Steven Bennet facts for kids

Steven Bennet was an explorer, sealer, and whaler from the early 1600s. He traveled the seas, discovering new places and hunting animals like walruses and whales. He played an important role in early English voyages to the Arctic.

Life and Voyages

First Voyage: Discovering Bear Island (1603)

In 1603, Steven Bennet was the captain (or "master") of a ship called the Grace. It was a 50-ton ship, meaning it was quite large for its time. Sir Francis Cherry sent Bennet on this trip to trade goods and explore new lands.

They sailed to the Kola River, then headed northwest. Their goal was to find new places. On August 16, they saw an island. This island is now known as Bear Island. Bennet's crew was the first English group to ever see it! They explored the coast the next day but didn't find anything valuable. The ship returned to London on September 10.

Second Voyage: Walrus Hunting (1604)

The next year, in 1604, Bennet became the captain of the 60-ton ship Godspeed. This time, his trip was focused on trading and hunting seals. Thomas Welden joined him as the merchant, handling the goods.

They left London in mid-April. For two months, they explored parts of Norway and Russia. In early July, they arrived back at Bear Island. They stayed there until July 13. During this time, they hunted over one hundred walrus using special guns called fowling pieces and muskets.

After leaving Bear Island, they spent time in "Pechingo in Lapland" and Kola. They returned to the Thames River in London on October 15. When they got back, they decided to rename Bear Island. They called it Cherry Island to honor Sir Francis Cherry, who had paid for their discovery trip.

Third Voyage: Captured by Pirates (1605)

In 1605, Bennet went on another trip to Cherry Island. He was again the captain of a 60-ton ship, and Thomas Welden was the merchant. They left London on May 1.

However, on May 23, their ship was captured by a ship from Dunkirk. These ships were like pirates. They stole two large barrels of strong beer, all their muskets, and a valuable fowling piece that belonged to Master Welden.

Despite this setback, they reached Cherry Island on July 2. Four days later, they started hunting walruses again. This time, they used both guns and long spears called javelins. They collected eleven tuns (a large measure) of oil from the walruses, and also took their tusks. The expedition returned to London on August 24.

Later Voyages and Whaling (1606-1611)

In 1606, Bennet was again the captain of the same 60-ton ship. He went on another sealing trip to Cherry Island, with Welden as the merchant.

In 1611, Bennet took on a new role. He became the captain of a much larger ship, the 150-ton Mary Margaret. This ship was sent to Spitsbergen for a whaling expedition. Whaling meant hunting whales for their oil and other products.

During this trip, the Mary Margaret had an accident. Due to a mistake by Bennet, the ship was pushed ashore by ice near a place called Engelskbukta. The crew had to leave the ship. They rowed and sailed to Bear Island, where they found Jonas Poole. Poole was the captain of another ship, the Elizabeth, which was supposed to travel with the Mary Margaret.