Henry Hudson video

Henry Hudson was English, born into a wealthy family in London, England, in 1565. His grandfather, also called Henry Hudson, had been one of the founding members of the Merchant Adventurers, founded on 18 December, 1551. This later became the Muscovy Trading Company and was also granted the monopoly in Anglo-Russian trade. Henry Hudson married Catherine and they had three sons, John, Richard and Oliver. The Hudson family home was in London. His education would have been of the highest standard, studying subjects such as cartography, navigation, astronomy, mathematics and seamanship. Henry Hudson was an explorer and navigator. During his first voyage to discover a north-west passage route to the Orient, he was thwarted by the Arctic weather conditions, and a crew that threatened mutiny. Hudson was forced to return to England, unable to complete his mission. On the return journey however, he discovered the New World, Canada, and gave his name to such places as, the Hudson River, the Hudson Strait, and Hudson Bay. After several more attempts to travel north, Hudson was cast adrift by his crew on 22 June 1611, with his son John, and eight loyal crew members, they were never heard from again. No attempt was ever made to rescue them. Of those mutineers that survived the return journey, none were held accountable for their actions.