Thomas Marmaduke
Encyclopedia
Thomas Marmaduke was an English explorer, sealer
, and whaler
in the early 17th century.
interlopers sent to Bjørnøya in 1609. It was claimed that in this year, sailing in the Heartsease, he "discovered" Spitsbergen
; although there is no evidence for this claim, and the island had already been discovered by the Dutch
in 1596. On this claim the merchants of Hull based their rights to fish for whales in Spitsbergen in subsequent decades.
In 1611, Marmaduke was again sent up, this time in the interloper Hopewell of Hull. He hunted walrus
, or "sea morses" (as they were called). In July, Marmaduke met with two shallops of the Mary Margaret, a ship sent by the Muscovy Company
to hunt whales, in Horn Sound
. Their ship had been crushed by ice in or near Cove Comfortless (Engelskbukta
), north of Horn Sound. They led him north to the bay in order to salvage their goods. Later, the Elizabeth, Jonas Poole
, master and pilot, sailed into the bay and attempted to shift his cargo to enable him to accommodate the goods of the Mary Margaret, but in doing so his ship capsized, forcing the crew of both the Mary Margaret and the Elizabeth to sail home in the Hopewell. In this year or the next he was claimed to have discovered Jan Mayen
and named it Trinity Island. There is no cartographical or written evidence for this alleged discovery.
Marmaduke again sailed as master of the Hopewell in 1612. Although several secondary sources state that he was sent to catch whales, there is no evidence that he intended to do so or was even fitted out for it. He may have again been sent up to catch walrus. Poole said he reached 82° N this season, but this seems unlikely. All we know is that he carried off the post and arms set up on Spitsbergem's northwest coast by Barentsz in 1596, and that he reached Red Beach (the shore of Breibogen) and as far as Gråhuken (Grey Hook) at the western entrance of Wijdefjorden, where, in early August 1614, Robert Fotherby
and William Baffin
found a cross engraved with the name Laurence Prestwood, as well as two or three others, dated August 17, 1612. In 1613, he sailed for the Muscovy Company
in the Matthew (250 tons), vice-admiral of the English whaling fleet. Using a seized Dutch vessel, Marmaduke explored as far as Fairhaven
. On speaking with the English admiral, Benjamin Joseph, on his intentions of sailing around Point Lookout (Sørkapp
) for further exploration, he was told "that he had hindered the voyage more by his absence than his discoveries would profit" and was ordered to return to the Foreland. He apparently disobeyed Joseph's orders, as he was said to have discovered Hopen
this year, naming it after his former command, the Hopewell. This supposed discovery is shown on the Muscovy Company's Map (1625), where the date 1613 is given beside the island.
He sailed once more for the Company as master of the Heartsease the next season (1614), exploring northeastwards over the northwest coast of Spitsbergen at least as far as Gråhuken, where Fotherby and Baffin encountered some of his crew in a shallop. In 1617 Marmaduke petitioned to King James
that he could prove that the shortest route to Cathay (China
) was to the north-east. He asked if he would be able to do this at the king's charge, and if not, to undertake it himself. Whether his proposal was accepted is not known. The same year whalers from Vlissingen were said to have met him at Bear Island, while one of the Muscovy Company's ships met with him off Edgeøya
, reporting that Marmaduke then sailed for Hopen. The remains of a whaling station are said to exist at Koefoedodden on the southern tip of Hopen. It may have belonged to Marmaduke. In 1619 he attempted to sail around Sørkapp, but poor ice conditions forced him into Hornsund.
In the 2007 novel The Solitude of Thomas Cave, by Georgina Harding, Marmaduke appears as captain of the Heartsease, which is sent to Edgeøya in 1616. Here he leaves the book's title character, who, on a wager, successfully over-winters on the island.
Sealer
-See also:*Seal *Sealing...
, and whaler
Whaler
A whaler is a specialized ship, designed for whaling, the catching and/or processing of whales. The former included the whale catcher, a steam or diesel-driven vessel with a harpoon gun mounted at its bows. The latter included such vessels as the sail or steam-driven whaleship of the 16th to early...
in the early 17th century.
Career
In a list dated from September 1600 Marmaduke is mentioned as being a younger brother of the Hull Trinity House. He was master of one of the two HullKingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
interlopers sent to Bjørnøya in 1609. It was claimed that in this year, sailing in the Heartsease, he "discovered" 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...
; although there is no evidence for this claim, and the island had already been discovered by the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
in 1596. On this claim the merchants of Hull based their rights to fish for whales in Spitsbergen in subsequent decades.
In 1611, Marmaduke was again sent up, this time in the interloper Hopewell of Hull. He hunted 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...
