Richard William Coppinger was born in 1847 in Dublin. He studied medicine at Queen's University in Dublin, graduating MD in 1870. He entered the medical department of the Navy and was appointed surgeon and naturalist in HMS Discovery on the British Arctic Expedition, 1875-1876 (leader George Strong Nares). The expedition was 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. 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. On his return, Coppinger was promoted staff surgeon and was awarded the Arctic Medal.
Between 1878 and 1882, Coppinger served as a naturalist in HMS Alert during a four-year exploring cruise off Patagonia, and in Polynesian and Mascarene waters. In 1889, he was appointed instructor in hygiene at the Haslar Naval Hospital at Gosport and from March 1901, served as inspector general of hospitals and fleets at Haslar, where he remained in charge for three years. Retiring in 1906, he died on 2 April 1910 at Fareham.
Published work Cruise of the Alert. Four years in Patagonian, Polynesian and Mascarene waters (1878-1882) by Richard William Coppinger, W Swan Sonnenschein and Co. London (1885) SPRI Library Shelf (834.5):91(08)
From the guide to the Richard Coppinger collection, 1876, (Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge)
