Frobisher, << FROH bih shuhr, >> Sir Martin (1535?-1594), was one of the greatest seamen of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He fought against the Spanish Armada, the huge Spanish fleet that tried to invade England in 1588. Frobisher was knighted for his services.
Frobisher was one of the first English navigators to seek a Northwest Passage to India and eastern Asia. His attempts to reach Asia by sailing west extended geographic knowledge. They also expanded England’s claim to North America. On his first voyage, in 1576, he rounded Greenland’s southern end and entered what is now called Frobisher Bay, on Baffin Island’s east coast. He thought the bay led to the Pacific Ocean. He took back to England a rock that some people believed was gold ore. On his second trip to North America, in 1577, Frobisher claimed the land for England and returned with 200 tons (180 metric tons) of rock. On his third voyage, in 1578, he took 15 ships and about 400 men. Some of the men were supposed to start the first English colony in North America. Frobisher entered what is now Hudson Strait. However, he made no further attempts at discovery and abandoned the plan for a colony. He brought back nearly 1,200 tons (1,090 metric tons) of rock, but it proved worthless. Frobisher was born in Altofts, Yorkshire. He died on Nov. 22, 1594.
