CHANCELLOR, RICHARD (d. 1556), English seaman, is said to have been brought up by the father of Sir Philip Sidney. Nothing is known of his own family except that he had two sons. In 1553 Sir Hugh Willoughby fitted out an expedition in search of the North-West passage to India, of which Chancellor was appoint ed "pilot-general." It was arranged that the expedition should meet at Vardohuus, but owing to unfavourable weather, Chancellor's was the only one of the original seven ships which arrived at the rendezvous. He therefore went on alone into the White Sea, and thence overland to Moscow. The emperor showed him great hos pitality in Moscow, and gave him a letter for the king of England giving very favourable conditions for English trade. Chancellor rejoined his ship in the summer of 1554, and came back to Eng land, after having, by his successful negotiations, laid the founda tions of English trade with Russia. The Muscovy Company was established as a result of this voyage. In 1555 Chancellor left England again for Moscow, which he reached in November. He lost his life on the return voyage, on Nov. Io, off Pitsligo on the coast of Aberdeenshire.
See Hakluyt's Principal Navigations, etc., vol. i.