Edge Thomas

(1587/1588 – 29.12.1624)

English trader, whaler, employee of the English company Muscovy.

Born in the suburb of Blackburn in Lancashire.

In 1609, Edge served as a supercargo on the ship "Pavel", engaged in seal fishing in the Fr. Bearish. In 1610, he again went to this island with a seal, this time as commander of the Lyonesse ship.

In 1611, Edge took command of two ships: the 150-ton Mary Margaret (to which he went as a sales agent) and the 60-ton Elizabeth, whose master and navigator was Jonas Poole, who set off for whaling in Svalbard. Edge, in his Short Description of the Northern Discoveries, published after his death in 1625, reports that the ships left England on April 20 and arrived in Spitsbergen on May 20.

At the end of June, while fishing for a walrus near the English Bay in the Forlannsunette strait, “Mary Margaret” was thrown ice on stones. After the loss of the ship, Edge ordered to prepare a ship boat and four available boats for sea navigation. About 50 people and fully loaded small boats on July 15 went south.

After a two-week voyage, they reached the southern coast of Bear Island. Three men sent by Edge found the Elizabeth on the north side of the island. After a lengthy sea adventure, the ships arrived in England on September 6th.

In 1612, Edge again went to Spitsbergen as the owner of the ship "Sea Horse".

From 1613 to 1619, Edge served as commander of the English whaling fleet. He often had to deal with foreign offenders who engaged in whaling in Svalbard. In 1620, to cover the debts, the Muscovy company transferred whaling to four members of the company, one of which was Edge. In 1621 and 1622, Edge and his partners again sent whaling ships to Spitsbergen.

An island in the southeastern part of Spitsbergen, discovered by Edge in 1613 (possibly again after the pomors).