Northwest Passage expedition of 1741

The Royal Society and the Royal Navy worked together to commission the Northwest Passage expedition of 1741.

The commander of the expedition, Christopher Middleton, had been a captain of ships of the Hudson's Bay Company, sailing on these ships that made annual voyages to supply the company's outposts, since 1721. He had a scientific mind, and had published observations that earned him election the Royal Society, in 1737. He commanded HMS Furnace, while his cousin and protege, William Moor, also formerly a captain of Hudson's Bay Company ships, commanded HMS Discovery.

Arthur Dobbs, a member of the Irish House of Commons played an influential role in organizing the expedition.

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