Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 62.djvu/43

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Edward, which, as we now know, got into the White Sea and to St. Nicholas.

On 14 Aug. the ships discovered land, apparently uninhabited, in latitude 72°, but were unable to reach it by reason of the shoal water and the ice. From this position they ran seventy leagues S.S.E., then steered N.W. by W. for a day, then for two days W.S.W., and on the 23rd they saw land, trending W.S.W. and E.N.E.; then, before a strong westerly gale, they ran to the N. by E. thirty leagues. It is well to note these positions and courses, as they show more clearly than is otherwise possible the extreme ignorance of all the responsible officers, Chancellor and Borough being absent, not only of the pilotage but of the most simple navigation. If the latitude 72° is to be accepted as anything like correct, they had been blown over to the coast of Novaya Zemlya, but the courses sailed afterwards are incomprehensible. On 14 Sept. they again found themselves in with the land, rocky and high, where were good harbours. For the next three days they examined the coast, and on the 18th went into one of the harbours, afterwards known as Arzina, near to Kegor, where Norwegian Lapland marches with Russian. It was described as running ‘into the mainland about two leagues, and in breadth half a league; wherein were very many seal fishes and other great fishes; and upon the main we saw bears, great deer, foxes, with divers strange beasts … to us unknown and also wonderful.’ Here, considering the lateness of the season and the badness of the weather, they resolved to winter. But for wintering in an arctic climate they had no provision. The country was entirely desolate and uninhabited, and Willoughby and his companions perished miserably. When, some few years afterwards, the ships and bodies were found, there were found also Willoughby's journal and will, by which it appeared that he and most of the party were still alive in January 1554. The journal is printed in Hakluyt's ‘Principal Navigations’ (i. 232–7), and a manuscript copy of it is in the Cottonian manuscripts (Otho E. viii. 10), but the original has disappeared. Neither it nor the will can now be traced; nor is anything clearly known of their discovery or of their being brought to England. All that can be said is that the commonly received stories (Fox Bourne, English Seamen, i. 99) are directly contradicted by positive evidence (Hakluyt, i. 288, 294, 297) that nothing certain was known in the summer of 1557.

By his will (Porch, 34), proved 1 July 1528, Sir Henry left to Hugh ‘all my lands and tenements in Mapurley in the county of Derby, Brokistow, and Basseford in Nottinghamshire, and a parcel of land at Walsall in Staffordshire;’ and further directs, as to certain sums due to him, ‘that my son John shall receive the same, to the use to purchase or buy a marriage for my son Hugh, if the same Hugh will be guided and ordered by my said son Sir John Willoughby; or else the same sums of money to be disposed for the wealth of my soul.’ Of the marriage so bought there does not seem to be any direct record; but in the will of Sir John (Populwell, 22), proved 22 Jan. 1548–9, mention is made of ‘my niece Rose, daughter of my brother Hugh,’ as well as a legacy of 6l. 13s. 4d. yearly ‘to my brother, Sir Hugh.’ In the Wollaton accounts there is also mention of 20l. a year paid out of the Wollaton property to Henry, son of Sir Hugh (Colvile, p. 813).

A portrait, full length, preserved at Wollaton, was lent by Lord Middleton to the Tudor Exhibition of 1890 and to the Naval Exhibition of 1891.

[Hakluyt's Principal Navigations, i. 226–37; Thoroton's Hist. of Nottinghamshire, 1797, ii. 209; Colvile's Warwickshire Worthies, p. 813; Brown's Worthies of Nottinghamshire, p. 113; Beazley's John and Sebastian Cabot, 1898, pp. 182, 186, 195; information from Lady Middleton.]

J. K. L.

WILLOUGHBY, Sir NESBIT JOSIAH (1777–1849), rear-admiral, descended from a younger branch of the Wollaton family, and son of Robert Willoughby of Cossall, Nottinghamshire, by his second wife, Barbara, daughter of James Bruce of Kinloch, was born on 29 Aug. 1777. His christian names suggest some connection with the family of Lady Nelson's first husband [see Nelson, Frances Herbert, Viscountess Nelson], but there does not appear to be any record of it. He entered the navy in May 1790 on board the Latona, with Captain (Sir) Albemarle Bertie; he was afterwards in the Edgar and other ships on the home station, and in January 1793 went out to the coast of Africa in the Orpheus frigate, which, after a successful cruise against the French trade, was sent round to the East India station, where she captured the French frigate Duguay-Trouin on 5 May 1794. At the reduction of Malacca in August 1795 Willoughby had command of a boat, and in February–March 1796 was present at the occupation of Amboyna and Banda (James, i. 414–15), from which even a midshipman's share of the prize-money must have been considerable. He was afterwards in the Heroine and in the Suffolk,