Fact 2: When was Henry Hudson born? He was born in 1565
Fact 3: What was his country of origin and where was Henry Hudson born? He was born in London, England
Fact 4: Henry Hudson was the grandson of Henry Hudson, a London alderman, who helped found the Muscovy Trading Company
Fact 5: He married to Katherine Hudson and they had 3 sons called John, Richard and Oliver
Fact 6: Henry Hudson was well educated and studied a variety of subjects including cartography, navigation, astronomy, mathematics and seamanship
Fact 7: The Muscovy Company was granted a monopoly of Anglo-Russian trade and aimed to search for a new trade route via a Northeast Passage
Fact 8: Henry Hudson was financed by the Muscovy Company to make voyages of exploration to the New World "to discover a passage by the North Pole to Japan and China."
Fact 9: May 1607: The First Voyage of Henry Hudson was on the Hopewell with 20-30 crew members. He travelled to Greenland and Whale Bay 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle
Fact 10: April 1608: The Second Voyage of Henry Hudson was also on the Hopewell through the Arctic waters north of Russia but failed to find a Northeast passage
Fact 11: Henry Hudson was unable to obtain backing from London and signed a contract with the Dutch United East India Company on January 8, 1609
Fact 12: April 1609: The Third Voyage of Henry Hudson was on an old, small ship called the Half Moon with about 20 English and Dutch crew members via Norway towards Russia - due to the freezing weather he changed direction and headed West towards warmer waters and the New World
Fact 13: Henry Hudson passed Newfoundland and Nova Scotia and landed in Maine off Penobscot Bay and then sailed into George's Harbour
Fact 14: The expedition passed Jamestown and went on to Delaware Bay
Fact 15: September 3, 1609: The expedition reached the mouth of the Hudson River passing Staten Island and Coney Island and claimed the land for Holland. He made the decision to explore the river, hoping to find a passage to the Indies
Fact 16: September 11, 1609: The expedition anchored off Manhattan in New York Bay and then anchored near Albany
Fact 17: October 4 1609: The expedition decided to return to Europe and the Half Moon ship arrived in Dartmouth, Devon, England on November 7 1609
Fact 18: Henry Hudson reported to the Dutch United East India Company about his voyage and they sent further ships and settlers to colonise the area surrounding the Hudson river that Henry had discovered
Fact 19: Following the success of the Dutch expedition the Muscovy Company financed another expedition and provided a ship called the Discovery for the voyage
Fact 20: April 17 1610: The Fourth Voyage of Henry Hudson on the Discovery sailed from London and passed Scotland, Greenland and Iceland
Fact 21: June, 1610: Henry Hudson reached the Hudson Strait and named the headlands Cape Digges and Cape Wolstenholme after important members of the Muscovy Company
Fact 22: Henry Hudson sailed further South to James Bay still looking for a passage to the Pacific. The conditions became intolerable for the crew. Freezing cold weather, short food supplies and hostile native Indians led to mutiny on the Discovery.
Fact 23: June 22, 1611: Henry Hudson was cast adrift in a small boat together with his son John and eight loyal crew members - they were never heard of again.
Fact 24: October 1611: The Discovery returned to London with the mutineers. Recommendations were made by the Muscovy Company that they should be hanged
Fact 25: Their trial was delayed until 1618 - but the surviving mutineers were found not guilty - 2 of the mutineers, Bylot and Prickett, were employed by the Muscovy Company to make further voyages of exploration
Fact 26: No attempt was ever made to search for Henry Hudson |