Born 1790,
Bath, England
Died 1855,
London, England

William Edward Parry was born the son of a doctor in Bath, England. After an education in a private grammar school, he joined the Royal Navy in June 1803 as a volunteer on the Ville de Paris. He served on several ships that saw active duty during the Napoleonic Wars, including the protection of British whaling ships north of Norway. In 1810 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant; three years later he was assigned to La Hogue, which was stationed at Halifax, Nova Scotia. He remained in North America, serving on various ships until 1817.

Joins Arctic expedition

On his return to England, Parry, who came from an influential family, arranged to meet Joseph Banks (see entry), the president of the Royal Society, Britain’s major scientific association. He also met an official in the British admiralty, John Barrow, who...