Jonas Poole facts for kids

Jonas Poole (born around 1566 – died 1612) was an English explorer and seal hunter in the early 1600s. He played an important role in the early days of whaling, which is the hunting of whales.

Early Journeys: Bear Island and Beyond

Jonas Poole worked for the Muscovy Company, a trading company. He sailed on their ships to Bear Island to hunt seals in 1604, 1605, 1606, 1608, and 1609.

In 1607, he was one of the sailors who traveled to the New World to help start Jamestown. He was part of a group of about two dozen colonists. Led by Captain Christopher Newport, they explored the upper James River in a small boat called a pinnace. They traveled as far as the waterfalls near what is now Richmond, Virginia.

Poole was given command of a 20-ton pinnace in 1606. In 1608, he guided the ship Paul, and in 1609, he was the master of the ship Lioness.

Exploring Spitsbergen: Whale Hunting Adventures

1610: Discovering New Lands

In 1610, Poole was sent back to Bear Island to hunt walrus. He also had a mission to search for a way to the North Pole. He was in charge of the 70-ton ship Amity, with a crew of fourteen men and a boy.

Instead of stopping at Bear Island, he sailed directly to Spitsbergen. While other explorers had only spent a short time there, Poole explored Spitsbergen for nearly three months. From May to August, he explored the west coast and hunted walrus, polar bear, and reindeer.

On May 6, he saw a mountain on the south coast of Spitsbergen. He named it Muscovy Company’s Mount (now called Hornsundtind). He sailed north and sent a small boat into a fjord. The crew returned with a piece of reindeer horn, so Poole named the fjord Horn Sound (Hornsund).

During this trip, he also named many other places. These included Ice Point (Ispynten), Bell Sound (Bellsund), Ice Sound (Isfjorden), and Fairhaven. Poole also found "fins" (baleen) and blubber from Bowhead whales that were stuck on the coast. He saw many whales but didn't try to catch them. At that time, only people from the Basque region knew how to hunt whales well.

1611: Challenges at Sea

Poole's report about the many whales around Spitsbergen led the Muscovy Company to send two ships there in 1611. One ship was the 60-ton Elizabeth, and the other was the 150-ton Mary Margaret. Poole was the master of the Elizabeth and was meant to guide both ships. Six expert whale hunters from the Basque region were also on board.

The ships left Blackwall in April. Strong winds and bad weather separated them. They found each other again in mid-May and sailed together. The Mary Margaret spent June hunting whales and walruses. Meanwhile, Poole explored to the southwest, looking for a land called Hold with Hope. After seeing this land (likely eastern Greenland), he sailed north to Bear Island.

In late July, Poole met three sailors from the other ship. They told him that the Mary Margaret had been lost in Foul Sound. It had been pushed ashore by ice. Thirty men had landed on the south side of the island in three boats.

Poole sailed to the south side of the island and picked up the men. Then he sailed north to Spitsbergen. In Foul Sound, he found the Mary Margaret's other men. Another ship, the Hopewell, had brought them there. On August 7, while moving cargo from the damaged Mary Margaret, Poole's ship, the Elizabeth, tipped over. Poole was in the ship's hold and was badly hurt. He managed to get out and was rescued by a boat.

The men then rowed to the Hopewell to ask for help. At first, the captain refused, but eventually, he agreed to take them home after they promised to pay him.

1612: A Successful Whale Season

In 1612, Jonas Poole sailed to Spitsbergen again for a whaling trip. Two ships were sent: the Whale and the Sea Horse. Poole was likely the pilot on the Sea Horse.

The expedition left in early April and arrived at Bear Island in early May. By late May, they were in Foul Sound. They saw other ships there, including one from Holland and another English ship.

By early June, the expert Basque whale hunters had already caught several whales. In late June, Poole reported that there were so many whales in the sound that he couldn't count them. He wrote that "abundance of huge Whales" were around their ships. Some even bumped into the ships! The ships returned to London later that year with a lot of oil from seventeen bowhead whales and two walruses.

After this successful journey, Jonas Poole sadly passed away unexpectedly between Ratcliff and London.

Jonas Poole's Lasting Legacy

Many of the names Jonas Poole gave to places on the west coast of Spitsbergen are still used today. These include Hornsund, Bellsund, and Isfjorden. Other names have changed over time or are no longer used. Poolepynten (Poole Point), a place on the southeastern coast of Prins Karls Forland, was named in his honor.