Joseph-René Bellot | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Portrait byStephen Pearce | |
| Born | (1826-03-18)18 March 1826 Paris, France |
| Died | 18 August 1853(1853-08-18) (aged 27) |
| Branch |  French Navy |
| Service years | 1841–1853 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Conflicts |
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| Awards | Legion of Honour |
Joseph-René Bellot (18 March 1826 – 18 August 1853) was a French naval officer andArctic explorer.
Bellot was born inParis, the son of afarrier, but moved toRochefort with his family in 1831. With the aid of the authorities of Rochefort he was enabled at the age of 15 to enter the Ecole Navale atBrest, in which he studied two years and earned a high reputation. He then took part in the Anglo-French expedition of 1845 toMadagascar, and received the cross of theLegion of Honour for distinguished conduct. He afterwards took part inAnglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata, that of Parana to South America, which opened theRío de la Plata to commerce.[1]
In 1851, he joined the Arctic expedition under the command of CaptainWilliam Kennedy in search of SirJohn Franklin.[2] To harden himself for the Arctic winters, Bellot is said to have allowed himself only a thin mattress and one blanket on bare boards. When he met his firstInuit he endeared himself to them by constructing an artificial leg for a man who was disabled.
In February 1852, Kennedy and Bellot set out from their winter quarters inBatty Bay on a dog sledging journey, travelling south toBrentford Bay, where they discoveredBellot Strait, a strait betweenBoothia Felix andSomerset Island.[2] They then continued west to crossPrince of Wales Island toOmmanney Bay, returning to Batty Bay viaPeel Sound andCape Walker – a total trek of 1,800 kilometres (1,100 mi). Bellot's narrative of the expedition was published posthumously in 1854.
Early in 1852, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, and in the same year accompanied the Franklin search expedition under CaptainEdward Augustus Inglefield. As on the previous occasion, his intelligence, devotion to duty and courage won him wide admiration. While making a perilous journey with two comrades for the purpose of communicating with SirEdward Belcher, he suddenly disappeared in an opening between the broken masses of ice in theWellington Channel.[2] A memorial grave was built on nearbyBeechey Island. A pension was granted to his family by the emperorNapoleon III.[citation needed]
The young explorer was mourned widely, and £2,000 was raised by aRoyal Geographical Society committee – chaired by SirRoderick Murchison – after his death, of which £500 went towards a granite memorial obelisk, designed byPhilip Hardwick and unveiled in 1855, in his memory on theThames riverside, in front ofGreenwich Hospital.[2][3] The remainder of the money went towards supporting his five sisters.[3] A nearbyGreenwich street, Bellot Street SE10, also carries his name. In 1935, animpact crater on the Moon, on the edge of theSea of Fecundity, was namedBellot in his honour.[4][5]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911), "Bellot, Joseph René",Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 3 (11th ed.), Cambridge University Press, pp. 704–705
