George Best (chronicler) facts for kids

George Best (born around 1555, died 1584) was an important English explorer and writer during the age of discovery. He sailed on two major voyages with the famous explorer Martin Frobisher. On the second trip, he was Frobisher's second-in-command, and on the third, he was the captain of a ship called the Anne Francis. In 1578, he wrote a book called A True Discourse of the Late Voyages of Discoverie, which shared details about these exciting journeys.

Life of George Best

George Best was the son of Robert Best, who worked as an interpreter for a trading company called the Muscovy Company. His mother was Anne Bowman. He also had a brother named Thomas Best, who became a sea captain.

George Best was chosen to join one of Frobisher's voyages by Sir Christopher Hatton, who was an important supporter of these expeditions. Best played a key role in these journeys, helping to explore new lands.

Sadly, George Best died in March 1584. He was killed in a duel with Oliver St. John, who later became a very important person in Ireland. The exact reason for the duel is not fully known.

George Best's Writings

George Best's most famous work is his book, A True Discourse of the Late Voyages of Discoverie. This book talked about the first voyage by Frobisher, even though Best was not on that one himself. However, he was an eyewitness to the second and third voyages, which took place in 1577 and 1578.

His book was later included in a collection of exploration stories by Richard Hakluyt, a famous English writer who collected many travel accounts. When Hakluyt reprinted Best's work, he removed some parts. For example, he took out sections that suggested the main goal of the explorations was to find valuable minerals, rather than to discover the North-West Passage (a sea route through North America).