The Royal Society and the Royal Navy worked together to commission the Northwest Passage expedition of 1741.
The commander of the expedition, Christopher Middleton, had been a captain of ships of the Hudson's Bay Company, sailing on these ships that made annual voyages to supply the company's outposts, since 1721. He had a scientific mind, and had published observations that earned him election the Royal Society, in 1737. He commanded HMS Furnace, while his cousin and protege, William Moor, also formerly a captain of Hudson's Bay Company ships, commanded HMS Discovery.
Arthur Dobbs, a member of the Irish House of Commons played an influential role in organizing the expedition.
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