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 Johnson

Thomas Johnson

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

Person, Exploring, Tragedy

1 memorial
Sir Ernest Shackleton

Sir Ernest Shackleton

Born Kilkee, county Clare, Ireland. He led several Antarctic expeditions and located the South magnetic pole during his voyage of 1907-1909. Died of a heart attach on a voyage to the South Atlantic...

Person, Exploring, Arctic & Antarctic, Ireland

3 memorials
Harry D. S. Goodsir

Harry D. S. Goodsir

Role on the lost expedition: Officer on SS Erebus. See John Franklin.  A skeleton was found which is thought to be his.  See the picture source for how they did that.

Person, Exploring, Tragedy

1 memorial
Edwd. Genge

Edwd. Genge

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

Person, Exploring, Tragedy

1 memorial

Previously viewed

St Mary Whitechapel parish boundary

St Mary Whitechapel parish boundary

E1, Commercial Street, 40, The Culpeper Public House

Plaque actually around the corner in Wentworth Street.

8 subjects commemorated
Jim's Pitch

Jim's Pitch

NW3, Woodland Walk

Appropriately a number of the nearby buildings have notices instructing "no ball games". 2023: We were contacted by Jim's daughter, Rach...

1 subject commemorated
Violette Szabo home

Violette Szabo home

SW9, Burnley Road, 18

Szabo lived here 1932-42.

War dead | WW2
2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
J. B. Bennie

J. B. Bennie

Councillor in the Borough of Hammersmith in 1948. Our colleague Andrew Behan has researched this man : James Bishop Bennie was born on 11 July 1898 at Manse Road, Corstorphine, Midlothian, Scotlan...

Person, Law, Politics & Administration, Scotland

1 memorial
George Daniels

George Daniels

Horologist. Born in Sunderland. During his lifetime, he was considered to be the best watchmaker in the world, and was one of the few who built complete watches by hand (including the case and dial...

Person, Craft / Design, Engineering

1 memorial