CaptainHenry Parkyns Hoppner (1795 – 22 December 1833) was an officer of theRoyal Navy,Arctic explorer,draughtsman[1] andartist. His career included two ill-fated voyages culminating in the loss ofHMS Alceste in 1816 andHMSFury in 1825.
Hoppner joined the Royal Navy in 1808, and served during theNapoleonic Wars and theWar of 1812. His first shipboard experience was onHMSEndymion when she was ordered toCorruna. In 1815, he was commissioned as ajunior lieutenant. The following year, he served aboard the ill-fatedAlceste under Capt.Murray Maxwell, escorting Lord Amherst to China on a diplomatic mission to theJiaqing Emperor. With theAlceste shipwrecked, Hoppner switched to theEast IndiamanLion in order to assist his shipwrecked comrades.[6][5]
In 1818,Lieutenant Hoppner served on theAlexander as second in command under LieutenantWilliam Edward Parry[7] during CaptainJohn Ross' British Naval Northwest Passage Expedition of 1818, who commanded HMSIsabella.[8]Hoppner participated in three additional Arctic voyages under Parry's command:
Parry's First Arctic Expedition, 1819–1820, subordinate lieutenant,[9] on boardHMSGriper[10] under Lt. Matthew Liddon,[11] while Parry commandedHMSHecla.
Parry's Second Arctic Expedition, 1821–1823, lieutenant, on board theHecla, under CommanderGeorge Francis Lyon, while Parry commanded theFury.[12] Having surveyed an arm of theFoxe Basin's Lyon Inlet on theMelville Peninsula,Hoppner Inlet was named in his honour by Parry.[13]
Parry's Third Arctic Expedition, 1824-1825: While Parry commanded theHecla, Hoppner, having attained the rank of Commander,[14] served as second in command of the expedition and commanded theFury.[6] Hoppner's two lieutenants wereHoratio Thomas Austin andJames Clark Ross.[15] Suffering from ice damage while overwintering, the ship's stores were unloaded onto the ice, and theFury was abandoned on 25 August 1825 at Fury Beach onSomerset Island. Upon returning to England, the requisite court martial found Hoppner "no blame whatever",[13] and in December, he was promoted to the rank of Commander. Over the next few decades, theFury's abandoned provisions came to the rescue of many Arctic explorers, including that of (now Admiral) John Ross.[16]
Hoppner's artistic and creative talents were useful during these voyages. His illustrations were published with the expedition narratives of John Ross[17] and Parry. In addition, Hoppner participated for two seasons in the Royal Arctic Theatre, established by Parry to relieve boredom during the long Arctic winters. Hoppner is also credited with organizingbals masqués,masquerade balls held each month while overwintering in the Arctic.[18] Regarding the masquerades, Parry remarked, "It is impossible that any other idea could have proved more happy, or more exactly suited to our situation."[19]
Ill-health kept him from accompanying Parry in 1827 during his attempt on theNorth Pole. Hoppner's request to accompany Admiral Ross in 1829 was rejected.
Hoppner never married. On 22 December 1833, he died in Lisbon during a trip through southern Europe.
Brown, R. N. Rudmose (2011). "Sir William Edward Parry". In Stefansson, Vilhjalmur (ed.).Encyclopedia Arctica(PDF). Dartmouth College Library. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved3 October 2008.
United Kingdom