Benjamin Leigh Smith

Benjamin Leigh Smith (12 March 1828 – 4 January 1913) was an English Arctic explorer and yachtsman. He was the grandson of the abolitionist William Smith.

Early life He was born in Whatlington, Sussex, the extramarital child of Anne Longden, a milliner from Alfreton, and the Whig politician Benjamin Smith (1783–1860), eldest son of William Smith, an abolitionist.

On a visit to his sister in Derbyshire in 1826, Benjamin senior met Anne Longden. She became pregnant by him and he took her to a rented lodge at Whatlington, a small village near Battle, East Sussex. There she lived as "Mrs Leigh", the surname of his relations on the nearby Isle of Wight. The birth of their first child, Barbara Leigh Smith, created a scandal because the couple did not marry, and within eight weeks Anne was pregnant again. When their son Benjamin was born, the four of them went to America for two years, when another child was conceived.

After their return to Sussex, they lived openly together and had two more children. Subsequently, Anne became ill with tuberculosis and died in Ryde, Isle of Wight, in 1834, when her son Benjamin was five years old.

Explorations Between 1871 and 1882, Leigh Smith undertook five major scientific expeditions to Svalbard, Jan Mayen, and Franz Josef Land. He brought back specimens for the British Museum and Royal Botanic Gardens, as well as live polar bears for the London Zoo.

1871 expedition to Svalbard

On 19 May 1871, Leigh Smith sailed from Grimsby on board the Sampson, an 85-ton schooner built in 1852. The captain Erik Andreas Ulve and the 12 other crew members were Norwegian. The expedition stopped at Tromsø before heading to Svalbard, which was reached on 7 July. Sampson navigated through the ice around the west and north coast of Spitsbergen into Hinlopen Strait. Here Leigh-Smith surveyed what was later named Wilhelm Island, establishing that it was an island. He then continued along the north coast of Nordaustlandet, making the first confirmed sightings of 22 islands including Brochøya, Foynøya, and Schübelerøya. The expedition undertook some exploring, but did not succeed in reaching much further than previously.

Eira

By his fourth expedition, Leigh Smith's enthusiasm for Arctic exploration had advanced to the point that he had his own vessel—Eira—specially built. On 1 September, Eira left Franz Josef Land, briefly returning to Svalbard, before arriving in Peterhead on 12 October.

1881–1882 expedition to Franz Josef Land

The following year the ship departed on a second voyage, leaving Peterhead on 14 June 1881 with a crew of 25. The intention was to establish a base camp in the newly discovered area and exploring further north. The following day they reached the land and were spotted by the Dutch Arctic exploration ship Willem Barentsz. The expedition members were brought home in the ship Hope of the privately organised "Eira Search and Relief Expedition" under the command of Allen Young, reaching Aberdeen on 20 August.

Reputation and legacy Despite his expertise in the Arctic, Leigh Smith's work has received little attention, although he received the Royal Geographical Society's Patron's Medal in 1881.

Ostrov Li-Smita (Leigh-Smith Island), lying east of Hooker Island (Franz Josef Land), is named after Leigh Smith, as are the glacier Leighbreen and Kapp (Cape) Leigh Smith on Nordaustlandet, Svalbard, Cape Benjamin Smith is located in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, on the south side of Margaret Island where it juts into Queens Channel.