Alfred Arthur Chase Parr was born on 14 June 1849. He entered the Royal Navy in 1863, later serving in the Mediterranean and off the coast of South America. He was appointed second lieutenant in HMS Alert on the British Arctic Expedition, 1875-1876 (leader George Strong Nares), sent by the Admiralty to attempt to reach the North Pole by way of Smith Sound and to explore the coasts of Greenland and adjacent lands. In April 1876, Parr accompanied Albert Markham's polar party along the coast of Ellesmere Island to Cape Joseph Henry before turning due north over the sea ice and achieving a record latitude of 83° 20 minutes 26 seconds North. Struggling under great hardship, the polar party turned back and Parr was sent ahead to fetch a relief party from the ship. Although the attempt to reach the North Pole was unsuccessful, the expedition made some geographical discoveries and returned with a large quantity of scientific data.
Promoted captain in 1887 and vice admiral in 1905, Parr retired in 1906, advancing to the rank of admiral on the retired list in 1908. He died on 20 February 1914.
From the guide to the Alfred Parr collection, 1875-1876, (Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge)
