James Hall (explorer)
Encyclopedia
James Hall was an English
explorer. In Denmark
, he was known as Jacob Hald. He piloted three of King Christian IV's Expeditions to Greenland
under John Cunningham
(1605), Godske Lindenov
(1606), and Carsten Richardson
(1607). In his first voyage he charted the west coast of Greenland as far north as 68° 35' N. The discovery of silver
resulted in larger expeditions being sent the following two years, both of which were expensive failures. In 1612 he again went to Greenland, this time in search of the Northwest Passage
. He had two English ships under his command, the 140-ton Patience and the 60-ton Heart's Ease. William Baffin
served as his chief pilot. On 12/22 July, he encountered Inuit
in Amerdloq Fjord. Angry over the seizure of several Inuit by Cunningham in 1605, one of them struck Hall with a spear; he died the following day.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
explorer. In Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, he was known as Jacob Hald. He piloted three of King Christian IV's Expeditions to Greenland
Christian IV's Expeditions to Greenland
Christian IV's Expeditions was a series of expeditions in the years 1605-1607 to Greenland and Arctic waterways sent by King Christian IV of Denmark in order to locate the lost Eastern Norse Settlement and assert Danish sovereignty over Greenland....
under John Cunningham
John Cunningham (explorer)
John Cunningham was a Scottish explorer who served under the Danish flag. He is most noted for his role in King Christian IV's Expeditions to GreenlandIn Denmark he was known as Hans Køning. In 1603 he became a captain in the Danish navy...
(1605), Godske Lindenov
Godske Lindenov
Godske Christoffersen Lindenov was a Danish naval offiver and Arctic explorer. He is most noted for his role in King Christian IV's Expeditions to Greenland...
(1606), and Carsten Richardson
Carsten Richardson
Carsten Richardson was an early 17th century Holsteinian-Danish naval officer and Arctic explorer. He is most noted for his role in King Christian IV's Expeditions to Greenland....
(1607). In his first voyage he charted the west coast of Greenland as far north as 68° 35' N. The discovery of silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
resulted in larger expeditions being sent the following two years, both of which were expensive failures. In 1612 he again went to Greenland, this time in search of the Northwest Passage
Northern Sea Route
The Northern Sea Route is a shipping lane officially defined by Russian legislation from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean specifically running along the Russian Arctic coast from Murmansk on the Barents Sea, along Siberia, to the Bering Strait and Far East. The entire route lies in Arctic...
. He had two English ships under his command, the 140-ton Patience and the 60-ton Heart's Ease. William Baffin
William Baffin
William Baffin was an English navigator and explorer. Nothing is known of his early life, but it is conjectured that he was born in London of humble origin, and gradually raised himself by his diligence and perseverance...
served as his chief pilot. On 12/22 July, he encountered Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
in Amerdloq Fjord. Angry over the seizure of several Inuit by Cunningham in 1605, one of them struck Hall with a spear; he died the following day.