James Clark Ross

Sir James Clark Ross (April 15, 1800 - April 3, 1862), a British naval officer and explorer, explored the Arctic with Sir William Parry from 1819 to 1827. In 1831, Ross and his uncle, Sir John Ross, located the North Magnetic Pole as part of a magnetic survey.

In 1839 - 1843 James Ross led an Antarctic expedition (1839-43) which charted much of the coastline of the continent. In 1841, he discovered the Ross Sea, Victoria Land and Mount Erebus (a volcano named after one of his ships). The Victoria Barrier later gained the name "Ross Ice Shelf" in his honour.

A blue plaque marks Ross's home in Blackheath, London.