Sir Martin Frobisher (c. 1535 or 1539 – 15 November 1594) is an English seaman (born Altofts, Yorkshire) who makes three voyages to the New World to look for the Northwest Passage.

All land in northeastern Canada, around today's Resolution Island and Frobisher Bay.

On his second voyage, Frobisher finds what he thinks is gold ore and carries 200 tons of it home on three ships, where initial assaying determines it to be worth a profit of £5.1 per ton.

Encouraged, Frobisher returns to Canada with an even larger fleet and digs several mines around Frobisher Bay.

He carts 1,350 tons of the ore back where, after years of smelting, it is realized that both that batch of ore and the earlier one he had taken are worthless.

As an English privateer/pirate, he collects riches from French ships.

He is later knighted for his service in repelling the Spanish Armada in 1588.