TITLE: UNCLE, SIR JOHN ROSS
2004 18 X 30 INCHES

SIR JOHN ROSS (1777-1856)
British rear admiral and Arctic explorer.

Sir John Ross never sailed to Antarctica. He was a preeminent Arctic
explorer. His great importance, here, was that he was the uncle of Sir James Clark
Ross, taking his young nephew to sea at the age of twelve. They voyaged to the
Arctic together, with the Uncle in command. On one voyage James discovered
the magnetic north pole. Much of the success of Sir James Clark Ross’ great
voyage to Antarctica was due to his prior training, with his Uncle John, sailing
the icy waters of the Arctic.

Sir John Ross entered the Royal Navy in 1786, at age eleven. In1808 he acted
as a captain of the Swedish Fleet, and in 1812 was promoted commander. Six
years later he was the commander of an Arctic expedition fitted out by the
British Admiralty, the first of a new series of attempts to solve the question of a
North West passage. This expedition failed to discover the passage and
tarnished the Arctic reputation of its leader. John Ross attained the rank of captain on his return.

In 1829, through the generosity of Sir Felix Booth, (Booth’s
Gin), John Ross was able to undertake a second Arctic expedition, which,
during an absence of four years, he secured important geographical and scientific
results. On his return Captain Ross was the recipient of gold medals from the
English and French geographical societies, as well as a knighthood. In 1850,
at the age of 73, he undertook a third voyage to the Arctic regions, in search
of Sir John Franklin. Sir James Clark Ross conducted one of the previous
Franklin searches. Franklin was never found. In the following year Sir John
attained flag-rank. His publications include Voyage of Discovery for the Purpose of
Exploring Baffin’s Bay (1819); Narrative of a Second Voyage in Search of a
North-West Passage, including the Discovery of the North Magnetic Pole (1835).