Edward Belcher was born 27 February 1799, Nova Scotia Canada. He was the son of Andrew Belcher and Marianne Von Geyer. His father Andrew was a grandson of Governor Jonathan Belcher. Edward enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1812. He was a British naval officer and hydro-grapher.

Edward Belcher played a prominent if routine survey work undertaken by the British navy after the Napoleonic Wars. Later, Edward Belcher took part in Captain Beechey's voyage to the Pacific in 1824. Belcher commanded the HMS Sulpher from 1836 to 1842. It was a voyage of exploration to the western coast of America that circumnavigated the whole world. However, Belcher's consistent "bad temper, caprice, and malice", which made him detested by his officers and men marred his career.. ... In 1852, in spite of his poor reputation as a commander and his lack of experience handling vessels in ice, Belcher was placed in charge of the largest in the series of expeditions which the British government.

Promoted to Lieutenant in 1818, and made Commander in 1829. Edward was knighted in 1843. Belcher commanded the expedition to the Arctic in search of Sir John Franklin (1786-1847), 1852, who died trying to find the North-West passage. He became a vice-admiral in 1866, and an admiral in 1872. In 1854, Charges were brought against Edward Belcher for his abandonment of the HMS RESOLUTE in his search for Sir John Franklin. He left the RESOLUTE in the ice near Victoria Island north of the Arctic Circle.

He was cleared, but his sword was handed back to him in silence. ... He passed his remaining years in literary and scientific amusements, and died on 18 March 1877.

The RESOLUTE was salvaged by an American whaler a year later and sold to the United States government. It was later refitted and sent to Queen Victoria, as a good will token from the United States.

In 1878 President Millard Filmore was presented a desk made from the Resolute's timber by the British. It was used until 1903 when President Theodore Roosevelt acquired a new desk. At the request of the President, Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy searched for a desk with a naval association and found the "Resolute" desk in the White House broadcast room.

Noted voyages of Sir Edward belcher were:

In 1837, He sailed to the Sandwich (Hawaiian) Islands, thence to Prince William Sound and along the south coasts of Russian America (Alaska), and from there south to San Francisco and again to waters off Central America.

In 1839 he retraced the same route. During the two voyages he surveyed many ports and islands, fixed the position of Mount St. Elias, and made the first scientific survey of Nootka Sound, settling questions outstanding since the voyages of Cook and Vancouver.

Belcher published several things on His journeys:

“The last of the Arctic voyages“: being a narrative of the expedition in H.M.S. Assistance, under the command of Captain Sir Edward Belcher, C.B., in search of Sir John Franklin, during the years 1852-53-54 (1855)

"Narrative of a voyage round the world, performed in Her Majesty's Ship Sulphur, during the years 1836-1842, including details of the naval operations in China, from Dec. 1840, to Nov. 1841" (1843)

“Narrative of the voyage of H. M. S. Samarang: during the years 1843-46 “: employed surveying the islands of the Eastern archipelago : accompanied by a brief vocabulary of the principal languages" (1848)

“The sailor's word-book:” an alphabetical digest of nautical terms, including some more specially military and scientific, but useful to seaman; as well as archaisms of early voyagers, etc" (1867)

“A treatise on nautical surveying” : containing an outline of the duties of the naval surveyor : with cases applied to naval evolutions and miscellaneous rules and tables useful to the seaman or traveler" (1835) .

by: Greg Belcher March 2003