William Kennedy (explorer)
Encyclopedia
William Kennedy was born at Cumberland House, Saskatchewan
, a son of the Hudson's Bay Company
Chief Factor there, Alexander Kennedy and his Cree
wife, Aggathas. At thirteen, he was sent to his father’s birthplace in the Orkney Islands for his education. In 1836 he returned to Canada and was employed as a fur-trader with the Hudson's Bay Company.
Prince Albert. His second in command was Joseph René Bellot
, a French navy sub-lieutenant. The expedition was well organized as Kennedy was well versed in northern travel and used as many experienced men as he could find and outfitted them in native clothing. While the expedition did not find Franklin, it did acquire substantial knowledge of the Canadian Arctic. Because of his preparedness and leadership, they returned to Britain in October 1852 without losing any men.
Lady Franklin placed Kennedy in charge of her auxiliary steamship Isabel
to search the Arctic via the Bering Straits early in 1853. However, most of the crew including his sailing master Robert Grate mutinied at Valparaiso
in August, claiming the vessel was too small for her mission. After two years trading around the South American coast while trying to find another crew willing to sail to the Arctic, he gave up and returned the Isabel to England in 1855.
Kennedy returned to Canada in 1856 and was active in establishing a mail service between Toronto and the Red River Settlement. He settled at Red River in 1860 and operated a store with his brother George from his home. (It is now a museum). He was active in the community and was a magistrate and a member of the Board of Education of Manitoba. In 1879, he gave the first scientific address to the Historical and Scientific Society of Manitoba
. He was also a strong advocate of a railroad to Churchill, Manitoba
.
William Kennedy wrote about the search for Franklin and his narrative, along with the memoirs of Bellot, provide interesting and valuable information on the Canadian Arctic.
Cumberland House, Saskatchewan
Cumberland House is a village in Census Division No. 18 in north-eastern Saskatchewan, Canada on the Saskatchewan River. It is the oldest community in Saskatchewan and has a population of about 2000 people...
, a son of the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
Chief Factor there, Alexander Kennedy and his Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
wife, Aggathas. At thirteen, he was sent to his father’s birthplace in the Orkney Islands for his education. In 1836 he returned to Canada and was employed as a fur-trader with the Hudson's Bay Company.
History
Kennedy was commander of Lady Franklin second sponsored expedition in 1851 to find her husband, Sir John Franklin, using the ketchKetch
A ketch is a sailing craft with two masts: a main mast, and a shorter mizzen mast abaft of the main mast, but forward of the rudder post. Both masts are rigged mainly fore-and-aft. From one to three jibs may be carried forward of the main mast when going to windward...
Prince Albert. His second in command was Joseph René Bellot
Joseph René Bellot
Joseph René Bellot was a French Arctic explorer.Bellot was born at Paris, the son of a farrier, but moved to Rochefort with his family in 1831. With the aid of the authorities of Rochefort he was enabled at the age of 15 to enter the Ecole Navale at Brest, in which he studied two years and earned...
, a French navy sub-lieutenant. The expedition was well organized as Kennedy was well versed in northern travel and used as many experienced men as he could find and outfitted them in native clothing. While the expedition did not find Franklin, it did acquire substantial knowledge of the Canadian Arctic. Because of his preparedness and leadership, they returned to Britain in October 1852 without losing any men.
Lady Franklin placed Kennedy in charge of her auxiliary steamship Isabel
Auxiliary Steamship Isabel (1850)
The Isabel was a vessel intended to be used in four planned expeditions in search of the fate of the missing Franklin Expedition between 1852 and 1856, although she only managed to reach the Arctic once, in 1852...
to search the Arctic via the Bering Straits early in 1853. However, most of the crew including his sailing master Robert Grate mutinied at Valparaiso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
in August, claiming the vessel was too small for her mission. After two years trading around the South American coast while trying to find another crew willing to sail to the Arctic, he gave up and returned the Isabel to England in 1855.
Kennedy returned to Canada in 1856 and was active in establishing a mail service between Toronto and the Red River Settlement. He settled at Red River in 1860 and operated a store with his brother George from his home. (It is now a museum). He was active in the community and was a magistrate and a member of the Board of Education of Manitoba. In 1879, he gave the first scientific address to the Historical and Scientific Society of Manitoba
Manitoba Historical Society
The Manitoba Historical Society is a historical society in the province of Manitoba, Canada. It was created by an act of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in 1879, and describes itself as "the oldest organization in western Canada devoted to the promotion of public interest in, and preservation...
. He was also a strong advocate of a railroad to Churchill, Manitoba
Churchill, Manitoba
Churchill is a town on the shore of Hudson Bay in Manitoba, Canada. It is most famous for the many polar bears that move toward the shore from inland in the autumn, leading to the nickname "Polar Bear Capital of the World" that has helped its growing tourism industry.-History:A variety of nomadic...
.
William Kennedy wrote about the search for Franklin and his narrative, along with the memoirs of Bellot, provide interesting and valuable information on the Canadian Arctic.