Born 1807,
Wexford, lreland
Died 1873,
London, England

Sir Robert McClure was the first man to confirm the existence of the Northwest Passage, a route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans that had eluded explorers for centuries. McClure made his discovery while in the process of searching for the party of John Franklin (see entry), which had disappeared in the Canadian Arctic during Franklin’s own quest for the Northwest Passage. McClure’s ship was frozen in the ice for three winters and he had to abandon it when a rescue team finally arrived. Although he was later censured for not returning with his ship, he received a knighthood for his discovery of the Northwest Passage.

Robert John Le Mesurier McClure was born in Wexford, Ireland, and educated at Eton, an English private school, and at Sandhurst, the British military academy. He entered the Royal Navy...