Career
Kendall's career began as a midshipman on board HMS Mutine. While serving on HMS Erne that wrecked in 1819 on the Isle of Sal, Cape Verde, he sustained injuries. He served on other ships, usually as a surveyor, including the trigonometrical survey in Orkney, Shetland, the coast of Ireland, and in the North Sea. In 1824, he volunteered his services for William Edward Parry's third expedition to find the Northwest Passage, serving as assistant surveyor under George Francis Lyon aboard HMS Griper. From 1825 to 1827, Kendall served on the Mackenzie River expedition, this time with John Franklin, exploring the Mackenzie River Delta as an assistant surveyor under the naturalist John Richardson. During this expedition, he became the first known European to sight Wollaston Land (actually a peninsula), and travelled from Fort Franklin to York Factory. In 1827, he was commissioned lieutenant.
The following year, at the recommendation of the Royal Geographical Society, Kendall travelled aboard HMS Chanticleer during its scientific voyage, assisting in pendulum experiments, and other research including the South Shetland Islands region of the Antarctic where again he conducted surveys. In 1830, he transferred to HMS Hecla to survey the West Africa coast, returning to England later that year. It was then that he became employed by the Secretary of State for War and the Colonies for the Colonial Office in a secret and confidential survey of the boundary line of the British and American states, in New Brunswick. After conducting other surveys in New Brunswick, he worked on compiling a map of it in 1831. Though there were requests for promotion thereafter, Kendall remained a lieutenant.
Approximately two years later, Kendall became involved in the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia Land Company, becoming its commissioner at Fredericton. He returned to Britain by 1838. During his later years, he served first as superintendent of the West India Mail Steam Navigation Company, and second as superintendent of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Packet Company in Southampton.
