Edward Augustus Inglefield
Sir Edward Augustus Inglefield FRGS (27 March 1820 – 4 September 1894) was a Royal Navy officer who led one of the searches for the missing Arctic explorer John Franklin during the 1850s. In doing so, his expedition charted previously unexplored areas along the northern Canadian coastline, including Baffin Bay, Smith Sound and Lancaster Sound. He was also the inventor of the marine hydraulic steering gear and the anchor design that bears his name.
Also recorded as Commander Edward Augustus Inglefield · Sir Edward Augustus Inglefield · Adm. Sir Edward Augustus Inglefield
Edward Augustus Inglefield

National Maritime Museum from Greenwich, United Kingdom, Retouched by: Mmxx · File:Captain Edward Augustus Inglefield - National Maritime Museum - Inuit man with a kayak (pd).jpg Inuit man with a kayak Uploaded by Mmxx · Public domain
- Name
- Sir Edward Inglefield
- Birth Name
- Edward Augustus Inglefield
- Born
- 27 March 1820
- Birthplace
- Cheltenham, England
- Died
- 4 September 1894
- Place of death
- South Kensington, England
- Awards
- * Royal Geographical Society's Patron's Medal (1853)
- Nationality
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
- Occupation
- explorer · painter · photographer · naval officer · admiral
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Documentary summary
Sir Edward Augustus Inglefield FRGS (27 March 1820 – 4 September 1894) was a Royal Navy officer who led one of the searches for the missing Arctic explorer John Franklin during the 1850s. In doing so, his expedition charted previously unexplored areas along the northern Canadian coastline, including Baffin Bay, Smith Sound and Lancaster Sound. He was also the inventor of the marine hydraulic steering gear and the anchor design that bears his name.
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wikidata · Q544724 · wikipedia · Edward Augustus Inglefield
In this article
Biography
Biography
Inglefield bears his name, as do the Inglefield Land region and the Inglefield Gulf of Greenland.

Reproduction
National Maritime Museum from Greenwich, United Kingdom, Retouched by: Mmxx · File:Captain Edward Augustus Inglefield - National Maritime Museum - Inuit man with a kayak (pd).jpg Inuit man with a kayak Uploaded by Mmxx

