Pickersgill Islands

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The Pickersgill Islands, so called can be seen on Cook's map (South-Up)
The Pickersgill Islands, so called can be seen on Cook's map (South-Up)

The Pickersgill Islands (54°37′S, 36°45′W) are a small archipelago to the west of the main island of South Georgia. They are 15 miles (24 km) southeast of Annenkov Island and 9 miles (14 km) west-southwest of Leon Head, South Georgia.

[edit] History of Name

Annenkov Island was discovered in January 1775 by a British expedition under Cook, who named it "Pickersgills Island" for Lieutenant Richard Pickersgill of the expedition ship Resolution. It was in 1819 by a Russian expedition under Bellingshausen, who, thinking he was the discoverer of the island, named it Annenkov Island for Lieutenant Mikhail Annenkov, officer on the expedition ship.

The Pickersgill Islands, meanwhile were discovered in 1819 by a Russian expedition under Bellingshausen, who charted the largest feature of the group as Pickersgill Island, erroneously thinking it to be the island sighted in 1775 by Captain James Cook and named for Lieutenant Richard Pickersgill of the expedition ship Resolution.

The name "Pickersgill" got transferred from Annenkov Island, to this archipelago 15 miles (24 km) to its southeast. The name Pickersgill Islands has been established by usage for this group of islands; the island originally named by Cook has been known as Annenkov Island since 1819.

[edit] See also

This article incorporates text from Pickersgill Islands, in the Geographic Names Information System, operated by the United States Geological Survey, and therefore a public domain work of the United States Government.

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