Person    | Male  Born 16/4/1786  Died 11/6/1847

Captain, Sir John Franklin

Categories: Exploring, Tragedy

Countries: Arctic & Antarctic, Australia

Born Lincolnshire. Royal Navy. Governor of Tasmania 1836-43. where there is also a statue. Left England in 1845 leading an expedition of 2 ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, to voyage the last unnavigated section of the North-West passage (across the Arctic, north of America). The expedition was lost and so is only erroneously credited with the discovery of the North-West Passage.

After two years his wife, Jane, became determined to discover the fate of the expedition devoting her energies and her funds to a total of 7 expeditions, the last being in 1875. Bellot lost his life on one of these trips. The search for and investigation into the remains of the expedition continued into the 1980s (36 search expeditions in all) and eventually concluded that they all died of: hypothermia, starvation, lead poisoning, scurvy, exposure, inadequate equipment and provisions. Knife marks on human bones prompted suggestions of cannibalism. The press of the day presented this as a big success and Franklin as a hero. Those Victorians, eh?

HMS Erebus was found in 2014 and HMS Terror in 2016, both well-preserved.

2018: The Guardian reported the death of Louie Kamookak, the Inuit historian, without whose tireless researches the remains might never have been found.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Captain, Sir John Franklin

Commemorated ati

Bellot memorial obelisk

33ft high red granite.  Described in detail at the splendid PMSA.

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John Franklin statue

{On the front of the plinth:} To the great arctic navigator and his brave co...

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Other Subjects

Thomas Blanky

Thomas Blanky

Role on the lost expedition: Officer on SS Terror. See John Franklin.

Person, Exploring, Tragedy

1 memorial
Robert O. Sargent

Robert O. Sargent

Role on the lost expedition: Officer on SS Erebus. See John Franklin.

Person, Exploring, Tragedy

1 memorial
Henry F. Collins

Henry F. Collins

Role on the lost expedition: Officer on SS Erebus. See John Franklin.

Person, Exploring, Tragedy

1 memorial
John Murray

John Murray

Role on the lost expedition: Petty officer on SS Erebus. See John Franklin.

Person, Exploring, Tragedy

1 memorial
John Irving

John Irving

Role on the lost expedition: Officer on SS Terror. See John Franklin.

Person, Exploring, Tragedy

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Isabella Beeton - Epsom

Isabella Beeton - Epsom

KT17, Upper High Street Epsom, 1

The plaque is next to the alarm on the left hand column below the word 'Dreams', above the child in the blue jacket.

2 subjects commemorated
Edward, Duke of Kent (1735)

Edward, Duke of Kent (1735)

Edward Augustus was the 4th son of George III and the father of Queen Victoria. In 1818 the only legitimate grandchild of George III died, leaving the succession shaky. The three unmarried sons of...

Person, Royalty

1 memorial
W. B. Owen Callen

W. B. Owen Callen

Resident of the West Ward, Hendon who served and died in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Coronation tree - Southwark Park

Coronation tree - Southwark Park

SE16, Southwark Park

This Chestnut tree was planted by the London County Council to commemorate the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 2nd June 1...

1 subject commemorated, 3 creators
F. A. Farrance

F. A. Farrance

Name on one of the main panels of the East Ham WW1 memorial.

Person

War dead, WW1
1 memorial