Thomas Button facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir Thomas Button
Born	C.1575 England
Died	April 1634 London
Occupation	Officer of the Royal Navy and explorer
Signature

Sir Thomas Button (died April 1634) was a Welsh officer in the Royal Navy. He was a famous explorer who led an important trip in 1612–1613. His goal was to find the explorer Henry Hudson and discover the Northwest Passage. This passage was a sea route through North America to Asia.

Early Life and Family

Thomas Button was born around 1575 in England. He was the fourth son of Miles Button. His family had owned land in Glamorgan, Wales, for many years. Around 1595, he married Elizabeth Rice. Her uncle was Sir Robert Mansell, a well-known naval officer. Sir Robert helped Thomas Button a lot in his career.

Exploring the Arctic

In April 1612, Sir Thomas Button was given command of two navy ships. These ships were named `Resolution` and `Discovery`. His mission was to find the Northwest Passage. They left England in May 1612.

They soon reached a river and named it the Nelson River. This was in honor of their ship's master, who had died. They spent the winter at a place now called Port Nelson. The next year, they sailed north to continue their search.

During their journey, they lost the `Resolution` ship to thick sea ice. But they kept going north with the `Discovery`. Sir Thomas Button discovered and named Mansel Island. He also explored the western coast of Hudson Bay. He claimed this area for his country and called it New Wales.

Other explorers visited this region later. In 1631, Captains Thomas James and Luke Foxe explored the area. Captain Foxe supposedly named the land north of the Nelson River as New North Wales. He called the lands to the south New South Wales.

Sir Thomas Button and his crew were among the first Europeans to explore the area known today as Manitoba. His discoveries were very important. Other explorers used his landmarks, stories, and detailed notes. The first maps of the Hudson Bay area were made using his explorations. They also used the maps from Henry Hudson, who explored before him.

Later Years

After his Arctic journey, Sir Thomas Button became the Admiral of the Irish Coasts. He was in charge of the Irish Squadron. On August 30, 1616, he was knighted. This meant he became "Sir" Thomas Button. He worked to stop pirates and smugglers along the coast.

Sir Thomas Button was buried on April 8, 1634. He was laid to rest at St Margaret's, Westminster church in London. He was survived by his wife and five of their seven children.

Images for kids

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  Sir Thomas Button's signature from 1630.

See also

In Spanish: Thomas Button para niños