Born at Sandridge on the Dart, he made three Arctic voyages in 1585/7 to find a north-west passage to China, and discovered the Davis Strait. John Davis 1550-1605 He invented the Davis quadrant and backstaff. He sighted the Falkland Islands in 1592. Later he was pilot to the East India Co. and in 1605 he was killed by pirates off Sumatra.