Sir William Edward Parry

Parry, Sir William Edward (1790–1855), British Arctic explorer. Parry led British naval expeditions in search of the Northwest Passage (1819, 1821, 1824); his Voyage for the Discovery of a Northwest Passage (1821) describes these experiences. In Narrative of an Attempt to Reach the North Pole in Boats (1828) he recounted his 1827 journey by ship and then by boats equipped with steel runners (to permit travel on ice), finally coming to within 500 mi (800 km) of the pole, 82°45' north latitude, a record not broken until 1876.

See also: Melville Island.