Collection GB 0064 MCL - Mcclintock, Admiral Sir Francis Leopold (1819-1907)

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0064 MCL

Title

Mcclintock, Admiral Sir Francis Leopold (1819-1907)

Date(s)

  • 1831-1882 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

3 1/2ft; 106cm

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

McClintock entered the Navy in 1831. He served as a midshipman in the SAMARANG, South America, 1831 to 1835, then in the survey ship CARRON in the Irish Sea, 1835, and the HERCULES in the Channel, 1836 to 1837. From 1838 to 1841 he was in the CROCODILE on the North American Station. Between 1841 and 1842 he took courses in the EXCELLENT and at the Royal Naval College, Portsmouth. McClintock next served as mate of the GORGON, on the South American Station, 1843 to 1845. He received his promotion to lieutenant in 1845 and was appointed to the FROLIC, Pacific Station, where he remained until 1847. For the next twelve years he was almost continually in the Arctic regions, serving on expeditions searching for Sir John Franklin and his men. During 1848 and 1849 McClintock was in the ENTERPRISE. From 1850 to 1851 he was Lieutenant of the ASSISTANCE on the expedition led by Captain Horatio T. Austin (1801-1865). During the expedition of 1852 to 1854 he commanded the INTREPID, steam tender to the RESOLUTE, Captain Henry Kellett (1806-1875). On his return he was promoted to captain. Lady Franklin chose McClintock to command her private search expedition in the yacht FOX, from 1857 to 1859. This effort was at last successful in solving the mystery and many relics of the lost expedition and Franklin's final message were recovered from King William Island. McClintock was knighted on his return. He published an account of his expedition, The Voyage of the Fox in 1859.

In 1860 McClintock commanded the BULLDOG making soundings between Britain, Iceland, Greenland and Labrador, over the route of a proposed submarine telegraph cable. From 1861 to 1862 he commanded the DORIS in the Mediterranean, acting as escort to the Prince of Wales on his tour of the Near East, and from 1863 to 1865 commanded the AURORA, in the Channel and the North Sea during the Prusso-Danish War and later in the West Indies. Be was Commodore-in-Charge at Jamaica from 1865 to 1868, was promoted to rear-admiral in 1871 and from 1872 to 1879 was Admiral Superintendent of Portsmouth Dockyard, being appointed to vice-admiral in 1877. He sat on the organizing committee for the British Arctic Expedition of 1875 to 1876 led by Captain G S Nares. From 1879 to 1883 he was Commander-in-Chief on the North American and West Indies Station. He was promoted to admiral and retired in 1884. See Sir Clements Markham, Life of Admiral Sir Leopold McClintock (London, 1909).

Archival history

GB 0064 MCL 1831-1882 Collection 3 1/2ft; 106cm McClintock , Sir , Francis Leopold , 1819-1907 , Knight , Admiral

McClintock entered the Navy in 1831. He served as a midshipman in the SAMARANG, South America, 1831 to 1835, then in the survey ship CARRON in the Irish Sea, 1835, and the HERCULES in the Channel, 1836 to 1837. From 1838 to 1841 he was in the CROCODILE on the North American Station. Between 1841 and 1842 he took courses in the EXCELLENT and at the Royal Naval College, Portsmouth. McClintock next served as mate of the GORGON, on the South American Station, 1843 to 1845. He received his promotion to lieutenant in 1845 and was appointed to the FROLIC, Pacific Station, where he remained until 1847. For the next twelve years he was almost continually in the Arctic regions, serving on expeditions searching for Sir John Franklin and his men. During 1848 and 1849 McClintock was in the ENTERPRISE. From 1850 to 1851 he was Lieutenant of the ASSISTANCE on the expedition led by Captain Horatio T. Austin (1801-1865). During the expedition of 1852 to 1854 he commanded the INTREPID, steam tender to the RESOLUTE, Captain Henry Kellett (1806-1875). On his return he was promoted to captain. Lady Franklin chose McClintock to command her private search expedition in the yacht FOX, from 1857 to 1859. This effort was at last successful in solving the mystery and many relics of the lost expedition and Franklin's final message were recovered from King William Island. McClintock was knighted on his return. He published an account of his expedition, The Voyage of the Fox in 1859.

In 1860 McClintock commanded the BULLDOG making soundings between Britain, Iceland, Greenland and Labrador, over the route of a proposed submarine telegraph cable. From 1861 to 1862 he commanded the DORIS in the Mediterranean, acting as escort to the Prince of Wales on his tour of the Near East, and from 1863 to 1865 commanded the AURORA, in the Channel and the North Sea during the Prusso-Danish War and later in the West Indies. Be was Commodore-in-Charge at Jamaica from 1865 to 1868, was promoted to rear-admiral in 1871 and from 1872 to 1879 was Admiral Superintendent of Portsmouth Dockyard, being appointed to vice-admiral in 1877. He sat on the organizing committee for the British Arctic Expedition of 1875 to 1876 led by Captain G S Nares. From 1879 to 1883 he was Commander-in-Chief on the North American and West Indies Station. He was promoted to admiral and retired in 1884. See Sir Clements Markham, Life of Admiral Sir Leopold McClintock (London, 1909).

The papers were deposited on permanent loan in 1958 by Major H.F. McClintock, McClintock's eldest son.

Papers of Sir Francis Leopold Mcclintock, covering most of his service career and in particular the Arctic voyages. There are official service documents; logs, 1831 to 1848, 1857 to 1859; diaries, 1848 to 1854, 1860 to 1862, 1879 to 1882, and a letterbook, 1865. The papers relating to the Franklin search expeditions include orders issued by Austin, 1850 to 1851; a letterbook of Kellett's, 1853; papers on the expedition led by Lieutenant F Schwatka, United States Army, 1878 to 1880, and several notebooks, including those kept during the courses McClintock took between 1841 and 1842. Finally there is private correspondence which includes letters from Lady Jane Franklin (1792-1875), from many other people involved in arctic and maritime exploration and from McClintock to members of his family.

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, Sep 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.

2010-10-28 Franklin , Sir , John , 1786-1847 , Knight , Rear Admiral , Arctic explorer McClintock , Sir , Francis Leopold , 1819-1907 , Knight , Admiral , Arctic explorer Ships logs Arctic regions Travel Expeditions Franklin , Lady , Jane , 1791-1875 , wife of Sir John Franklin Arctic Polar regions Primary documents Documents Climatic zones Information sources

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

The papers were deposited on permanent loan in 1958 by Major H.F. McClintock, McClintock's eldest son.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers of Sir Francis Leopold Mcclintock, covering most of his service career and in particular the Arctic voyages. There are official service documents; logs, 1831 to 1848, 1857 to 1859; diaries, 1848 to 1854, 1860 to 1862, 1879 to 1882, and a letterbook, 1865. The papers relating to the Franklin search expeditions include orders issued by Austin, 1850 to 1851; a letterbook of Kellett's, 1853; papers on the expedition led by Lieutenant F Schwatka, United States Army, 1878 to 1880, and several notebooks, including those kept during the courses McClintock took between 1841 and 1842. Finally there is private correspondence which includes letters from Lady Jane Franklin (1792-1875), from many other people involved in arctic and maritime exploration and from McClintock to members of his family.

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