Martin Frobisher

Henry Holland (active 1620 ? )
NAC/ANC C-011413
Print - In Hakluyt, Richard. "The Principal of Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques & Discoveries of the English Nation", Vol. VII, Glasgow, 1904, facing p. 208
National Archives of Canada

Born 1535 or 1539. Martin Frobisher made three voyages to Canada’s north and was the first European to sail into what later became known as Hudson Strait. In his time, he was most famous as a pirate and privateer (a pirate with a license from the king to attack ships from other countries).

The main reason for his second and third voyages was to mine for what he thought was gold. It was later discovered to be iron pyrite, and worthless. He was disgraced until he fought the Spanish Armada in 1588. He died fighting the Spanish in 1594.