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Parry (SIR WILLIAM EDWARD an English)

SIR WILLIAM EDWARD, an English navigator; born in Bath in 1790. He entered the navy in 1803, and in 1818 accompanied Sir John Ross, as second in command, to Baffin's Bay, in an expedition for the discovery of the Northwest Passage, which was unsuccessful. But the year following, Lieutenant Parry was appointed to the command of the "Hecla" and "Griper"; and this voyage resulted in the discovery of a considerable portion of the Northwest Passage, the ships wintering at Melville's Island. Captain Parry commanded two other expeditions that failed of success.

In 1827 he again commanded the "Hecla" in an attempt to reach the North Pole.

The ship was left at Spitzbergen, and Parry with his boats succeeded in reaching the highest latitude attained up to that time (82° 45′), but the drift of the ice S. prevented further advance. He died in 1855.