Edward Fenton facts for kids

Edward Fenton (died 1603) was an English navigator and explorer. He was known for sailing the seas and for publishing important travel journals. Edward was the son of Henry Fenton and Cicely Beaumont, and his brother was Sir Geoffrey Fenton.

Edward Fenton's Early Life and Voyages

Edward Fenton was born in Sturton-le-Steeple, a town in Nottinghamshire, England. His mother's family was well-known in Leicestershire.

In 1577, Edward Fenton joined a big adventure! He sailed as the commander of a ship called the Gabriel. This was part of Sir Martin Frobisher's second trip to find the Northwest Passage. The Northwest Passage was a legendary sea route through North America that explorers hoped would lead to Asia.

The next year, in 1578, Fenton went on Frobisher's third expedition. This time, he was second-in-command on a ship named the Judith. These voyages were exciting attempts to discover new routes across the world.

A Challenging Expedition to Asia

After his adventures with Frobisher, Edward Fenton worked in Ireland for a while. But his true passion was exploring!

In 1582, he was put in charge of a new expedition. The plan was to sail all the way around the Cape of Good Hope (at the southern tip of Africa) to reach the Moluccas (also known as the Spice Islands) and China. His main goal was to trade, but he also had instructions to learn anything he could about the Northwest Passage, as long as it didn't stop his trading mission.

For this long journey, Fenton commanded two warships: the Galleon Leicester and the Edward Bonaventure.

Troubles on the Voyage

Unfortunately, this expedition was not very successful. Fenton's ships only made it as far as Portuguese Brazil. Even though they bravely defeated a Spanish fleet near São Vicente, they couldn't trade with the Portuguese people there.

To make things even harder, Edward Fenton had many disagreements with his officers. One of the biggest arguments was with his lieutenant, William Hawkins. Hawkins was the nephew of the famous naval commander Sir John Hawkins. The arguments got so bad that Fenton had William Hawkins put in chains by the time they returned to the River Thames in England!

A chaplain named Richard Madox sailed with them on this voyage. He kept a detailed diary of the entire year 1582, which was later published.

Fighting the Spanish Armada

In 1588, Edward Fenton played an important role in English history. He commanded the Mary Rose. This was a different ship from the famous Mary Rose that is now preserved. Fenton's Mary Rose was part of the large English fleet that gathered to fight the powerful Spanish Armada. The Spanish Armada was a huge fleet of ships sent by Spain to invade England.

Edward Fenton died 15 years later, in 1603. He was buried in St Nicholas's Church in Deptford, England.

Edward Fenton's Family Life

Edward Fenton was married to a woman named Thomasina. She was the daughter of Benjamin Gonson the Elder. This also made Edward Fenton the brother-in-law of Sir John Hawkins, who married Katherine Gonson, Thomasina's sister. The mother of Thomasina and Katherine was Ursula, daughter of Anthony Hussey.