Frank Worsley

Frank Arthur Worsley DSO OBE RD (22 February 1872 – 1 February 1943) was a New Zealand sailor and explorer who served on Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914–1916, as captain of the Endurance. He also served in the Royal Navy Reserve during the First World War.

Born in Akaroa, New Zealand, on 22 February 1872, Worsley joined the New Zealand Shipping Company in 1888. He served aboard several vessels running trade routes between New Zealand, England and the South Pacific. While on South Pacific service, he became renowned for his ability to navigate to tiny, remote islands. He joined the Royal Navy Reserve in 1902 and served on HMS Swiftsure for a year before returning to the Merchant Navy. In 1914, he joined the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, which aimed to cross the Antarctic continent.

After the expedition's ship Endurance was trapped in ice and wrecked, he and the rest of the expedition sailed three lifeboats to Elephant Island, off the Antarctic Peninsula. From here, he, along with Shackleton and four others, sailed the 22.5-foot (6.9 m) lifeboat James Caird some 800 miles (1,300 km) across the stormy South Atlantic Ocean, eventually arriving at their intended destination, South Georgia. His navigation skills were crucial to the safe arrival of the James Caird. Shackleton, Worsley and seaman Tom Crean then hiked and climbed through snow and ice across mountainous South Georgia in a 36-hour march to fetch help from Stromness whaling station. He and Shackleton returned to Elephant Island aboard the Yelcho, a Chilean naval ship, to rescue the remaining members of the expedition, all of whom survived.

Worsley

Coordinates: 53°30′33″N 2°23′04″W / 53.5093°N 2.3845°W / 53.5093; -2.3845

Worsley is a town in the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. The population of the town at the 2011 census was 10,035. It lies along the course of Worsley Brook, 5.75 miles (9.25 km) west of Manchester. The M60 motorway bisects the area.

Historically part of Lancashire, Worsley has provided evidence of Roman and Anglo-Saxon activity, including two Roman roads. The completion in 1761 of the Bridgewater Canal allowed Worsley to expand from a small village of cottage industries to an important town based upon cotton manufacture, iron-working, brick-making and extensive coal mining. Later expansion came after the First and Second World Wars, when large urban estates were built in the region.

Today, Worsley is under consideration to be made a World Heritage Site, including Worsley Delph, a scheduled monument. A significant part of the town's historic centre is now a conservation area.

Worsley (UK Parliament constituency)

Worsley was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Boundaries

1983-1997: The City of Salford wards of Cadishead, Irlam, Little Hulton, Walkden North, Walkden South, and Worsley and Boothstown, and the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan wards of Bedford-Astley and Tyldesley East.

1997-2010: The City of Salford wards of Little Hulton, Walkden North, Walkden South, and Worsley and Boothstown, and the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan wards of Bedford-Astley, Hindsford, and Tyldesley East.

The constituency was created in 1983 from parts of the seats of Leigh, Newton and Farnworth. This was a safe Labour seat including mostly working-class areas from the boroughs of Salford and Wigan, including Walkden, Little Hulton, Astley and Irlam. The only Tory areas of strength here ironically were Worsley itself and Boothstown.

Worsley (disambiguation)

Worsley may refer to: