William Robert Broughton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Robert Broughton
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| Born | 22 March 1762 Gloucestershire, England |
| Died | 14 March 1821 (aged 58) Florence, Tuscany |
| Allegiance |  Great Britain United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
Royal Navy |
| Rank | Captain |
| Commands held | HMS Chatham HMS Providence HMS Penelope HMS Illustrious |
| Battles/wars | Napoleonic Wars |
William Robert Broughton (born March 22, 1762 – died March 14, 1821) was a British naval officer. He lived in the late 1700s and early 1800s. As a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, he commanded a ship called HMS Chatham. This ship was part of the Vancouver Expedition. This was a big journey of exploration through the Pacific Ocean. Captain George Vancouver led the expedition in the early 1790s.
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About William Robert Broughton
William Robert Broughton was born on March 22, 1762. His father, Charles Broughton, was a merchant from Hamburg. His mother, Anne Elizabeth, was the daughter of Baron William de Hertoghe.
Broughton married his cousin, Jemima, on November 26, 1802. They had four children together. On March 12, 1821, while in Florence, Italy, Broughton became very ill. He passed away two days later. He was buried in the English burial ground in Leghorn.
Broughton began his naval career very young. His name was first listed on a ship called Catherine in May 1774. He officially went to sea on November 18, 1774. He joined a 10-gun ship called Falcon. This ship sailed to North America.
By February 1777, Broughton was a midshipman. This is a junior officer rank. He moved to a ship called Harlem. Later, in July 1778, he joined the 64-gun ship Eagle. In December, he became a Master's mate on the ship Superb. He then served in the East Indies.
On January 12, 1782, Broughton was promoted to lieutenant. He served on the 68-gun ship Burford. After this ship finished its service in July 1784, Broughton took a break from the navy for almost four years.
Broughton returned to the navy on June 23, 1788. He joined the 18-gun ship Orestes. He served in The Channel and later in the Mediterranean. In May 1790, he moved to HMS Victory. On December 18, he got his first command. He was given charge of the ship Chatham. He was asked to join George Vancouver in exploring the north-west Pacific.
The Vancouver Expedition
On their way to the Pacific Northwest, the expedition explored the South Pacific. Broughton was sailing separately from Vancouver. In November 1791, Broughton and his crew were the first Europeans to see The Snares and the Chatham Islands. An island in The Snares is still named Broughton Island after him.
Exploring North America
After arriving in North America in 1792, Broughton was given a special task. He had to map a group of islands in the Queen Charlotte Sound. To honor him, Vancouver named these islands the Broughton Archipelago.
In October, Broughton was ordered to explore the lower parts of the Columbia River. This river is between what are now Oregon and Washington. Broughton and his team used several small boats from his ship. They traveled upstream as far as the Columbia River Gorge. On October 30, he reached his farthest point. He landed in eastern Multnomah County, near Portland. He named a nearby mountain Mount Hood after Viscount Samuel Hood, a British Admiral.
Later in 1792, Vancouver sent Broughton back to England. Broughton carried important messages and requests for new instructions. He traveled through Mexico and across the Atlantic Ocean.
Exploring Japan and Sakhalin
On October 3, 1793, Broughton was promoted to commander. He was given command of HMS Providence. This ship had previously been commanded by Captain William Bligh.
Getting the ship ready took a long time. The ship did not sail until February 1795. When Broughton finally returned to north-west America, he could not find Vancouver. He correctly guessed that Vancouver had already gone back to England. So, Broughton crossed the Pacific Ocean. He then began a four-year survey of the Asian coast. This survey covered areas between 35 and 52 degrees north latitude. It included the Kurile Islands, Japan, Okinawa, and Formosa.
Mapping the Asian Coast
From September 1796, Broughton mapped the east coast of Honshu and Hokkaidō. He spent the winter in Macau. There, he bought a small schooner to help the Providence. The next year, he returned to Japan. Sadly, the Providence was wrecked on what became known as Providence Reef. This reef is now called Yabiji (八重干瀬), near Miyako Island.
The schooner saved the crew from the wrecked ship. They continued north along the east coast of Honshu. After passing Hokkaido, the expedition sailed north into the Gulf of Tartary. They explored along the west coast of Sakhalin. They found many shallow areas at the north end of the gulf. Because of this, they mistakenly thought Sakhalin was part of the mainland. Broughton then turned south along the coast of Korea. He headed home by way of Trincomalee, Ceylon. There, the crew was paid off. Broughton faced an official review for the loss of his ship. He was found not responsible. He reached England in February 1799.
Soon after, he started writing his book. It was called "A Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean". It described his explorations of the Asian coast, Japan, and other islands. The book was published in 1804.
Broughton's long exploration journey kept him from much of the French Revolutionary War. He returned to active naval service on June 23, 1801. He was given command of the 50-gun ship Batavier in The Channel. He served on this ship until the Peace of Amiens was agreed upon in April 1802.
In May, Broughton took command of the 36-gun Penelope. He served in the North Sea. This appointment lasted until May 30, 1807. On that day, he took command of the 74-gun ship Illustrious. In this ship, Broughton continued his service. He saw action at the Battle of the Basque Roads.
Campaigns and Honors
In November 1810, Broughton, still commanding Illustrious, took part in the Mauritius Campaign. He joined a fleet near the island of Rodriquez. On November 29, this fleet landed about 10,000 soldiers on the Isle de France. The island surrendered five days later, on December 3.
In 1811, Broughton participated in the Java Expedition. He was first given command of this expedition. However, after the death of Admiral O'Bryen Drury, Admiral Robert Stopford took over. This made Broughton upset, as he felt Stopford did not have the authority. He asked for an official review, but it was not granted. The mission was a success, and the British gained control of the island by September 18, 1811.
Broughton left his naval duties on October 23, 1812. But he was called back on May 31, 1815. He served in the Channel as commander of the 100-gun ship Royal Sovereign. In August 1815, he moved to Spencer. This ship served as a guardship at Plymouth. On June 4, 1815, Broughton was made a Companion of The Most Honourable Order of the Bath. This is a special honor. He was also promoted to Colonel of the Marines on March 12, 1819.
Legacy and Places Named After Him
Broughton passed away in Florence, Italy, in 1821. He was buried in the Old English Cemetery, Livorno. During his explorations, he named many places. Many other places have also been named to honor him.
- Broughton Island (New South Wales) and Providence Bay in New South Wales, Australia, were explored by Broughton in August 1795.
- Broughton Island in the Snares Islands, New Zealand, is named for him.
- Both Broutona Island and its highest point, Broutona Mount, in Russia's Kuril Islands, are named for William Robert Broughton.
- Brouton Bay at the northern end of Simushir Island in the Kuril Islands, Russia, is named for him.
- Broughton Arm in Dusky Sound, New Zealand, is named for Lieutenant Broughton.
- The Broughton Archipelago, Broughton Island, and Broughton Strait in British Columbia, Canada, are named for him.
- A street in Vancouver's West End and a street in Downtown Victoria also bear his name.
- Broughton's Bluff, a popular rock climbing spot in Troutdale, Oregon, was named after him in 1926.
- Mount Hood was named by him for Viscount Samuel Hood.
- Youngs River and Youngs Bay were named by him for his uncle, Admiral Sir George Young.
- Broughton's map of the Columbia River was very helpful for planning the Lewis and Clark expedition.
- Broughton Beach, a popular sandy beach on the Columbia River in Portland, Oregon, is named after him.
- A plaque in the Columbia Gorge in Oregon marks the spot where Broughton landed in 1792.
- The pub inside the British Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, is called "Broughton's Club." This honors his exploration of Northeast Asia, including the Korean Peninsula.
- A cricket team in the Korea Cricket Association league is named "Broughton's International XI" in his honor.
- Broughton Street in the West End of Vancouver, British Columbia, is named in his honor.
- Broughton Avenue in Ham, Richmond upon Thames, London, is also named after him.
See also
In Spanish: William Robert Broughton para niños
