Edward Bransfield - Early Life

Early Life

Edward Bransfield was born in Ballinacurra, County Cork, Ireland, in c.1785. While little is known of Edward's family or early life, the Bransfields were thought to have been a well-known and respected Catholic family. The Bransfields may have had enough money to pay for Edward's education, but because of the Penal Laws it is more likely that he attended a local hedge school. On 2 June 1803, Bransfield, then just eighteen years old, was taken from his father's fishing boat and impressed into the Royal Navy.

He began as an ordinary seaman on the 1st rate ship of the line (110 guns) Ville de Paris, where he shared living quarters with William Edward Parry, then a twelve year old midshipman, who would also go on to make a name for himself in Polar exploration. Bransfield was rated as an able seaman in 1805 and was appointed to the 1st rate ship of the line (110 guns) Royal Sovereign (which had taken part in the battle of Trafalgar in 1805) in 1806 as an able seaman, then 2nd master's mate in 1808, midshipman in 1808, clerk in 1809 and midshipman again in 1811. By 1812 he had achieved the rank of second master, and in the same year he was made acting master on the Goldfinch (brig-sloop of the Cherokee class with 10 guns and commanded by The Rt Hon Sir William Cornwallis).

Between the years 1814 and 1816 he served briefly, as master on many 5th rate ships and, on 21 February 1816, was appointed master of the ship Severn a 4th rate with 50 guns, where he participated in the Bombardment of Algiers.

During September 1817, he was appointed master of the Andromache under the command of Captain W H Shirreff. It was during this tour of duty that he was posted to the Royal Navy's new Pacific Squadron off Valparaíso in Chile.