William Baffin
1584-1622
English Navigator, Ship Pilot, and Explorer
While searching for the elusive Northwest Passage, William Baffin made important discoveries about the geography of the northern reaches of the New World. During two of his most noteworthy expeditions—both with explorer Robert Bylot as commander—Baffin searched the waters now known as Hudson Bay or Baffin Bay for entrances to the Northwest Passage, which would connect the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. One of his expeditions with Bylot led the men and their crew to within 800 miles (1,287 km) of the North Pole—the northernmost point ever reached in the Canadian Arctic. The record stood for more than two centuries. Baffin's exploits in the Canadian Arctic are now immortalized in the names of Baffin Bay and Baffin Island.
Baffin was born around 1584 in or near London, but little else is known of him until he took the position of chief pilot for a Greenland-bound ship in 1612. He continued his adventures by taking positions in 1613 and 1614 aboard ships funded by the whaling outfit named the Muscovy Company. During these voyages, the English pilot was able to learn about the coasts of the Spitsbergen Islands in the icy waters about 500 miles (805 km) east of Greenland.
Baffin's experience in the Arctic helped him attain the title of chief pilot for an expedition commanded by Robert Bylot. The men set sail on March 15, 1615, aboard the Discovery, a ship made famous by explorer Henry Hudson (c. 1565-1611) when he discovered what is now known as Hudson Bay in 1610-1611. Baffin and Bylot planned to lead the Discovery back to Hudson Bay with the express purpose of determining whether a Northwest Passage originated from its waters. They got as far as the Hudson Strait, but were forced back by thick ice before they could enter Hudson Bay. Nonetheless, Baffin's observations during the trip allowed him to conclude that the Northwest Passage did not connect with Hudson Bay. He was right.
Baffin and Bylot returned to England for a short time before leaving on the Discovery for the Canadian Arctic on March 26, 1616. During this expedition, they ventured into a large expanse of water west of Greenland to a point farther north than any other North American explorers had gone. Baffin charted the serpentine coastline of the bay and the large adjacent island, both of which now carry his name. He also charted and named the Lancaster Sound, which connects to the bay on the west. The sound was later shown to be an entry point for the Northwest Passage, Baffin never identified it as such.
Although unsuccessful in the discovery of a Northwest Passage, Baffin's charts of the Hudson Strait and Baffin Bay provided important new information. He is also credited with making a significant navigational finding during the voyage by determining longitude at sea. His method involved calculating the distance of the moon from another more fixed celestial object. In addition, he maintained careful records on his observations of the Moon and stars, the tides and even the variations in his compass readings as they neared the Earth's magnetic pole. The latter helped future scientists to learn more about the pole's variations from year to year.
After he returned to England, Baffin continued his quest to find a Northwest Passage. He began a two-year voyage on February 4, 1617, in hopes of finding the passage from the Pacific side of the continent. The ship, commissioned by the East India Company, never traveled as far as the Pacific, however. Undeterred, he set out on another East India Company expedition in 1620. Almost two years into the voyage, the fleet engaged in a battle with Portuguese adversaries in the Persian Gulf. Baffin died in combat there on January 20, 1622.
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