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See also: English See also: rear-See also: admiral and explorer, was See also: born at Spilsby, See also: Lincolnshire, on the 16th of See also: April 1786
.
His See also: family was descended from a See also: line of See also: free-holders or " franklins " from whom some centuries earlier they had derived their surname; but the small family estate was sold by his See also: father, who went into business
.
See also: John, who was the fifth and youngest son and ninth
See also: child, was destined for the See also: church
.
At the age of ten he was sent to school at St Ives, and soon afterwards was transferred to
See also: Louth grammar school, which he attended for two years
.
About this See also: time his See also: imagination was deeply impressed by a See also: holiday walk of 12 M. which he made with a companion to look at the See also: sea, and he determined to be a sailor
.
In the hope of dispelling this fancy his father sent him on a trial voyage to See also: Lisbon in a merchantman; but it being found on his return that his wishes were unchanged he was entered as a See also: midshipman on See also: board the " See also: Polyphemus," and shortly afterwards took See also: part in her in the hard-fought See also: battle of See also: Copenhagen (2nd of April 1801)
.
Two months later he joined the " Investigator," a See also: discovery-See also: ship commanded by his See also: cousin Captain See also: Matthew See also: Flinders, and under the training of that able scientific officer was employed in the exploration and mapping of the coasts of See also: Australia, where he acquired a correctness of astronomical observation and a skill in See also: surveying which proved of eminent utility in his future career
.
He was on board the " Porpoise " when that ship and the " See also: Cato " were wrecked (18th of See also: August 1803) on a See also: coral See also: reef off the See also: coast of Australia, and after this misfortune proceeded to See also: China
.
Thence he obtained a passage to See also: England in the " See also: Earl See also: Camden," See also: East Indiamart, commanded by Captain (afterwards See also: Sir) Nathaniel Dance, and performed the duty of See also: signal midshipman in the famous See also: action of the 15th of See also: February 5804 when Captain Dance repulsed a strong French See also: squadron led by the redoubtable Admiral Linois
.
On reaching England he joined the " See also: Bellerophon," 74, and was in See also: charge of the signals on board that ship during the battle of See also: Trafalgar
.
Two years later he joined the " See also: Bedford," attaining the See also: rank of See also: lieutenant the See also: year after, and served in her on the See also: Brazil station (whither the " Bedford " went as part of the See also: convoy which escorted the royal family of See also: Portugal to Rio de Janeiro in 18o8), in the blockade of See also: Flushing, and finally in the disastrous expedition against New See also: Orleans (18,4), in which
See also: campaign he displayed such zeal and intelligence as to merit See also: special mention in despatches
.
On See also: peace being established, See also: Franklin turned his See also: attention once more to the scientific branch of his profession, and sedulously extended his knowledge of surveying
.
In 1818 the discovery of a See also: North-West Passage to the Pacific became again, after a
long See also: interval, an See also: object of See also: national See also: interest, and Lieutenant Franklin was given the command of the " Trent " in the Arctic expedition, under the orders of Captain Buchan in the "Dorothea"
.
During a heavy See also: storm the " Dorothea " was so much damaged by the See also: pack-ice that her reaching England became doubtful, and, much to the chagrin of See also: young Franklin, the " Trent " was compelled to convoy her home instead of being allowed to prosecute the voyage alone
.
This voyage, however, had brought Franklin into See also: personal intercourse with the leading scientific men of See also: London, and they were not slow in ascertaining his See also: peculiar fitness for the command of such an enterprise
.
To calmness in danger, promptness and fertility of resource, and excellent See also: seamanship, he added an ardent See also: desire to promote science for its own See also: sake, together with a love of truth that led him to do full See also: justice to the merits of his subordinate See also: officers, without wishing to claim their discoveries as a captain's right
.
Furthermore, he possessed a cheerful buoyancy of mind, sustained by deep religious principle, which was not depressed in the most gloomy times
.
It was therefore with full confidence in his ability and exertions that, in 1819, he was placed in command of an expedition appointed to proceed overland from the Hudson See also: Bay to the shores of the Arctic Sea, and to determine the trendings of that coast eastward of the See also: Coppermine See also: river
.
