Origins & Early Life

Sir Martin Frobisher (; c. 1535/1539 – 22 November 1594) was an English sea captain and privateer who made three voyages to the New World looking for the North-west Passage. He probably sighted Resolution Island near Labrador in eastern Canada, before entering Frobisher Bay and landing on present-day Baffin Island. On his second voyage, Frobisher found what he thought was gold ore and carried 200 short tons (180 t) of it home on three ships.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He initially determined a profit of £5.20 per ton (equivalent to £1,800 per ton in 2025). Encouraged, Frobisher returned to Canada with an even larger fleet and dug several mines around Frobisher Bay. He eventually carried 1,350 tons of the ore back to England, where, after years of smelting, it was realised that the ore was a worthless rock containing the mineral hornblende. As an English privateer, he plundered riches from French ships. He was later knighted for his service in repelling the Spanish Armada in 1588.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Named in his honour, Frobisher Bay lies close to Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut. Martin Frobisher was probably born in 1535 or 1536, the son of merchant Bernard Frobisher of Altofts, Yorkshire, and Margaret York of...

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