George Mecham | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | George Frederick Mecham |
| Born | (1827-11-14)14 November 1827 Cove of Cork, Ireland |
| Died | 17 February 1858(1858-02-17) (aged 30) Honolulu,Kingdom of Hawaiʻi |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Service years | 1841–1858 |
| Rank | Commander |
| Commands | |
George Frederick Mecham (14 November 1827 – 17 February 1858) was an Irish naval officer and explorer who participated in the search forFranklin's lost expedition.
George Frederick Mecham was born in 1827 atCove of Cork, Ireland.[1]
He joined theRoyal Navy in 1841 and was promoted tolieutenant on 8 March 1849. As a lieutenant he served from 1850 to 1852 inAssistance underErasmus Ommanney and from 1852 to 1854 inResolute underHenry Kellett, both of whom were searching forthe lost expedition ofSir John Franklin.
Mecham was the first European to discoverPrince Patrick andEglinton Islands in 1853, both of which he charted in the spring of that year.[2] He was promoted tocommander on 21 October 1854 and commanded the paddle sloopHMS Salamander on the west coast of Africa from 1855 to 1857, and the paddle sloopHMS Vixen in the Pacific from 1857.[1]
Mecham died of bronchitis on 17 February 1858 atHonolulu.[1]