At this See also: period the See also: northern coast of the See also: American continent was known at two isolated points only,—this, the mouth of the Coppermine river (which, as Franklin discovered, was erroneously placed four degress of latitude too much to the north), and the mouth of the See also: Mackenzie far to the west of it
.
Lieutenant Franklin and his party, consisting of Dr See also: Richardson, Midshipmen See also: George Back and See also: Richard See also: Hood, and a few ordinary boatmen, arrived at the depot of the Hudson's Bay See also: Company at the end of August 1819, and making an autumnal journey of 700 M. spent the first winter on the Saskatchewan
.
Owing to the supplies which had been promised by the North-West and Hudson's Bay Companies not being forthcoming the following year, it was not until the summer of 1821 that the Coppermine was ascended to its mouth, and a considerable extent of sea-coast to the eastward surveyed
.
The return journey led over the region known as the Barren Ground, and was marked by the most terrible sufferings and privations and the tragic See also: death of Lieutenant Hood
.
The survivors of the expedition reached See also: York Factory in the See also: month of See also: June 1822, having accomplished altogether 5550 M. of travel
.
While engaged on this service Franklin was promoted to the rank of See also: commander (1st of See also: January 1821), and upon his return to England at the end of 1822 he obtained the See also: post rank of captain and was elected a See also: fellow of the Royal Society
.
The narrative of this expedition was published in the following year and became at once a classic of travel, and soon after he married Eleanor, the youngest daughter of See also: William Porden, an eminent architect
.
Early in 1825 he was entrusted with the command of a second overland expedition, and upon the earnest entreaty of his dying wife, who encouraged him to place his duty to his country before his love for her, he set
See also: sail without waiting to witness her end
.
Accompanied as before by Dr (afterwards Sir) John Richardson and Lieutenant (afterwards Sir) George Back, he descended the Mackenzie river in the season of 1826 and traced the North American coast as far as 149° 37' W. long., whilst Richardson at the See also: head of a See also: separate party connected the mouths of the Coppermine and Mackenzie See also: rivers
.
Thus between the years 1819 and 1827 he had added I200 M. of coast-line to the American continent, or one-third of the whole distance from the See also: Atlantic to the Pacific
.
These exertions were fully appreciated at home and abroad
.
He was knighted in 1829, received the honorary degree of D.C.L. from the university of See also: Oxford, was awarded the gold medal of the See also: Geographical Society of See also: Paris, and was elected corresponding member of the Paris See also: Academy of Sciences
.
The results of these expeditions are described by Franklin and Dr Richardson in two magnificent See also: works published in 1824-1829
.
In 1828 he married his second wife, Jane, second daughter of John Griffin
.
His next official employment was on the Mediterranean station, in command of the " See also: Rainbow," and his shipsoon became proverbial in the squadron for the happiness and comfort of her officers and See also: crew
.
As an acknowledgment of the essential service which he rendered off See also: Patras in the See also: Greek War of Independence, he received the See also: cross of the Redeemer of See also: Greece from See also: King
See also: Otto, and after his return to England he was created knight commander of the Guelphic See also: order of See also: Hanover
.
In 1836 he accepted the lieutenant-governorship of See also: Van See also: Diemen's See also: Land (now See also: Tasmania), and held that post till the end of 1843
.
His See also: government was marked by several events of much interest, one of his most popular See also: measures being the opening of the doors of the legislative council to the public
.
He also founded a See also: college, endowing it largely from his private funds, and in 1838 established a scientific society at Hobart See also: Town (now called the Royal Society of Tasmania), the meetings of which were held in Government See also: House and its papers printed at his expense
.
In his time also the colony of See also: Victoria was founded by settlers from Tasmania; and towards its close, transportation to New See also: South See also: Wales having been abolished, the convicts from every part of the See also: British See also: empire were sent to Tasmania
.
On an increase of the lieutenant-governor's See also: salary being voted by the colonial legislature, Sir John declined to derive any See also: advantage from it personally, while he secured the See also: augmentation to his successors
.
He welcomed eagerly the various expeditions for exploration and surveying which visited Hobart Town, conspicuous among these, and of especial interest to himself, being the French and English See also: Antarctic expeditions of See also: Dumont d'Urville and Sir See also: James C
.
