Sir Edward Sabine (; 14 October 1788 – 26 June 1883) was an Irish physicist, geodesist,astronomer, geophysicist, ornithologist, polar explorer, soldier, and the 30th president of the Royal Society.
He led the effort to establish a system of magnetic observatories in various parts of British territory all over the globe. Much of his life was devoted to their direction and to analysing their observations. Other research focused on the birds of Greenland, ocean temperatures, the Gulf Stream, barometric measurement of heights, arc of the meridian, glacial transport of rocks, the volcanoes of the Hawaiian Islands and various points of meteorology.
Edward Sabine was born 14 October 1788 in Great Britain St. (Parnell St.), Dublin. His father, Joseph Sabine, was a member of a prominent Anglo-Irish family who was visiting his Irish relatives at the time of his son's birth. The family connections with Ireland can be traced back to the 17th century. His mother, Sarah Hunt was the daughter of Rowland Hunt of Shropshire. His Great Grandfather was also named Joseph Sabine. He was an English settler who owned land in Killmolin, Wicklow.
However his mother Sarah died when he was just one month old. He was the couple's fifth son and ninth child. One of his older brothers was naturalist Joseph Sabine (1770–1837). In fact, it is said that Edward developed his love for science, that he would later turn into a career, through conversations with his brother Joseph Sabine, and also his brother-in-law Henry Browne. His interest in the sciences ranged from ornithology, horticulture and the earth sciences.
His father returned to their home of Tewin in Hertfordshire soon after his birth.
He was educated at Marlow and at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. In 1803, at age 15, he obtained a commission in the Royal Artillery as a second lieutenant, becoming a captain ten years later and eventually attaining the rank of general in 1870.
Sabine's family had a long history of serving in the military. For example, his great grandfather Joseph Sabine was in the army of William III (qv) in Ireland; he ranked as major general in the Royal Welch Fusiliers. Edward Sabine followed this tradition at fourteen years old when he attended to Royal Military Academy at Woolwich. He was named a lieutenant in the Royal Artillery in December 1803 and was sent to Gibraltar in 1804. He became a second captain when he was sent to Quebec and fought the Americans in the Niagara campaign.
Sabine was stationed in Gibraltar during the Peninsular War, but it was in the War of 1812 that he had his first taste of combat. On 24 June 1813, while traveling to Canada, the English packet ship Manchester was attacked by an American privateer. In the ensuing battle Sabine, who was the Manchester's astronomer, reportedly handled a gun "to good effect". The ship was captured and after his release Sabine travelled from Halifax to Quebec. During the times of 1813 – 14, Sabine fought along the St Lawrence River in Upper and Lower Canada.
Sabine continued to see action in the War of 1812, particularly in the Niagara Campaign in August and September 1814. Under George Gordon Drummond he commanded the batteries at the Siege of Fort Erie and was mentioned twice in dispatches. He returned to England and devoted the remainder of his life to the pursuits of astronomy, terrestrial magnetism and physical geography.
Sabine was a renowned scientist known for his work on Earth's magnetism, magnetic instruments, and polar exploration. In 1818, he joined the North-West Passage expedition with John Ross as an astronomer and scientific officer. He made significant observations, including measurements of tides, currents, and magnetic properties. Despite a dispute with Ross over credit, Sabine contributed a report on biological findings, including a new bird species, named Larus sabini after him by his brother Joseph.
In 1819 Sabine returned to the Arctic with William Parry, conducting a magnetic survey on their expedition to Melville Island. His work earned him the Copley Medal in 1821, and Parry named a peninsula after him. Sabine's ongoing research in magnetism led him to become a central figure in the "magnetic crusade", a global effort to study Earth's magnetic field. In 1821, he also embarked on a scientific voyage to the South Atlantic and Caribbean, later conducting studies in Greenland, where Sabine Island was named in his honour.
Sabine received support for his magnetic research from Sir John Barrow, secretary of the Admiralty, and the Royal Society. From 1830 to 1837, stationed in Ireland, Sabine worked with Professor Humphrey Lloyd on a magnetic survey of Ireland, later extended to Scotland and England. Many of the instruments used were developed by Lloyd and Sabine and built by Howard Grubb & Son in Dublin. He also served as the secretary of the Royal Society from 1827 to 1829.
In 1839 Sabine played a key role in securing support for an Antarctic expedition led by James Clark Ross aboard HMS Erebus, with Capt. Francis Crozier commanding HMS Terror. The expedition set up geomagnetic observatories in the Southern Hemisphere, providing valuable data on terrestrial magnetism. Sabine was skilled at managing large datasets, employing clerks at the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich. Despite criticism for his tight control over the project, he identified periodic magnetic phenomena.
Sabine also had a professional dispute with G. B. Airy at the Royal Observatory, during which he successfully advocated for Kew to become the central hub for magnetic observatories. His leadership, interpersonal skills, and ability to secure funding helped him build a broad international network.
He held various leadership roles at the Royal Society, including Foreign Secretary in 1845, Treasurer in 1850, and President from 1861 to 1871. Promoted to General in 1870, Sabine received numerous prestigious awards, including a DCL from Oxford, an LLD from Cambridge, and the KCB (Knight Commander of the Bath), along with several foreign honours.
More detailed analysis of his scientific expeditions.
Sabine was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in April 1818, and it was thanks to the society's recommendations that he was invited to take part that year in Captain John Ross's first Arctic expedition. As the expedition's appointed astronomer, Sabine was told to assist Ross "in making such observations as may tend to the improvement of geography and navigation and the advancement of science in general".
Although the principal purpose of the voyage was to find the Northwest Passage, several objects of scientific curiosity were deemed worthy of investigation, such as the location of the Earth's north magnetic pole and the behaviour of pendulums in high latitudes which provided information on the shape of the earth. Sabine also made ornithological observations.