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Ships of the World: An Historical Encyclopedia

Resolution

Ship (3m) L/B: 100.3 × 26.2 (30.6m × 8m) Tons: 291 tons Hull: wood Built: Fishburne & Broderick, Whitby, Eng.; 1803.

Among the most influential families in the history of Arctic exploration was that of William Scoresby, Senior, and Junior, who hailed from Whitby, North Yorkshire, one of the premier English fishing and whaling ports. In 1803, the elder Scoresby took command of the whaleship Resolution, in which his son rose from apprentice to first mate and, in 1810, captain. English whalers in this period routinely made annual voyages to Arctic waters, and collectively they had contributed more to the scientific understanding of the region than anyone else. On May 25, 1806, the Scoresbys sailed Resolution to a record high latitude of 81°30N. Eleven years later, the younger Scoresby would relay to Sir Joseph Banks the fact that Arctic conditions were moderating—the sea was "perfectly devoid of ice" as high as 80°N and the Greenland shore was ice-free. This information set in motion the parade of government-sponsored voyages in search of the Northwest Passage. Although Scoresby sought to command the first expedition, and was backed by Banks (a veteran of Captain James Cook's first voyage in HMS Endeavour), the command fell to Captain John Ross, with Isabella and Alexander. Scoresby sold his interest in Resolution in 1813, but the ship remained under Whitby ownership until 1829 when she was sold to Peterhead interests.

Berton, Arctic Grail. Lubbock, Arctic Whalers.



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