Publisher's Synopsis
Sir William Edward Parry (1790-1855) was an English Rear- Admiral and Arctic explorer. Parry was born in Bath. He was educated at King Edward's School, Bath. At the age of thirteen he joined the flag-ship of Admiral Cornwallis in the Channel fleet as a first-class volunteer, in 1806 he became a midshipman, and in 1810 received promotion to the rank of lieutenant in the frigate Alexander. In 1818 he received command of the brig Alexander in the Arctic expedition. This expedition returned to England without having made any new discoveries but Parry in the following year obtained the chief command of a new Arctic expedition; consisting of the two ships HMS Griper and HMS Hecla. This expedition returned to England in November, 1820 after a voyage of almost unprecedented Arctic success. Parry was subsequently selected for the post of comptroller of the newly-created department of steam machinery of the Navy. He attained the rank of Rear-Admiral in 1852, and in the following year became a governor of Greenwich Hospital, and retained this post until his death.
