Sir Thomas Button, an English navigator in the early part of the 17th century, the successor of Hudson in exploring the N. E. coast of North America. He sailed in 1612 with two vessels, the Resolution and the Discovery, passed through Hudson strait, and was the first to reach land on the W. coast of the bay.

The point which he touched was in lat. 62°, and was named by him Carey's Swan's Nest. Being obliged to winter in this region, he selected a position near the mouth of a river, first named by him Nelson's, after the master of his ship, and gave his own name to a neighboring bay. Every precaution was taken against cold and icebergs, yet the severity of the climate occasioned much suffering to his crew, and was fatal to some of them. During the next summer he explored and named several places on the coast of Hudson bay, and advancing to lat. 65°, became convinced of the possibility of the northwest passage. He returned to England in the autumn of 1613, and was made a knight. He never published an account of his voyage; but an extract from his journal is given by Purchas.