Ross—the latter commanding the "
See also: Erebus " and " Terror," with which Franklin's own name was afterwards to be so pathetically connected
.
A magnetic See also: observatory fixed at Hobart Town, as a dependency of the central establishment under Colonel See also: Sabine, was also an object of deep interest up to the moment of his leaving the colony
.
That his unflinching efforts for the social and See also: political See also: advancement of the colony were appreciated was abundantly proved by the affection and respect shown him by every section of the community on his departure; and several years after-wards the colonists showed their remembrance of his virtues and services by sending Lady Franklin a subscription of 1700 in aid of her efforts for the See also: search and See also: relief of her See also: husband, and later still by a unanimous See also: vote of the legislature for the erection of a statue in honour of him at Hobart Town
.
Sir John found on reaching England that there was about to be a renewal of polar research, and that the confidence of the See also: admiralty in him was undiminished, as was shown by his being offered the command of an expedition for the discovery of a North-West Passage to the Pacific
.
This offer he accepted
.
The See also: prestige of Arctic service and of his former experiences attracted a See also: crowd of See also: volunteers of all classes, from whom were selected a See also: body of officers conspicuous for talent and energy
.
Captain See also: Crozier, who was second in command, had been three voyages with Sir See also: Edward See also: Parry, and had commanded the " Terror " in See also: Ross's Antarctic expedition
.
Captain Fitzjames, who was commander on board the " Erebus," had been five times gazetted for brilliant conduct in the operations of the first China war, and in a letter which hewrotefrom See also: Greenland has bequeathed some See also: good-natured but masterly sketches of his See also: brother officers and messmates on this expedition
.
Thus supported, with crews carefully chosen (some of whom had been engaged in the whaling service), victualled for three years, and furnished with every appliance then known, Franklin's expedition, consisting of the " Erebus" and " Terror " (129 officers and men), with a transport ship to convey additional stores as far as Disco in Greenland, sailed from Greenhithe on the 19th of May 1845 . The letters which Franklin despatched from Greenland were couched in language of cheerful anticipation of success, while those received from his officers expressed their glowing hope, their admiration of the seamanlike qualities of their commander, and the happiness they had in serving under him . TheSee also: ships were last seen by a whaler near the entrance of See also: Lancaster See also: Sound, on the 26th of See also: July, and the deep gloom which settled down upon their subsequent movements was not finally raised till fourteen years later
.
Franklin's instructions were framed in conjunction with Sir John See also: Barrow and upon his own suggestions
.
The experience of Parry had established the navigability of Lancaster Sound (leading westwards out of See also: Baffin Bay), whilst Franklin's own surveys had long before satisfied him that a navigable passage existed along the north coast of See also: America from the See also: Fish river to See also: Bering Strait
.
He was therefore directed to push through Lancaster Sound and its continuation, Barrow Strait, without loss of time, until he reached the portion of land on which Cape See also: Walker is situated, or about long
.
98° W., and from that point to pursue a course southward towards the American coast
.
An explicit prohibition was given against a
See also: westerly course beyond the longitude of 98° W., but he was allowed the single alternative of previously examining Wellington Channel (which leads out of Barrow Strait) for a northward route, if the navigation here were open
.
In 1847, though there was no real public anxiety as to the See also: fate of the expedition, preparations began to be made for the possible See also: necessity of sending relief
.
As time passed, however, and no tidings reached England, the search began in earnest, and from 1848 onwards expedition after expedition was despatched in quest of the missing explorers
.
The See also: work of these expeditions forms a See also: story of achievement which has no parallel in maritime See also: annals, and resulted in the discovery and exploration of thousands of See also: miles of new land within the grim Arctic regions, the development of the See also: system of sledge travelling, and the discovery of a second North-West Passage in 185o (see POLAR REGIONS)
.
Here it is only necessary to mention the results so far as the search for Franklin was concerned
.
In this See also: great national under-taking Lady Franklin's exertions were unwearied, and she exhausted her private funds in sending out See also: auxiliary vessels to quarters not comprised in the public search, and by her pathetic appeals roused the sympathy of the whole civilized See also: world
.
