HMS ''Enterprise'' was an Arctic discovery ship laid down as a merchant vessel and purchased in 1848 before launch to search for Sir

John Franklin Sir John Franklin (16 April 1786 – 11 June 1847) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer and colonial administrator. After serving in the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812, he led two expeditions into the Northern Canada, Canadia ...

's lost expedition. She made two Arctic voyages before becoming a coal depot, and was finally sold in 1903. She was the tenth ''Enterprise'' (or ''Enterprize'') to serve in the Royal Navy.

Construction

She was laid down as a merchant vessel at the Blackwall yard on the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...

Money Wigram and Sons Money Wigram (14 March 1790 – March 1873) was an English shipbuilder and ship owner, and a director of the Bank of England. Life Wigram was born in Walthamstow in 1790, a son of Sir Robert Wigram, 1st Baronet and his wife Eleanor Wigram, Eleanor. ...

, but purchased by the

Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong * Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral *Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings * Admiralty, Tra ...

in February 1848 and fitted for Arctic exploration. She was launched on 5 April 1848.

Career

''Enterprise'' made two voyages to the Arctic, the first via the Atlantic in 1848-1849 under

James Clark Ross Sir James Clark Ross (15 April 1800 – 3 April 1862) was a British Royal Navy officer and explorer of both the northern and southern polar regions. In the Arctic, he participated in two expeditions led by his uncle, Sir John Ross, John ...

, then in 1850-1854 via the Pacific and the

Bering Strait The Bering Strait ( , ; ) is a strait between the Pacific and Arctic oceans, separating the Chukchi Peninsula of the Russian Far East from the Seward Peninsula of Alaska. The present Russia–United States maritime boundary is at 168° 58' ...

in an expedition led by

Richard Collinson Admiral (Royal Navy), Admiral Sir Richard Collinson (7 November 1811 – 13 September 1883) was an English naval officer and explorer of the Northwest Passage. Early life He was born in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England, then part of County D ...

. From 1860 she was lent to the Commissioners of Northern Lights for use as a coal

hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk ...

Oban Oban ( ; meaning ''The Little Bay'') is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William, Highland, Fort William. During the tourist seaso ...

, and from 1889 she was lent to the

Board of Trade The Board of Trade is a British government body concerned with commerce and industry, currently within the Department for Business and Trade. Its full title is The Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council appointed for the consideration of ...

. She was sold in 1903.

Bibliography

*''Arctic Hell-Ship : the voyage of HMS Enterprise, 1850-1855'' by William Barr, University of Alberta Press, USA, 2007,

References

External links

*
John Charters/seaman H.M.S. Enterprise Diary
at Dartmouth College Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Enterprise (1848) 1848 ships Arctic exploration vessels Coal hulks Exploration ships of the United Kingdom Ships built by the Blackwall Yard Ships of the Royal Navy