Frobisher portrait painted by Cornelis Ketel, 1577. Martin Frobisher (1535 or 1539 - November 15, 1594) was an English seaman and privateer who made three voyages to the New World to look for the Northwest Passage. All landed in northeastern Canada, around today's Resolution Island and Frobisher Bay. On his second voyage, he found what he thought was gold ore and carried 200 tons of it hom, where initial assaying determined it to be worth a profit of 5.2 sterling pounds per ton. Encouraged, he returned to Canada with an even larger fleet and dug several mines around Frobisher Bay. He carted 1,350 tons of the ore back where, after years of smelting, it was realized it worthless iron pyrite. As an English privateer/pirate, he collected riches from French ships. He was later knighted for his service in repelling the Spanish Armada in 1588. In 1594, he received a gunshot wound during the Siege of Fort Crozon. Poor medical treatment resulted in his death days later at the age of 55 or 59.