Archibald McMurdo
McMurdo Station is named after Archibald McMurdo
Born(1812-09-24)24 September 1812
Scotland
Died11 December 1875(1875-12-11) (aged 63)
Scotland
NationalityScottish
OccupationNaval officer
Known forAntarctic exploration

Vice-Admiral Archibald McMurdo (24 September 1812 – 11 December 1875) was a Scottish naval officer and polar explorer after whom Antarctica's McMurdo Sound, McMurdo Station, McMurdo Ice Shelf, McMurdo Dry Valleys and McMurdo–South Pole Highway are named.

Early life

Archibald William McMurdo was born on 24 September 1812 in Scotland. He was the son of Lieutenant Colonel Archibald McMurdo and grandson of John McMurdo, a chamberlain at Drumlanrig Castle.[1]

Career

McMurdo joined the Royal Navy on 6 October 1824, at the age of 12.[2] He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1836 for his skill and courage in saving the crew of a shipwrecked whaler from hostile New Zealand natives.[2][3] He achieved the rank of Commander in 1843 and Captain in 1851.[2]

His career included two discovery expeditions aboard HMS Terror, the first to Hudson Bay (1836-1837), the second to Antarctica (1839-1842).[2] In 1836 he served on HMS Volage during its voyage to East India. During the Antarctica voyage, McMurdo Sound was discovered in February 1841, and named after McMurdo by Captain James Clark Ross.[2][4] Ross also wrote a letter to the Admiralty recommending McMurdo for promotion.[5]

In 1845, McMurdo expressed doubt that Captain John Franklin would return from his ill-fated Northwest Passage expedition, which ended with the loss of all 129 crewmen in mysterious circumstances (it is now known that his ships were inextricably trapped in ice).[6] McMurdo achieved command of HMS Contest in 1846, which was detailed to the coast of West Africa.[2] He retired as a rear-admiral, and was promoted in retirement to vice-admiral in 1873.[2][7]

Death

McMurdo died on 11 December 1875 in Scotland.[1] His estate was probated in Dumfries on 3 February 1876.[8]

See also

  • O'Byrne, William Richard (1849). "McMurdo, Archibald" . A Naval Biographical Dictionary . John Murray – via Wikisource.

References

  1. 1 2 "SCAN Catalogue - person record". Scottish Archive Network. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 William Loney RN - Background: "Archibald McMurdo, RN"
  3. ↑ Ross, M.J. (1994). Polar Pioneers: John Ross and James Clark Ross. p. 215. ISBN 9780773512344 – via Google Books.
  4. ↑ Lambert, Katherine (2002). Hell With A Capital H: A New Polar Hero. p. 53. ISBN 9781446448076 – via Google Books.
  5. ↑ Palin, Michael (2018). Erebus: The Story of a Ship. p. 184. ISBN 9781473544260 – via Google Books.
  6. ↑ Palin, Michael (2018). Erebus: The Story of a Ship. p. 229. ISBN 9781473544260 – via Google Books.
  7. ↑ "No. 23987". The London Gazette. 13 June 1873. p. 2833.
  8. ↑ England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1861–1941.
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