, or "sea morses" (as they were called). In July, Marmaduke met with two shallops of the Mary Margaret, a ship sent by 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...
to hunt whales, in Horn Sound
Hornsund
Hornsund is a fjord on the western side of the southernmost tip of Spitsbergen island.The fjord's mouth faces west to the Greenland Sea, and is 12 km wide. The length is 30 kilometres, the mean depth is 90 metres, and the maximal depth is 260 metres...
. Their ship had been crushed by ice in or near Cove Comfortless (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...
), north of Horn Sound. They led him north to the bay in order to salvage their goods. Later, the Elizabeth, 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 and pilot, sailed into the bay and attempted to shift his cargo to enable him to accommodate the goods of the Mary Margaret, but in doing so his ship capsized, forcing the crew of both the Mary Margaret and the Elizabeth to sail home in the Hopewell. In this year or the next he was claimed to have discovered Jan Mayen
Jan Mayen
Jan Mayen Island is a volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean and part of the Kingdom of Norway. It is long and 373 km2 in area, partly covered by glaciers . It has two parts: larger northeast Nord-Jan and smaller Sør-Jan, linked by an isthmus wide...
and named it Trinity Island. There is no cartographical or written evidence for this alleged discovery.
Marmaduke again sailed as master of the Hopewell in 1612. Although several secondary sources state that he was sent to catch whales, there is no evidence that he intended to do so or was even fitted out for it. He may have again been sent up to catch walrus. Poole said he reached 82° N this season, but this seems unlikely. All we know is that he carried off the post and arms set up on Spitsbergem's northwest coast by Barentsz in 1596, and that he reached Red Beach (the shore of Breibogen) and as far as Gråhuken (Grey Hook) at the western entrance of Wijdefjorden, where, in early August 1614, Robert Fotherby
Robert Fotherby
Robert Fotherby was an early 17th century English explorer and whaler. From 1613 to 1615 he worked for the Muscovy Company, and from 1615 until his death for the East India Company.-Family Ties:...
and 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...
found a cross engraved with the name Laurence Prestwood, as well as two or three others, dated August 17, 1612. In 1613, he sailed for 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 the Matthew (250 tons), vice-admiral of the English whaling fleet. Using a seized Dutch vessel, Marmaduke explored as far as Fairhaven
Fairhaven, Svalbard
Fairhaven generally speaking is the area between Amsterdamøya and Danskøya and the mainland, while specifically it refers to the sound between Danskøya and the mainland , in particular the strait between Moseøya and Danskøya...
. On speaking with the English admiral, Benjamin Joseph, on his intentions of sailing around Point Lookout (Sørkapp
Sørkappøya
Sørkappøya is a 7 km long island at the southern tip of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago. Behind the island is Sørkapp , the southern cape of Spitsbergen.-References:...
) for further exploration, he was told "that he had hindered the voyage more by his absence than his discoveries would profit" and was ordered to return to the Foreland. He apparently disobeyed Joseph's orders, as he was said to have discovered Hopen
Hopen
Hopen is an island in the southeastern part of the Svalbard archipelago . Hopen was discovered in 1613, probably by Thomas Marmaduke of Hull, who named it after his former command, the Hopewell....
this year, naming it after his former command, the Hopewell. This supposed discovery is shown on the Muscovy Company's Map (1625), where the date 1613 is given beside the island.
He sailed once more for the Company as master of the Heartsease the next season (1614), exploring northeastwards over the northwest coast of Spitsbergen at least as far as Gråhuken, where Fotherby and Baffin encountered some of his crew in a shallop. In 1617 Marmaduke petitioned to King James
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
that he could prove that the shortest route to Cathay (China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
) was to the north-east. He asked if he would be able to do this at the king's charge, and if not, to undertake it himself. Whether his proposal was accepted is not known. The same year whalers from Vlissingen were said to have met him at Bear Island, while one of the Muscovy Company's ships met with him off Edgeøya
Edgeøya
Edgeøya, occasionally anglicised as Edge Island, is an uninhabited Norwegian island in southeast of the Svalbard archipelago; it is the third largest island in this archipelago. An Arctic island, it forms part of the South East Svalbard Nature Reserve, home to polar bears and reindeer. Its eastern...
, reporting that Marmaduke then sailed for Hopen. The remains of a whaling station are said to exist at Koefoedodden on the southern tip of Hopen. It may have belonged to Marmaduke. In 1619 he attempted to sail around Sørkapp, but poor ice conditions forced him into Hornsund.
Legacy
A cove on the west coast of Edgeøya was named Duke's Cove in his honor. The Dutch corrupted it to Dusko and finally Disko. It now appears as Diskobukta, but apparently misplaced.In the 2007 novel The Solitude of Thomas Cave, by Georgina Harding, Marmaduke appears as captain of the Heartsease, which is sent to Edgeøya in 1616. Here he leaves the book's title character, who, on a wager, successfully over-winters on the island.