James (1631-1632)

James, Thomas (1593?-1635?). The Strange and Dangerous Voyage of Captain Thomas James, in His Intended Discovery of the Northwest Passage [...]. London: John Partridge, 1633.

Born around 1593 in Bristol, England, Thomas James first studied law before embarking on his career as navigator. In 1612 James probably took part in Sir Thomas Button's expedition, whose mission it was to discover the North Pole and which explored part of Hudson Bay.

However this may be, two expeditions organized by two rival companies left England in 1631 with similar marching orders: to sail along the west coast of Hudson Bay in search of the Northwest Passage. The first expedition left under the orders of Captain Luke Foxe; the second under the command of Captain Thomas James.

Foxe returned to England in October 1631, whereas James wintered with his crew on Charlton Island, in the bay that now bears his name, and returned to England only in October 1632. Each of the two navigators published an account of his travels and drew a map of his explorations. Foxe's map left open the possibility of a passage to the Pacific starting from Hudson Bay. On the other hand, James's map showed the contrary. James was right. During the eighteenth century, other explorers tried in vain to cross the pack ice starting from Hudson Bay. It was only in the nineteenth century that the eastern and western entrances to the Northwest Passage were discovered. And it was only at the beginning of the twentieth century that Roald Amundsen finally succeeded in sailing through the passage on board the Gjöa.

Thomas James died, it is thought, in 1635.

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