Reproduction
National Maritime Museum from Greenwich, United Kingdom, Retouched by: Mmxx · File:Captain Edward Augustus Inglefield - National Maritime Museum - Inuit man with a kayak (pd).jpg Greenland Inuit man with a kayak Original uploader: ComputerHotline Current uploader by: Mmxx
Key facts
Key facts
• Honorific Prefix — Admiral • Name — Sir Edward Inglefield • Honorific Suffix — FRGS • Office — North America and West Indies Station • Term Label — Commander-in-Chief • Predecessor — Sir Astley Key • Successor — Sir Leopold McClintock • Birth Name — Edward Augustus Inglefield • Born — 27 March 1820 • Birthplace — Cheltenham, England • Died — 4 September 1894 • Place of death — South Kensington, England • Resting Place — Kensal Green Cemetery • Children — Edward Fitzmaurice Inglefield • Father — Samuel Hood Inglefield • Awards — * Royal Geographical Society's Patron's Medal (1853) • Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (1887) • Branch Label — Branch • Branch — United Kingdom • Service Years Label — Service years • Service Years — 1832–1885 • Rank — Admiral • Battles Label — Wars • Battles — Crimean War
First voyage to the Arctic
First voyage to the Arctic
Inglefield set out from Britain on his search in July 1852, commanding Lady Franklin's private steamer, seven years after Sir John Franklin had left on his ill-fated search for the fabled Northwest Passage. Once Inglefield had reached the Arctic, a search and survey of Greenland's west coast was made; Ellesmere Island was resighted and named in honour of the president of the Royal Geographical Society. Smith Sound was penetrated further than any known records; Jones Sound was also searched; and a landing was made at Beechey Island in Lancaster Sound. No sign, however, of Franklin's expedition was found. Finally, before the onset of winter forced Inglefield to turn homewards, the expedition searched and charted much of Baffin Island's eastern coast. Despite finding no traces of the Franklin expedition, Inglefield was fêted on his return for the surveying his expedition had achieved. The Royal Geographical Society awarded him its 1853 Patron's Medal "for his enterprising survey of the coasts of Baffin Bay, Smith Sound and Lancaster Sound."
Subsequent Arctic voyages
Subsequent Arctic voyages
• Illustration — Isabel searching for the Franklin expedition Inglefield made two further voyages to the Arctic in Phoenix, to supply the search for the Franklin expedition overseen by Sir Edward Belcher. He returned from the first of these in 1853, bringing with him the first officer to have traversed the Northwest Passage, Samuel Gurney Cresswell of Investigator. The Investigator had also been sent to join the search for the Franklin expedition, but starting from the western side of northern Canada. Arriving back in the Arctic the following year, 1854, Inglefield found Belcher's ships abandoned, save one to which the crews had retreated. Most of these men returned with Inglefield to Britain.
Later life
Later life
Soon after his return from the Arctic, Inglefield was sent to join the Crimean War in the Black Sea as captain of HMS Firebrand, where he took part in the siege of Sevastopol. After the Crimean War, he captained a number of ships and continued to rise through the ranks. In 1869, he was made a rear admiral and three years later was appointed Admiral Superintendent of Malta Dockyard. Promotions to vice admiral and then admiral followed, between which he was knighted. In 1878, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief, North America and West Indies Station. Inglefield retired in 1885. Thereafter he devoted much of his time to painting and his watercolours of Arctic landscapes were exhibited at several art galleries in London.
Personal life
Personal life
On 30 April 1857, Inglefield married Eliza Fanny Johnston (1836–1890), the daughter of Edward Johnston, Esq. of Allerton Hall, Liverpool. Together, they were the parents of four sons and one daughter: • Henry Beaufort Willmot Inglefield (1859–1926), who married Mary Lucia MacHugh, Lady Holker in 1894. She was the widow of Sir John Holker (1828–1882). After her death, he married Alexandra Amy Geraldine Butler (d. 1931), the widow of William George Gould (d. 1911) • Edward Fitzmaurice Inglefield (1861–1945), a Royal Navy officer (eventually rear admiral), inventor of the flag-raising Inglefield clip, and Secretary to Lloyd's of London. • Albany Otway Inglefield (1872–1873) • Ernest Hallowell Inglefield (d. 1879) • Sybill Inglefield (d. 1870) Inglefield died in 1894; he is buried in Kensal Green Cemetery in west London.
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
Sir Edward Augustus Inglefield. His recorded language was English. He was the child of Samuel Inglefield and Priscilla Margaret Otway. He married Beatrice Marianne Hodnett and Eliza Fanny Johnston. 2 children are recorded: Henry Beaufort Wilmot Beaumont Inglefield and Edward Fitzmaurice Inglefield. Other recorded relations include Charles Hallowell-Carew.
Identity
Identity
Edward Augustus Inglefield is recorded as a citizen of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Recorded with the occupation naval officer.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1820
Edward Augustus Inglefield was born on 27 March 1820.
1894
Edward Augustus Inglefield died on 4 September 1894.
Places
Named by the record
Places
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Edward Augustus Inglefield was born at Cheltenham.
Birthplace
Edward Augustus Inglefield died at London and sources differ (the article records South Kensington).
Deathplace
References
Citations
References
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reference work
Partially resolvedreference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q544724: Edward Augustus InglefieldWikimedia Foundation
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Further particulars
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Edward Augustus Inglefield received Fellow of the Royal Society, Patron’s Medal and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
Recognition and collections
Work by Edward Augustus Inglefield is
National Gallery of Canada and Royal Museums Greenwich
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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