Edward Bransfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edward Bransfield
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|---|---|
| Born | c. 1785 Ballinacurra, County Cork, Kingdom of Ireland |
| Died | 31 October 1852 (aged 66–67) Brighton, England |
| Service/ |
 Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1803–1820 |
| Rank | Master |
| Battles/wars | Bombardment of Algiers |
Edward Bransfield (born around 1785 – died October 31, 1852) was an Irish sailor. He became an officer in the British Royal Navy. He worked as a master on several ships. Edward was forced to join the navy when he was 18 years old.
He is famous for exploring parts of Antarctica. In January 1820, he saw the Trinity Peninsula. This is a part of the Antarctic continent.
Contents
Edward Bransfield's Early Life
Edward Bransfield was born in Ballinacurra, County Cork, Ireland. This was around the year 1785. We don't know much about his family. The Bransfields were a well-known Catholic family. They might have had enough money for Edward's schooling. But, because of strict rules called the Penal Laws, he probably went to a local secret school.
On June 2, 1803, when Edward was 18, British sailors took him from his father's fishing boat. He was forced to join the Royal Navy. This was called "impressment."
Edward started as a regular sailor on a huge ship called HMS Ville de Paris. It had 110 guns. On this ship, he lived with William Edward Parry. Parry was a young officer who also became famous for exploring the polar regions.
In 1805, Edward became an able seaman. This meant he was good at his job. He then moved to another big ship, HMS Royal Sovereign. This ship had been in the Battle of Trafalgar. Edward kept getting promoted. By 1812, he was a second master. He also became an acting master on a smaller ship, HMS Goldfinch.
Between 1814 and 1816, Bransfield served as a master on several ships. In 1816, he was made master of HMS Severn. He led this ship in the Bombardment of Algiers. This was a big battle. In 1817, he joined HMS Andromache. This ship was sent to the Royal Navy's new base in Valparaíso, Chile.
Exploring Antarctica
In 1773, James Cook sailed past the Antarctic Circle. He was proud to be the first to do this. The next year, Cook sailed all the way around Antarctica. He got very far south but was stopped by ice. Cook did not see Antarctica, but he proved that there was no warm, populated land around the South Pole. After this, the British Navy became less interested in Antarctica. They focused on finding the Northwest Passage instead. It was almost 50 years before anyone else sailed as far south as Cook.
Discovery of New Islands
In February 1819, a ship captain named William Smith was sailing around Cape Horn. Strong winds pushed his ship, the William, south. He discovered some islands that became known as the South Shetland Islands.
When Captain Smith's discovery reached Valparaíso, Captain Shirreff of the Royal Navy decided it needed more study. He hired Smith's ship, William. He also chose Bransfield, two young officers, and a doctor to explore the new islands. Smith stayed on board to help Bransfield navigate.
Sighting the Continent
Bransfield and Smith sailed to the South Shetland Islands. Bransfield landed on King George Island. He officially claimed it for King George III. (The king had actually died the day before, on January 29, 1820).
Bransfield then sailed southwest past Deception Island. He did not explore it closely. He turned south and crossed what is now called the Bransfield Strait. This strait was named after him later. On January 30, 1820, he saw Trinity Peninsula. This is the northernmost part of the Antarctic mainland. Many people say this was the discovery of Antarctica. Bransfield wrote in his logbook about two "high mountains, covered with snow." One of these was later named Mount Bransfield in his honor.
It's interesting to note that two days earlier, on January 28, 1820, a Russian explorer named Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen might have seen an icy shoreline. This area is now known to be part of East Antarctica. Because of this, some people say Bellingshausen discovered the continent first.
After charting part of the Trinity Peninsula, Bransfield followed the edge of the ice sheet. He sailed northeast and discovered parts of Elephant Island and Clarence Island. He also claimed these for Britain. He did not sail all the way around Elephant Island, but he fully mapped Clarence Island.
When Bransfield returned to Valparaíso, he gave his maps and journal to Captain Shirreff. Shirreff sent them to the British Navy. The original maps are still kept today. But Bransfield's journal has been lost. The Navy seemed more interested in finding the Northwest Passage at the time. Two private stories about Bransfield's trip were published in 1821. Recently, the journal of one of the young officers, Charles Poynter, was found in New Zealand.
Later Life
We don't know much about the rest of Bransfield's life. He passed away on October 31, 1852. He was 66 or 67 years old. He was buried in the Brighton Extra-Mural Cemetery in southern England. His wife outlived him and was buried in the same grave in 1863.
Legacy and Honors
Several places in Antarctica are named after Edward Bransfield. These include Bransfield Island, Bransfield Strait, Bransfield Trough, Bransfield Rocks, and Mount Bransfield.
In 1999, Edward Bransfield's grave was found in bad condition. A woman named Sheila Bransfield, with donations, helped fix it up. In 2002, she wrote a special paper about his role in discovering Antarctica. A ceremony was held to mark the event.
In 2000, the Royal Mail made a special stamp to honor Bransfield. Since no pictures of him could be found, the stamp showed the RRS Bransfield. This was an Antarctic survey ship named after him.
In January 2020, on the 200th anniversary of his discovery of Antarctica, a monument was put up in his hometown of Ballincurra, Ireland. On the same day, a blue plaque was placed on his old home in Brighton.
See also
- Nathaniel Palmer, the first American to see Antarctica, on November 17, 1820
- Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen
- History of Antarctica
- Livingston Island
