Daniel Pender was an officer in the Royal Navy who arrived on the coast of
British Columbia in
1857 as the second master of the
Plumper, a surveying vessel. In
1869, Pender transferred to the
Hecate, which was also a surveying vessel, where he served as master. His final posting on the
British Columbia coast was as commander of the
Beaver, a hydrographic vessel hired by the Hudson's Bay Company. He returned to England in
1871, and worked in the Hydrographic office in
London as assistant hydrographer for several years.