The first traces of the missing ships, consisting of a few scattered articles, besides three See also: graves, were discovered at Franklin's winter quarters (1845–1846) on Beechey See also: Island, by Captain (afterwards Sir) See also: Erasmus Ommanney of the " Assistance," in August 1851, and were brought home by the " See also: Prince See also: Albert," which had been fitted out by Lady Franklin
.
No further tidings were obtained. until the spring of 1854, when Dr John See also: Rae, then conducting a sledging expedition of the Hudson's Bay Company from Repulse Bay, was told by the See also: Eskimo that (as was inferred) in 185o See also: white men, to the number of about
See also: forty, had been seen dragging a boat southward along the west See also: shore of King William's Island, and that later in the same season the bodies of the whole party were found by the natives at a point a See also: short distance to the north-west of Back's Great Fish river, where they had perished from the See also: united effects of cold and See also: famine
.
The latter statement was afterwards disproved by the discovery of skeletons upon the presumed line of route; but indisputable proof was given that the Eskimo had communicated with members of the missing expedition, by the various articles obtained from them and brought home by Dr Rae
.
In consequence of the information obtained by Dr Rae, a party in canoes, under Messrs See also: Anderson and
See also: Stewart, was sent by government down the Great Fish river in 1855, and succeeded in obtaining from the Eskimo at the mouth of the river a considerable number of articles which had evidently belonged to the Franklin expedition; while others were picked up on
See also: Montreal Island a See also: day's See also: march to the northward
.
It was clear, therefore, that a party from the " Erebus " and " Terror " had endeavoured to reach the settlements of the Hudson's Bay Company by the Fish river route, and that in making a southerly course it had been arrested within the channel into which the Great Fish river empties itself
.
The admiralty now decided to take no further steps to determine the exact fate of the expedition; and granted to Dr Rae the
See also: reward of ro,000 which had been offered in 1849 to whosoever should first succeed in obtaining authentic See also: news of the missing men
.
It was therefore reserved for the latest effort of Lady Franklin to develop, not only the fate of her husband's expedition but also the steps of its progress up to the very See also: verge of success, mingled indeed with almost unprecedented disaster
.
With all her available means, andaided, as she had been before, by the subscriptions of sympathizing See also: friends, she See also: purchased and fitted out the little yacht " See also: Fox," which sailed from See also: Aberdeen in July 1857
.
The command was accepted by Captain (afterwards Sir) Leopold M'Clintock, whose high reputation had been won in three of the government expeditions sent out in search of Franklin
.
Having been compelled to pass the first winter in Baffin Bay, it was not till the autumn of 1858 that the " Fox " passed down Prince See also: Regent's Inlet, and put into winter quarters at See also: Port See also: Kennedy at the eastern end of See also: Bellot Strait, between North See also: Somerset and See also: Boothia Felix
.
In the spring of 1859 three sledging parties went out, Captain (afterwards Sir) See also: Allen Young to examine Prince of Wales Island, Lieutenant (afterwards Captain) Hobson the north and west coasts of King William's Island, and M`Clintock the east and south coasts of the latter, the west coast of Boothia, and the region about the mouth of Great Fish river
.
This splendid and exhaustive search added 800 m. of new coast-line to the knowledge of the Arctic regions, and brought to See also: light the course and fate of the expedition
.
From the Eskimo in Boothia many See also: relics were obtained, and reports as to the fate of the ships and men; and on the west and south coast of King William's Island were discovered skeletons and remains of articles that told a terrible tale of disaster
.
Above all, in a See also: cairn at Point Victory a precious record was discovered by Lieutenant Hobson that briefly told the See also: history of the expedition up to April 25, 1848, three years after it set out full of hope
.
In 1845–1846 the " Erebus " and " Terror " wintered at Beechey Island on the S.W. coast of North See also: Devon, in See also: lat
.
74 43' 28" N., long
.
91° 39' 15" W., after having ascended Wellington Channel to lat
.
77° and returned by the west See also: side of Cornwallis Island
.
This statement was signed by See also: Graham Gore, lieutenant, and See also: Charles F.
See also: des Voeux, mate, and See also: bore date' May 28, 1847
.
These two officers and six men, it was further told, See also: left the ships on May 24, 1847 (no doubt for an exploring journey), at which time all was well
.
Such an amount of successful work has seldom been accomplished by an Arctic expedition within any one season
.
