Richard Chancellor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Richard Chancellor
Chancellor's reception in Moscow, as depicted in the Illustrated Chronicle of Ivan the Terrible
Born	c. 1521 Bristol
Died	1556

Richard Chancellor was an English explorer and sailor who lived in the 1500s. He was the first European to reach the White Sea in Russia. He also helped start important connections between England and the Russian Empire. He died on November 10, 1556.

Early Life and Training

Richard Chancellor was born around 1521 in Bristol, England. He grew up in the home of Sir Henry Sidney, a powerful English gentleman.

In 1550, Chancellor worked as a trainee pilot on a ship called the Aucher. He sailed to the eastern Mediterranean Sea. He learned a lot about geography and sailing from famous experts. These included the explorer Sebastian Cabot and the mapmaker John Dee.

The Search for a New Route

Sebastian Cabot was very interested in finding a sea route to Asia through the Arctic. This route was called the north-east passage.

A group of London merchants formed a company in 1552-1553. It was called the Company of Merchant Adventurers. They hoped to find this new passage. They also wanted to find new places to sell English wool cloth.

Richard Chancellor (1553)

Richard Chancellor's 1553 expedition to Nyonoksa and Yagry

The First Expedition (1553)

Sir Hugh Willoughby led the first expedition with three ships. Richard Chancellor was the chief navigator and second-in-command. Their orders were to be friendly to any people they met. They also had to keep a detailed diary of their journey.

Strong winds slowed the expedition. They reached the North Cape as autumn began. A big storm separated the ships. Willoughby, with two ships, sailed east. He discovered Novaya Zemlya, a large island. Sadly, he and all his men died during the winter on the Kola Peninsula. Russian fishermen found their bodies and diaries later.

Meanwhile, Chancellor's ship, the Edward Bonaventure, survived the storm. He named the North Cape. He then stopped at Vardø, a port in Norway. This was the last town before the cold Russian coast. Scottish fishermen there warned him of dangers ahead.

Reaching the White Sea

Chancellor kept sailing east. He found the entrance to the White Sea. Local people helped him find his way. He dropped anchor at the mouth of the Dvina River. This is where the city of Archangel stands today.

Meeting Ivan the Terrible

When Tsar Ivan the Terrible heard about Chancellor's arrival, he invited him to Moscow. Chancellor traveled over 600 miles (1000 kilometers) to Moscow. He went by horse-drawn sleigh over snow and ice.

He found Moscow to be a very large city, bigger than London. Most houses were made of wood. However, the Tsar's palace was very fancy. The dinners the Tsar offered Chancellor were also very luxurious.

Trade and Diplomacy

The Tsar was happy to open new trading routes with England. At that time, Russia did not have a connection to the Baltic Sea. Other powerful countries like Poland-Lithuania and Sweden controlled that area. Also, the Hanseatic League controlled most trade between Russia and Western Europe.

Chancellor was also hopeful. He found a good market for English wool. In return, he received furs and other Russian goods. The Tsar gave him letters for England. These letters invited English traders and promised them special trading rights.

Monument to Richard Chancellor at Yagry Island

Return to England and Second Voyage

Chancellor returned to England in the summer of 1554. King Edward had died. His sister, Mary, was now queen. The merchant group was now called the Muscovy Company. They sent Chancellor back to the White Sea in 1555.

On this trip, he learned what happened to Hugh Willoughby. He found Willoughby's papers. He also learned more about the discovery of Novaya Zemlya. Chancellor spent the summer of 1555 working with the Tsar. He organized trade and tried to learn how to reach China by the northern route.

Final Journey and Death

In July 1556, Chancellor left for home. He brought with him the first Russian ambassador to England, Osip Nepeya. Their fleet had four ships: the Philip and Mary, the Edward Bonadventure, and Willoughby's two ships, the Bona Confidentia and the Bona Esperanza.

Near the coast of Norway, the weather became very bad. The ships tried to find shelter in Trondheim. The Bona Esperanza sank. The Bona Confidentia was never seen again after entering the fjord. Only the Philip and Mary successfully spent the winter in Trondheim. It arrived in London in April 1557.

The Edward Bonadventure did not try to enter the fjord. Instead, it reached the Scottish coast. A storm pushed it ashore at Pitsligo, near Aberdeen, on November 10, 1556. Most of the crew, including Richard Chancellor, died. Only the Russian ambassador and a few others survived. They reached London the next year.

In Fiction

Richard Chancellor appears as a main character in the novel The Ringed Castle (1971). This book is part of Dorothy Dunnett's historical fiction series, The Lymond Chronicles.

See also

In Spanish: Richard Chancellor para niños

• Company of Merchant Adventurers
• Society of Merchant Venturers
• Muscovy Company