Kendall, Edward Nicholas, 1800-1845

Epithet: Lieutenant; RN; Arctic explorer

British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000000509.0x0003cd

Edward Nicholas Kendall was born in 1800, the son of a naval captain. He was educated at the Royal Naval College in Portsmouth and entered the Royal Navy in 1814, later serving as a midshipman in a succession of ships. His experience in surveying in the North Sea led to his appointment as assistant surveyor on the British Naval Exploring Expedition (leader George Lyon) in 1824, sent to the Canadian Arctic by the Admiralty with the objectives of crossing Melville Peninsula and of exploring part of the north coast of North America. Setting out in HMS Griper in June 1824, the expedition landed on Coats Island, northern Hudson Bay and reported on the Eskimo whom they met there. In Roes Welcome Sound, they were twice nearly shipwrecked and were forced to turn home before reaching Repulse Bay.

On his return, Kendall joined the British Naval Exploring Expedition [second Arctic Land expedition], 1825-1827 (leader John Franklin), sent by the Admiralty to extend exploration of the coast west from Coppermine River to Icy Cape, Alaska. In 1826, Kendall served as assistant surveyor on the eastern branch of the expedition under the command of the surgeon and naturalist, John Richardson, exploring and charting the Arctic coast between the Mackenzie River and the Coppermine River. His Observations on the velocity of sound at different temperatures was published in Franklin's narrative of the expedition in 1828.

Promoted lieutenant on his return to Britain, Kendall joined the British Naval Expedition, 1828-1831 (leader Henry Foster), serving as assistant surveyor in HMS Chanticleer on a scientific voyage to the South Atlantic and to the South Shetland Islands region of the Antarctic. In 1830, he transferred to HMS Hecla to continue a survey of the west coast of Africa that had been interrupted by the death of many of the ship's crew. After his return to England in 1830, Kendall was sent on a confidential mission to determine by astronomical observation disputed points on the boundary between New Brunswick and Maine, later compiling a map of New Brunswick on his return home in 1831.

In 1832, Kendall married a niece of John Franklin, Mary Anne Kay, and the following year was employed by the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia Land Company. Returning to Britain in 1838, he was appointed superintendent of the West India Mail Steam Navigation Company and in 1843, joined the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Packet Company, where he remained until his death on 12 February 1845 at Southampton.

From the guide to the Edward Kendall collection, 1826-1832, (Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge)