Collection GB 0064 FRN - Franklin, Captain Sir John (1786-1847)

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0064 FRN

Title

Franklin, Captain Sir John (1786-1847)

Date(s)

  • 1819-1845 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

1 vol

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Franklin entered the Navy in 1800. He served as midshipman under his cousin, Captain Matthew Flinders from 1801 to 1803, surveying the coasts of Australia. He began his Arctic career as second-in-command to Captain David Buchan (d c 1839) during the Spitsbergen expedition of 1818. From 1819 to 1822 he commanded an expedition down the Coppermine River of Canada to the Arctic Ocean. From 1825 to 1827 he commanded a second expedition to the Arctic Ocean down the Mackenzie River. He was knighted in 1829. Franklin was in the Mediterranean from 1830 to 1833 and between 1833 and 1844 was Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania). In 1845 at the age of fifty-nine, he took command of an expedition in search of the North-West Passage in the EREBUS and TERROR. He died on board the EREBUS off King William Island. See Sir J Franklin, 'Narrative of the journey to the shores of the Polar Seas in the years 1819, 1820, 21 and 22' (London, 1823) and 'Narrative of a second expedition to the shores of the Polar Sea, in the years 1825, 1826 and 1827' (London, 1828). Among a number of biographies is Richard J. Cyriax, Sir John Franklin's Last Arctic Expedition (London, 1939).

Archival history

GB 0064 FRN 1819-1845 Collection 1 vol Franklin , Sir , John , 1786-1847 , Knight , Rear Admiral , Arctic explorer

Franklin entered the Navy in 1800. He served as midshipman under his cousin, Captain Matthew Flinders from 1801 to 1803, surveying the coasts of Australia. He began his Arctic career as second-in-command to Captain David Buchan (d c 1839) during the Spitsbergen expedition of 1818. From 1819 to 1822 he commanded an expedition down the Coppermine River of Canada to the Arctic Ocean. From 1825 to 1827 he commanded a second expedition to the Arctic Ocean down the Mackenzie River. He was knighted in 1829. Franklin was in the Mediterranean from 1830 to 1833 and between 1833 and 1844 was Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania). In 1845 at the age of fifty-nine, he took command of an expedition in search of the North-West Passage in the EREBUS and TERROR. He died on board the EREBUS off King William Island. See Sir J Franklin, 'Narrative of the journey to the shores of the Polar Seas in the years 1819, 1820, 21 and 22' (London, 1823) and 'Narrative of a second expedition to the shores of the Polar Sea, in the years 1825, 1826 and 1827' (London, 1828). Among a number of biographies is Richard J. Cyriax, Sir John Franklin's Last Arctic Expedition (London, 1939).

The papers were purchased by Sir James Caird in 1938.

Papers of Sir John Franklin. They consist of a volume of bound letters written by Sir John Franklin between 1820 and 1845 to his niece Mary Anne Kay and to Lieutenant Edward Kendall, R.N., whom she later married. Several letters refer to Franklin's second overland expedition. His last letter was written in 1845 at the Whale Fish Islands. There are other letters relating to exploration and some Arctic material including prints and manuscript copies of the New Georgia Gazette of 1819.

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Please contact the Archive for further information.

English

Detailed catalogue online at the: National Maritime Museum website .

Edited by Sarah Drewery, Jun 2011.

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

2010-08-26 Franklin , Sir , John , 1786-1847 , Knight , Rear Admiral , Arctic explorer Geography Geographical exploration People People by roles Travel Explorers Arctic

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

The papers were purchased by Sir James Caird in 1938.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers of Sir John Franklin. They consist of a volume of bound letters written by Sir John Franklin between 1820 and 1845 to his niece Mary Anne Kay and to Lieutenant Edward Kendall, R.N., whom she later married. Several letters refer to Franklin's second overland expedition. His last letter was written in 1845 at the Whale Fish Islands. There are other letters relating to exploration and some Arctic material including prints and manuscript copies of the New Georgia Gazette of 1819.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Conditions governing reproduction

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Detailed catalogue online at the: National Maritime Museum website .

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

National Maritime Museum

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area