Bedford Pim | |
|---|---|
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| Member of Parliament forGravesend | |
| In office 6 February 1874 – 3 April 1880 (1874-02-06 –1880-04-03) | |
| Preceded by | Sir Charles Wingfield |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Bevan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Bedford Clapperton Trevelyan Pim (1826-12-12)12 December 1826 Bideford, Devon, England |
| Died | 30 September 1886(1886-09-30) (aged 59) Deal, Kent, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | |
| Education | Royal Naval School |
| Military service | |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1842–1870 |
| Rank | Rear-Admiral |
| Commands | |
| Wars | |
Bedford Clapperton Trevelyan PimFRGS (12 June 1826 – 30 September 1886) was aRoyal Navy officer, Arctic explorer, barrister, and author. He was the first man who travelled from a ship on the eastern side of theNorthwest Passage to one on the western side.
Pim was born inBideford,Devon,England, son of Edward Bedford Pim ofWeirhead,Exeter, aBritish navy officer who died of yellow fever in 1830 off the coast of Africa while engaged in the suppression of the slave trade, and Sophia Soltau Harrison, eldest daughter of John Fairweather Harrison, Esquire ofTotnes. Educated at theRoyal Naval School, the younger Pim went to India in theBritish Merchant Navy, and in 1842, upon return to England, was appointed a volunteer in the Royal Navy.[1]
In 1845, Pim was posted to thesurvey ship, HMSHerald, under CaptainHenry Kellett. By 1846 he was in command of the 'Owen,' one of the Herald's tenders which made extensive surveys on the Pacific side of the Isthmus of Central America. In 1847 he travelled withBerthold Carl Seemann on a journey across the Cordillera of the Andes.[3] He also took part in surveys in theFalkland Islands, the western coast of South America, and north toBritish Columbia. During this time he took part in three detours to search for the missing SirJohn Franklin expedition. He transferred fromHerald to HMSPlover, wintering atChamisso Island inKotzebue Sound during 1849/50, spending considerable time with the localMalimiut, before returning toHerald. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1851, and in April 1852 he returned to the Arctic,taking part in the rescue ofRobert McClure and the crew ofHMS Investigator.[1][4] Pim was the first man to travel from a ship on the eastern side of theNorthwest Passage to one on the western side.[5][discuss]
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Pim served in the Baltic in 1855 during theCrimean War commanding HMSMagpie where he was wounded.
He was wounded again in 1857 while commanding HMSBanterer in Chinese waters.
He was made a commander in 1858.[6] The following year, he investigated the possibility of a transoceanic canal and became a proponent of theNicaragua Canal.[7]
Pim went to theWest Indies in command of HMSGorgon in 1860 and returned home on HMSFury. He made post captain in 1868 and was compulsorily retired in 1870.[8] He studied law after retirement and wascalled to the Bar of theInner Temple in 1873. Pim practiced law in Bristol, mainly on admiralty cases, and became a magistrate for the county ofMiddlesex.[8] He wrote,When Do Sheriffs Take Office? in 1879.
AConservative, Pim stood unsuccessfully for election inTotnes in July 1865 andGravesend in December 1868.[9] He was elected Member of Parliament for Gravesend in 1874.[8] Pim was made rear-admiral in 1885.[6]
Pim wrote several articles, books, and pamphlets. "Remarks on theIsthmus of Suez, with Special Reference to the Proposed Canal" was published in theProceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of London in 1859, andProposed Transit-Route across Central America, from a New Harbour inNicaragua was published three years later. His 1839A Brief sketch of the life of the lateZachary Macaulay, Esq., F.R.S. As connected with the subjects of the abolition of the slave trade and slavery was his only biography. His journals as aMidshipman aboard theHerald provided most of the discussion for the Arctic portions of the six-year cruise.[4]
Pim belonged to several scientific organisations. He was elected a Fellow of theRoyal Geographical Society in 1854. In 1861, he became an associate of theInstitute of Civil Engineers.[6] He was also an honorary member of theDulwich College Science Society.
Pim was a major landowner in Central America and the Caribbean.[10] He married Susanna Locock on 3 October 1861 and they had two sons, including the Rev.Henry Bedford Pim. They lived for a time atBelsize andDulwich. Pim died atDeal, Kent, England, on 30 September 1886.[6] A brass plaque honoring Pim was moved in 1981 from The Missions to Seamen Institute to St. Nicholas Church,Bristol, England.[11]
Pim was a virulent racist. In bothThe Negro and Jamaica andDottings on the Roadside he articulated personal concerns with the supposed "savagery" of African peoples. Despite the acclaim Pim has garnered for his explorations, many of his personal observations of Africans in Jamaica perpetuated falsely racist claims about cannibalism and profligacy.
was the first man to make his way from a ship on the eastern side of the northwest passage to one on the western side pim.
Weirhead exeter.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forGravesend 1874–1880 | Succeeded by |
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