
's Breve Compendio. Borough had his copy translated by Richard Eden
and published as the Art of Navigation in 1561. As such it became the first English manual of navigation
At the beginning of 1563 he was appointed chief pilot and one of the four masters of Elizabeth I of England
's ships in the Medway, and in this office he spent the rest of his life. He died on 12 July 1584, and was buried at Chatham. His son, Christopher Borough
, wrote a description of a trading expedition made in 1579-1581 from the White Sea to the Caspian Sea
and back.
His younger brother, William Borough
, born in 1536, also at Northam, served as an ordinary seaman in the Edward Bonaventure on her voyage to Russia in 1553, and subsequently made many voyages to St. Nicholas. Later he transferred his services from the merchant adventurers to the crown. As commander of the Lion he accompanied Sir Francis Drake
in his Cadiz
expedition of 1587, but he got himself into trouble by presuming to disagree with his chief concerning the wisdom of the attack on Lagos. He died in 1599.
He was the author of A Discourse of the Variation of the Compas, or Magneticall Needle (1581), and some of the charts he made are preserved at the British Museum
and Hatfield.
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...
navigator, was born at Northam, Devon
Northam, Devon
Northam is a small town in Devon, England, lying north of Bideford and south of Westward Ho!. It is thought to have been the site of an Anglo-Saxon castle, and is said to have been where Hubba the Dane attacked Devon and was repelled . A little over a mile away along the coast is a town called...
.
In 1553 he took part in the expedition which was dispatched from the Thames under Sir Hugh Willoughby
Hugh Willoughby (sea captain)
Sir Hugh Willoughby of Risley, Derbyshire was an early English Arctic voyager. He was sent out on 10 May 1553, as captain of the Bona Esperanza with two other vessels under his command and with chief pilot Richard Chancellor, by a company of London merchants known as the Company of Merchant...
to look for a northern passage to Cathay
Cathay
Cathay is the Anglicized version of "Catai" and an alternative name for China in English. It originates from the word Khitan, the name of a nomadic people who founded the Liao Dynasty which ruled much of Northern China from 907 to 1125, and who had a state of their own centered around today's...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, serving as master of the Edward Bonaventure, on which Richard Chancellor
Richard Chancellor
Richard Chancellor was an English explorer and navigator; the first to penetrate to the White Sea and establish relations with Russia....
sailed as pilot in chief. Separated by a storm from the Bona Esperanza and the Bona Confidentia, the other two ships of the expedition, Borough proceeded on his voyage alone, and sailing into the White Sea
White Sea
The White Sea is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is surrounded by Karelia to the west, the Kola Peninsula to the north, and the Kanin Peninsula to the northeast. The whole of the White Sea is under Russian sovereignty and considered to be part of...
, in the words of his epitaph, "discovered Moscouia by the Northerne sea passage to St. Nicholas (Archangel)".
In a second expedition, made in the Serchthrift in 1556, he discovered Kara Strait
Kara Strait
The Kara Strait or Kara Gates is a 56 km wide channel of water between the southern end of Novaya Zemlya and the northern tip of Vaygach Island...
, between 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 Vaygach Island
Vaygach Island
Vaygach Island is an island in the Arctic Sea between the Pechora Sea and the Kara Sea.Vaygach Island is separated from the Yugorsky Peninsula in the mainland by the Yugorsky Strait and from Novaya Zemlya by the Kara Strait...
. Encumbered by ice, Borough sailed to into the White Sea
White Sea
The White Sea is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is surrounded by Karelia to the west, the Kola Peninsula to the north, and the Kanin Peninsula to the northeast. The whole of the White Sea is under Russian sovereignty and considered to be part of...
and wintered at Colomogro. In 1560 he was in charge of another expedition to 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...
.
Around 1558, he visited the navigational school in Seville. Here he brought back to England a copy of Martín Cortés de Albacar
Martín Cortés de Albacar
Martín Cortés de Albacar was a Spanish cosmographer. In 1551 he published the standard navigitional textbook Arte de navigar Cortés was born in Bujaraloz, province of Zaragoza, Aragon...
's Breve Compendio. Borough had his copy translated by Richard Eden
Richard Eden
Richard Eden was an alchemist and translator. His translations of the geographic works of other writers helped foster a spirit of overseas exploration in Tudor England.-Early life:...
and published as the Art of Navigation in 1561. As such it became the first English manual of navigation
At the beginning of 1563 he was appointed chief pilot and one of the four masters of Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
's ships in the Medway, and in this office he spent the rest of his life. He died on 12 July 1584, and was buried at Chatham. His son, Christopher Borough
Christopher Borough
Christopher Borough or Christopher Burrough , son of Steven Borough, was an English adventurer, navigator and translator and the chronicler of one of the most interesting journeys into Persia recorded in the pages of Richard Hakluyt. He was fluent in Russian.-Biography:As part of the Muscovy...
, wrote a description of a trading expedition made in 1579-1581 from the White Sea to the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
and back.
His younger brother, William Borough
William Borough
William Borough was a British naval officer and the younger brother of Stephen Borough. He participated in the British attack on Cádiz in 1587...
, born in 1536, also at Northam, served as an ordinary seaman in the Edward Bonaventure on her voyage to Russia in 1553, and subsequently made many voyages to St. Nicholas. Later he transferred his services from the merchant adventurers to the crown. As commander of the Lion he accompanied Sir Francis Drake
Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He also carried out the...
in his Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
expedition of 1587, but he got himself into trouble by presuming to disagree with his chief concerning the wisdom of the attack on Lagos. He died in 1599.
He was the author of A Discourse of the Variation of the Compas, or Magneticall Needle (1581), and some of the charts he made are preserved at the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
and Hatfield.