Kellett, Sir Henry (1806–75), vice-admiral (RN) and polar explorer, was born 2 November 1806 at Clonacody, Co. Tipperary, son of John Dalton Kellett; nothing is known of his mother. His cousin was Commander Arthur Kellett, RN. He entered the Royal Navy in January 1822, and from 1823 to 1826 served on the West Indies station in HMS Ringdove. He transferred to HMS Eden and was employed off the coast of West Africa, being promoted to lieutenant in September 1828. During his time off Africa he commanded the tender Cornelia and also suffered from a bout of fever. He returned to England aboard the Eden in 1831, and was appointed (November) to the survey vessel Aetna under the command of Capt. (later Sir) Edward Belcher, beginning a long association between the two men. He served on the West Africa station until 1835, when he was then given command of the Starling and sent on a surveying mission to the west coast of South America.
He rounded Cape Horn and travelled to China, visiting the Marquesas Islands, Tahiti, the New Hebrides, the Solomon Islands, and Borneo before reaching China in December 1840. He served in the ‘opium war’ (1839–42), taking part in the attack on the Chinese forts at Chuenpee (January 1841) and in the capture of the forts at the Boca Tigris (February). In May 1841 he was promoted to commander and took part in surveys of the Chinese coast and major rivers, later acting as pilot to Adm. Sir William Parker's squadron. In recognition of his services in the ‘opium war’, he was promoted captain in December 1842 and created a CB.
In February 1845 he took command of the survey ship Herald and carried out a survey of the coasts of Central America, the Gulf of California, and Vancouver Island. He travelled to the Norton and Kotzebue Sounds in Alaska (1848), and in July 1849 sailed again to Kotzebue Sound and took Herald northwards until she was stopped by ice at 71° 12' N. He discovered north of Siberia an island (latterly called ‘Kellett Island’) and also named another ‘Herald Island’. He then took part in the search for Sir John Franklin's expedition, cruising in the Bering Strait and off Cape Lisburne in the hope of finding some trace of the expedition's ships, the Erebus and Terror (Franklin's second-in-command was Capt. Francis R. M. Crozier (qv)). Kellett found no traces, and returned to England in June 1851.
In February 1852 he took command of the Resolute and, sailing under the orders of Sir Edward Belcher, travelled to the Arctic again in search of Franklin. In company with the Intrepid, commanded by Francis Leopold McClintock (qv), he searched off Melville Island. He wintered at Dealy Island, south of Melville, and in autumn 1852 a sledging party from his ship found a message at Winter Harbour from Capt. Robert John Le Mesurier McClure (qv), telling how his ship, the Investigator, had become locked in pack-ice after finding a north-west passage. In March 1853 Kellett sent Lt Bedford Pim to the Investigator with orders for McClure to abandon ship. In April the scurvy-ridden crew of the Investigator arrived at the Resolute, the sixty extra crewmen making conditions on board even more cramped. The winter of 1853–4 was spent trapped in pack-ice, and in May 1854 Kellett was ordered by Belcher to abandon the Resolute, although he argued that the ship would be gradually carried southwards through Baffin Bay to the open sea. He officially protested against Belcher's order but marched his ship's company southwards to where they were picked up by the North Star, returning to England in September 1854. True to his prediction, the Resolute eventually passed out of the pack-ice and was secured by an American whaler, much to the embarrassment of the admiralty. Belcher had ultimately lost four ships during this expedition and was court-martialled. Kellett gave evidence at the court martial; Belcher was acquitted, but was never given command again. Kellett was also court-martialled for losing the Resolute but, as he had written orders from Belcher telling him to abandon the ship, he was honourably acquitted. McClure later received £10,000 from parliament for finding a north-west passage, and refused to share this bounty with the crew of the Resolute, denying that he and his crew were ever in danger. McClure was not even supported by his own crew in these assertions, and Kellett remained bitter at his lack of gratitude.
He was appointed commodore at Jamaica (1855–9) and promoted to rear-admiral in June 1862, later serving as admiral superintendent of the Malta dockyard (1864–7). In April 1868 he was promoted to vice-admiral, and was created a KCB in June 1869. He served as commander-in-chief on the China station (1869–71) and was elected a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He was a holder of the British Arctic Medal. He died 1 March 1875 at Clonacody. He never married. The National Maritime Museum at Greenwich, London, has his journal of the voyage of HMS Herald.