John Cunningham (explorer)
John Cunningham (c. 1575-1651) was a Scottish explorer who served under the Danish flag. He is most noted for his role in King Christian IV's Expeditions to Greenland
In Denmark he was known as Hans Køning. In 1603 he became a captain in the Danish navy. In 1605 he was captain of the Trost and Chief Commander of the Danish expedition to Greenland on the three ships Trost, Den Røde Løve (commanded by Godske Lindenov) and Katten (commanded by John Knight). James Hall was the expedition pilot. He again went to Greenland the following year as part of an even larger expedition, but this time only as captain of Den Røde Løve.
In 1615 he was among the commanders aboard the naval expedition under Gabriel Kruse sent to Spitsbergen to demand tolls from foreign whalers. There he encountered Robert Fotherby, Thomas Edge, and Adriaen Block. The following year he was part of the naval expedition under Jørgan Daa sent to rid the coasts of Norway, the Faeroes, and Iceland of illegal whalers and pirates. He served as captain of the Gabriel. In 1619 he was made Governor of the Province of Finnmark, a post he retained until his death in 1651.
[edit] References
- Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
- Brica, Carl Frederik (1890). Dansk biografisk lexikon, tillige omfattende Norge for tidsrummet 1537-1814. Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendal (F. Hegel & Søn).
- Conway, William Martin (1906). No Man's Land: A History of Spitsbergen from Its Discovery in 1596 to the Beginning of the Scientific Exploration of the Country. Cambridge, At the University Press.
- Dalgård, Sune (1962). Dansk-Norsk Hvalfangst 1615-1660: En Studie over Danmark-Norges Stilling i Europæisk Merkantil Expansion. G.E.C Gads Forlag.
