Sir John Ross and others

John Ross was born on 24 June 1777 at Balsarroch, Scotland, son of the Reverend Andrew Ross, minister at Inch. He entered the Royal Navy in 1786, serving in the Mediterranean and in the North Sea. On the outbreak of the Napoleonic Wars in 1803, he was posted to HMS Grampus under Sir James Saumarez, later acting as liaison officer and interpreter for Saumarez aboard the Swedish flagship during a combined Swedish-English action against a Russian squadron. Promoted commander in 1812, Ross served with distinction until the end of the wars in 1816.

In 1817, Ross was selected by the Admiralty to command the British Naval Northwest Passage Expedition, sailing from London in 1818 in HMS Isabella, accompanied by HMS Alexander under William Edward Parry, to search for a Northwest Passage by way of Baffin Bay. Among the ship's complement were his nephew, James Clark Ross, and the astronomer Edward Sabine. After reaching northern Baffin Bay, Ross sighted Smith Sound and Jones Sound, erroneously declaring that both were bays and making no attempt to explore them. On 30 August 1818, he entered Lancaster Sound but decided to turn back in the mistaken belief that it was a small inlet enclosed by mountains. Sailing south off the east coast of Baffin Island, Ross passed but did not attempt to enter Cumberland Sound, returning promptly to London in November 1818. On his return, Ross was criticised for his failure to explore the sounds, and, in particular, for his decision to turn back in Lancaster Sound against the wishes of his junior officers.

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