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Biographical entry Biscoe, John (1794 - 1843)

Enfield, Middlesex, England
at sea


John Biscoe commanded the 1830-32 Enderby Brothers Antarctic Expedition on the "Tula" and "Lively". He was the first to chart portions of the Antarctic continent other than the peninsula. Settled in Sydney and then Hobart, 1837-43.


Born Enfield, Middlesex, England, 1794. Died at sea 1843. Joined the navy 1812; served during the American war, becoming acting master of "Moselle"; mercantile marine after the war, sailing as mate and master to the East and West Indies and most parts of the known world; whaling and sealing firm of Enderby from 1830, commanding "Tula" and "Lively" on a voyage of discovery to high southern latitudes, circumnavigating the Antarctic and discovering the northern Biscoe Islands (February 1832); nominated by the Enderbys in 1833 to command a second exploring expedition to the Antarctic, but the vessels sailed without him; traded between Liverpool and the West Indies; sailed for Australia in the "Superb" 1837; abortive southern sealing and exploring voyage from Port Jackson 1838-39; master of various inter-colonial vessels sailing between Hobart, Sydney and Port Phillip 1840-42; sailed for London 1843; died at sea.

Published resources

Book Sections

Journal Articles

  • Rubin, M.J., 'John Biscoe's Meteorological and Oceanogarphic Observations in the Southern Ocean, 1830-1832', Polar Record, vol. 33, no. 184, 1997, pp. 39-46. Details

Online Resources

Rosanne Walker