Charles William Barkley

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Charles William Barkley (c. 1759 – 16 May 1832) was an English ship captain and maritime fur trader who explored the Pacific Northwest and the coast of Asia. He was born in Hertford, England, the son of Charles Barkley. His name is sometimes spelled Barclay on old maps, a misspelling that stuck for a time.

At about 11 years old he went to sea with his father, who commanded an East India Company ship. His father died in Calcutta, and Barkley later sailed to the West Indies on the Betsy. He made seven voyages to the Far East for the East India Company and rose in its service.

In 1786 he married Frances and left the East India Company. He took command of the 400-ton ship Loundon, which he renamed Imperial Eagle for a trading voyage to the Pacific Northwest. To avoid licensing costs, the ship was registered under an Austrian flag. Barkley and his backers, including John Meares, pursued the fur trade.

The Barkleys left for the Pacific via Cape Horn on 24 November 1786, stopping in Hawaii where a Hawaiian maid named Wynee joined them. Wynee is believed to be the first Kanaka to reach British Columbia. From Hawaii they sailed to Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island, arriving in June 1787. The Imperial Eagle was the largest ship ever to enter Friendly Cove.

Barkley traded along the coast, naming several places after himself and others, including Barkley Sound, Loudoun Channel, Cape Beale, Imperial Eagle Channel, and Wickinninish Sound for Chief Wickaninnish. The Imperial Eagle was the first non-indigenous vessel to enter Neah Bay in July 1787. After six crew members were killed near the mouth of the Hoh River on 24 July 1787, Barkley sailed to Canton (Guangzhou) to sell his furs, arriving in Macau in December 1787 and earning about £10,000.

Back in Mauritius, the East India Company pressed legal action against the Imperial Eagle’s owners. To avoid trouble, the ship was sold and Barkley and Frances ended up stranded with a newborn. They eventually made their way to Europe. Barkley sued for damages and received about £5,000; John Meares later gained Barkley’s nautical gear and journal. Frances later wrote that Meares claimed Barkley’s discoveries as his own.

Barkley continued his career as a merchant captain, commanding Princess Frederica and later the Halcyon, trading for sea otter pelts in Sitka Sound and visiting Hawaii, China, and Mauritius. In 1792 Halcyon met other fur-trading vessels. Little is known about his later years. He died at about age 73, survived by his wife Frances and two sons and two daughters.