Christopher Middleton (navigator)
Encyclopedia
Christopher Middleton was an English
naval officer and navigator
. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
on 7 April 1737.
Middleton was appointed on 5 March 1741 to the command of the Royal Navy's sloop, HMS Furnace, which was refitted at Deptford Dockyard and re-rigged as a three-masted ship. In May 1741 he left England in the Furnace, accompanied by a smaller vessel, the purchased HMS Discovery under the command of Commander William Moor, and sailed to North America
in search of a Northwest Passage
to the East Indies
. He spent the winter at the entrance of the Churchill River
in Hudson Bay
. He then proceeded as far north as Repulse Bay
, but was prevented from going further by the ice. He returned to England in 1742, where he was presented with the Copley Medal
by the Royal Society
to whom he presented a paper on "The extraordinary degrees and surprising effects of Cold in Hudson's Bay".
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...
naval officer and navigator
Navigator
A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation. The navigator's primary responsibility is to be aware of ship or aircraft position at all times. Responsibilities include planning the journey, advising the Captain or aircraft Commander of estimated timing to...
. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
on 7 April 1737.
Middleton was appointed on 5 March 1741 to the command of the Royal Navy's sloop, HMS Furnace, which was refitted at Deptford Dockyard and re-rigged as a three-masted ship. In May 1741 he left England in the Furnace, accompanied by a smaller vessel, the purchased HMS Discovery under the command of Commander William Moor, and sailed to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in search of a 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...
to the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
. He spent the winter at the entrance of the Churchill River
Churchill River (Hudson Bay)
The Churchill River is a major river in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Canada. From the head of the Churchill Lake it is 1,609 km long. It was named after John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and governor of the Hudson's Bay Company from 1685 to 1691...
in 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,...
. He then proceeded as far north as Repulse Bay
Repulse Bay, Nunavut
Repulse Bay is an Inuit hamlet located on the shore of Hudson Bay, Kivalliq Region, in Nunavut, Canada.-Location and wildlife:The hamlet is located exactly on the Arctic Circle, on the north shore of Repulse Bay and on the south shore of the Rae Isthmus. Transport to the community is provided...
, but was prevented from going further by the ice. He returned to England in 1742, where he was presented with the Copley Medal
Copley Medal
The Copley Medal is an award given by the Royal Society of London for "outstanding achievements in research in any branch of science, and alternates between the physical sciences and the biological sciences"...
by the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
to whom he presented a paper on "The extraordinary degrees and surprising effects of Cold in Hudson's Bay".