Sir Martin Frobisher

   Sir Martin Frobisher (1535?-1594) was an English navigator, born near Doncaster, Yorkshire. He was a mariner by profession. Under the patronage of the Earl of Warwick he set sail with a fleet of three vessels from Deptford, England, in 1576. He was in search of a northwest passage to India. After exploring different parts of the arctic coast and entering a bay in Canada that now bears his name, he returned to England with some black ore instead of the expected gold. The ore turned out to be worthless. He later made two more journeys, both of which proved fruitless. In 1585 he accompanied Sir Francis Drake to the West Indies. Aboard the Triumph he took part in the victory over the Spanish Armada and was knighted for his bravery. In 1594 he served under Henry IV of France against the Catholic League and Philip II of Spain. While attacking a fort near Brest, France, he received a mortal wound. He died at Plymouth, England.