The alternative course permitted Franklin by his intructions had been attempted but not pursued, and in the autumn of 1846 he had followed that route which was specially commended to him
.
But after successfully navigating Peel and Franklin Straits on his way southward, his progress had been suddenly and finally arrested by the obstruction of heavy (" palaeocrystic ") ice, which presses down from the north-west through M'Clintock Channel (not then known to exist) upon King William's Island
.
It must be remembered that in the chart which Franklin carried King William's Island was laid down as a part of the mainland of Boothia, and he therefore could pursue his way only down its western coast . Upon the margin of the printed admiraltySee also: form on which this brief record was written was an addendum dated the 25th of April 1848, which extinguished all further hopes of a successful termination of this See also: grand enterprise
.
The facts are best conveyed in the terse and expressive words in which they were written, and are therefore given verbatim: " April 25th, 1848
.
H.M
.
Ships ` Terror' and ` Erebus' were deserted on 22nd April, five leagues N.N.W. of this, having been beset since 12th See also: September 1846
.
The officers and crews, consisting of 105 souls under the command of Captain F
.
R
.
M
.
Crozier, landed in lat
.
69° 37' 42" N., long
.
98° 41' W
.
This paper was found by Lieut
.
Irving . . . where it had been deposited by the See also: late Commander Gore in June 1847
.
Sir John Franklin died on the 11th June 1847; and the See also: total loss by deaths in the expedition has been to this date 9 officers and 15 men." The See also: handwriting is that of Captain Fitzjames, to whose signature is appended that of Captain Crozier, who also adds the words of chief importance, namely, that they would " start on to-morrow 26th April 1848 for Back's Fish river." A briefer record has never been told of so tragic a story
.
All the party had without doubt been greatly reduced through want of sufficient See also: food, and the injurious effects of three winters in these regions
.
They had attempted to drag with them two boats, besides heavily laden sledges, and doubtless had soon
been compelled to abandon much of their See also: burden, and leave one boat on the shore of King William's Island, where it was found by M'Clintock, near the See also: middle of the west coast, containing two skeletons
.
The route adopted was the shortest possible, but their strength and supplies had failed, and at that season of the year the snow-covered land afforded no subsistence
.
An old Eskimo woman stated that these heroic men " See also: fell down and died as they walked," and, as Sir John Richardson has well said, they " forged the last See also: link of the North-West Passage with their lives." From all that can be gathered, one of the ships must have been crushed in the ice and sunk in deep See also: water, and the other, stranded on the shore of King William's Island, See also: lay there for years, forming a mine of See also: wealth for the neighbouring Eskimo
.
This is all we know of the fate of Franklin and his brave men
.
His memory is cherished as one of the most conspicuous of the See also: naval heroes of Britain, and as one of the most successful and daring of her explorers
.
He is certainly entitled to the honour of being the first discoverer of the North-West Passage ; the point reached by the ships having brought him to within a few miles of the known See also: waters of America, and on the monument erected to him by his country, in See also: Waterloo Place, London, this honour is justly awarded to him and his companions,—a fact which was also affirmed by the president of the Royal Geographical Society, when presenting their gold medal to Lady Franklin in 186o
.
On the 26th of See also: October 1852 Franklin had been promoted to the rank of rear-admiral
.
He left an only daughter by his first See also: marriage
.
Lady Franklin died in 1875 at the age of eighty-three, and a fortnight after her death a See also: fine monument was unveiled in See also: Westminster Abbey, commemorating the heroic deeds and fate of Sir John Franklin, and the inseparable connexion of Lady Franklin's name with the fame of her husband
.
Most of the relics brought home by M'Clintock were presented by Lady Franklin to the United Service Museum, while those given by Dr Rae to the admiralty are deposited in See also: Greenwich hospital
.
In 1864–1869 the American explorer Captain See also: Hall made two journeys in endeavouring to trace the remnant of Franklin's party, bringing back a number of additional relics and some information confirmatory of that given by M'Clintock, and in 1878 Lieutenant F
.
Schwatka of the United States army and a companion made a final land search, but although accomplishing a remarkable record of travel discovered nothing which threw any fresh light on the history of the expedition
.
See H
.
D
.
See also: Traill, See also: Life of Sir John Franklin (1896)
.
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