Collection GB 0064 MCCLU - Mcclure, Vice Admiral Sir Robert John Le Mesurier (1807-1873)

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0064 MCCLU

Title

Mcclure, Vice Admiral Sir Robert John Le Mesurier (1807-1873)

Date(s)

  • 19th century (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

1 box

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

McClure entered the Navy in 1824. He was made a lieutenant in 1837 and had already taken part in two Arctic expeditions when, in 1850, he was appointed to command the INVESTIGATOR in the search expedition for Sir John Franklin via the Bering Strait, led by Captain Richard Collinson. McClure and the men of the INVESTIGATOR were the first to make the traverse of the North-West Passage, though they were forced to abandon their ship which was beset in the ice off Banks Island, arriving back home in 1854. They were awarded £10,000 by Parliament in 1855 and McClure was knighted. In 1856 he was appointed to command the ESK on the Pacific Station and the following year was ordered to China. In December 1857 he commanded a battalion of the Naval Brigade at the capture of Canton. He was then appointed Senior Officer in the Straits of Malacca. He returned home in 1861 and had no further service, being promoted to rear-admiral in 1867 and vice-admiral in 1873 on the retired list.

Archival history

GB 0064 MCCLU 19th century Collection 1 box Mcclure , Sir , Robert John Le Mesurier , 1807-1873 , Knight , Vice-Admiral

McClure entered the Navy in 1824. He was made a lieutenant in 1837 and had already taken part in two Arctic expeditions when, in 1850, he was appointed to command the INVESTIGATOR in the search expedition for Sir John Franklin via the Bering Strait, led by Captain Richard Collinson. McClure and the men of the INVESTIGATOR were the first to make the traverse of the North-West Passage, though they were forced to abandon their ship which was beset in the ice off Banks Island, arriving back home in 1854. They were awarded £10,000 by Parliament in 1855 and McClure was knighted. In 1856 he was appointed to command the ESK on the Pacific Station and the following year was ordered to China. In December 1857 he commanded a battalion of the Naval Brigade at the capture of Canton. He was then appointed Senior Officer in the Straits of Malacca. He returned home in 1861 and had no further service, being promoted to rear-admiral in 1867 and vice-admiral in 1873 on the retired list.

The papers were presented in 1962 by a descendant of McClure's, Lieutenant-Commander H.R.W. Higgins, RNVR.

Papers of Sir Robert John Le Mesurier Mcclure, mostly commemorative of the voyage of the INVESTIGATOR, although there are a few papers relating to the Chinese War, two letters from the King of Siam and a record of service.

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.

2010-08-26 HMS Investigator Franklin , Sir , John , 1786-1847 , Knight , Rear Admiral , Arctic explorer Rama IV , 1804-1868 , King of Siam McClure , Sir , Robert John Le Mesurier , 1807-1873 , naval officer , Knight , Vice Admiral Travel Expeditions China East Asia Arctic

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

The papers were presented in 1962 by a descendant of McClure's, Lieutenant-Commander H.R.W. Higgins, RNVR.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers of Sir Robert John Le Mesurier Mcclure, mostly commemorative of the voyage of the INVESTIGATOR, although there are a few papers relating to the Chinese War, two letters from the King of Siam and a record of service.

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

Subject 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