[1] Samuel Enderby & Sons was one of the most prominent English sealing and whaling firms, active in both the Arctic and Southern Oceans.
Charles encouraged masters of Enderby vessels to report geographical discoveries and had notable successes with John Biscoe and John Balleny, who between them discovered Enderby Land, Graham Land, the Balleny Islands and the Sabrina Coast.
In January, 1841 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society[2] These many voyages of exploration, while fruitful in terms of geographical discovery, were not financially profitable for the Enderby family business.
Looking for a way to revive the firm's fortunes, Charles Enderby successfully petitioned for government backing to establish a settlement on the Auckland Islands 'for the purpose of the whale fishery, as a station at which to discharge the cargoes and refit vessels'.
[7] He lived for a time in Northfleet in a house owned by friend and former whaling entrepreneur Thomas Sturge.