Wiggins, Joseph, 1832-1905

Variant names

Dates:

Birth 1832

Death 1905-09-13

Biographical notes:

Joseph Wiggins was born in Norwich in 1832. He joined his uncle Joseph Potts in Sunderland in 1847 where Potts was a ship owner. At the age of 27 Wiggins was master of Victoria the second largest steamer in the world.

Wiggins became interested in the possibilities of opening up a northern sea route to Russia. From 1874 onwards he sailed north in a variety of vessels with this in mind. He commanded the British Kara Sea Expedition, 1874, 1875, 1876-1877, the British Kara Sea Trading Expeditions, 1878, 1887, 1888, 1889, and 1894-1895, 1895-1896 and the British Russian Kara Sea Trading Expedition, 1893. He died in September 1905

From the guide to the Joseph Wiggins collection, 1876, (Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge)