Early Life
Samuel Hearne was born in February 1745 in London, England. Hearne’s father was a senior engineer of the London Bridge Water Works but he died in 1748. His mother's name was Diana, and his sister's name was Sarah, three years younger than Samuel Jr. Hearne joined the British Royal Navy in 1756 at the age of 12 as midshipman under the fighting captain Samuel Hood. He remained with Hood during the Seven Years' War, seeing considerable action during the conflict, including the bombardment of Le Havre. At the end of the Seven Years' War, having served in the English Channel and then the Mediterranean, he left the navy in 1763. His activities during the next three years are unknown.
In February 1766, he joined the Hudson’s Bay Company as a mate on the sloop Churchill, which was then engaged in the Inuit trade out of Prince of Wales Fort, Churchill, Manitoba. Two years later he became mate on the brigantine Charlotte and participated in the company’s short-lived black whale fishery. in 1767 he found the remains of James Knight's expedition. In 1768, he examined portions of the Hudson Bay coasts with a view to improving the cod fishery. During this time he gained a reputation for snowshoeing.
Hearne was able to improve his navigational skills by observing William Wales who was at Hudson Bay during 1768–1769 after being commissioned by the Royal Society to observe the Transit of Venus with Joseph Dymond.
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