Hearne, Samuel (1745–1792), a Canadian explorer and trader. As an employee of the Hudson's Bay Company, Hearne became the first European to travel overland from Hudson Bay to the Arctic Ocean. He left Fort Prince of Wales (now Churchill, Manitoba) on Hudson Bay in 1770, reached the mouth of the Coppermine River in 1771, and returned to the fort in 1772. His trip proved that there was no short sea route to Asia from Hudson Bay. Hearne was born in London. He governed Fort Prince of Wales, 1775–82 and 1783–87.