| What the
world knew |
Year |
What was
happening in the Arctic |
Popular hero Sir John Franklin leads
an expedition to find the fabled North West Passage
route from Europe to the Orient. The chances of success
are greater than they have ever been.
Letters arrive home in England brought by a supply ship
that accompanied the two expedition ships to Greenland before
returning. All is well and the crews are in good spirits.
John Barrow retires from the Admiralty in January, the
Franklin Expedition will be the last he sends out. |
1845 |
19th May
HMS Erebus
and HMS Terror
leave Britain
with a supply ship for Greenland via the Orkney Islands.
The supply ship returns to Britain with letters. Erebus
and Terror continue across Baffin Bay.
26th July,
Erebus and Terror are seen by two whaling
ships in Baffin Bay, it is the last contact they will have
with the outside world.
The first winter is passed iced in at Beechey Island,
1845-1846 |
|
No news |
1846 |
- 1st January. John Torrington
of the Terror dies aged 20 years.
- 4th January, John Hartnell
of the Erebus dies aged 25 years.
- 3rd April, William Braine of
the Erebus dies aged 32 years.
All are buried on Beechey
Island.
In the summer months,
the Erebus
and Terror
sail south down the Peel Channel which is
unusually ice free this year, more commonly it is ice
choked which is what stops would-be rescue missions in
the next years from being able to investigate.
Both ships overwinter 1846-47 to the north of King William
Island about 350 miles (560 km) further south than the previous
winter. The ships were iced in on the 12th of September
1846.
|
9th February, John Ross approaches
the Admiralty in London with plans for a rescue mission
when there is no news of the expedition, he is rejected
as is an attempt by a Dr. King.
November, the Admiralty Board accept that
a rescue mission is required, they appoint James Ross to
lead it leaving the following spring. |
1847 |
28th May a note found from this date
(the only note ever found)
says "All Well". The death toll to date seems to be
3 men.
11th June, Sir John Franklin dies of natural
causes, the total death toll at this time was 24 men. |
RM
- James Clark Ross, (HMS Enterprise, HMS Investigator)
from the east, only reach as far as Somerset Island due
to ice, nothing is found.
RM
- Rae / Richardson Arctic Expedition overland from the Mackenzie
River (center of the Canadian
Arctic) and along the coast, nothing is found.
RM
- HMS Plover, HMS Herald from the Bering
Strait in the west. William
Pullen reaches Mackenzie River by whaleboat, nothing is
found. |
1848 |
22nd April, Erebus and
Terror
are deserted having been "beset" (frozen into
the ice without release) for around 19 months. The ships
later sink after being crushed in the ice.
25th April, Captains Crozier and Fitzjames
make a written record (around the margin of the previous
one nearly a year earlier). They say they
intend to walk to the Back's Fish River setting off the next
day the 26th. |
|
John Rae sets out with 7 men in June after overwintering
at "Fort Confidence". Nothing is found or heard
at this time. Rae remains in the north surveying and searching
on behalf of the Hudson's Bay Company for several more years. |
1849 |
No records |
RM
- Richard Collinson (HMS Enterprise), Robert McClure
(HMS Investigator)
from the Bering Strait. McClure frozen in at Banks
Island, when rescued becomes first man to cross the northwest
passage. Collinson reaches Coronation Gulf, furthest east
of any ship. Nothing is found.
RM
- Horatio Austin
(HMS Resolute), Erasmus Ommanney (HMS Assistance),
from the east plus 2 steam tenders, Pioneer and
Intrepid. Ommanney
finds Franklin's Beechey Island camp.
The ships winter near to Beechey Island, are frozen in and
in spring send out sledge expeditions in all directions.
They leave the Arctic before winter in 1851.
RM
- Charles Forsyth (Prince Albert)
from the east, financed by Lady Franklin and public subscription.
On learning of the Beechey Island camp Forsyth races back
to tell Lady Franklin so ignoring her instructions to explore
further much to her disappointment. Nothing is found.
RM
- William Penny Admiralty backed expedition (Lady Franklin
and Sophia) from
the east. The ships winter at Assistance Harbour, Cornwallis
Island, near to Beechey Island, frozen into the ice. In
spring parties are sent out by sledge and boat. After quarreling
with Austin (on the Resolute) they return home in September 1851. Nothing
is found.
RM
- John Ross (schooner Felix)
from the east. Wintered near to Beechey Island, frozen into
the ice. Left the Arctic in the summer of 1851.
RM
- Edwin de Haven (USS Rescue, USS Advance)
from the east, the First Grinnell Expedition,
financed by Henry Grinnell and the American government.
The ships winter in Wellington's Strait frozen into and
drifting with the winter ice. They leave the Arctic before
winter in 1851. Findings at
Beechey Island and Cape Riley of winter camps. |
1850 |
At this time, some Inuit hunters see 40 white men
dragging a boat on a sledge, the Inuit sold the
men a seal for food.
This information reported to John Rae in 1853.
The Inuit also tell of a later date in the same season of
many dead men and of signs of cannibalism.
John Rae's report of this
meeting in a letter sent to the Admiralty in 1854
This is assumed to be the last
year that any survivors from the Franklin Expedition finally
died.
December 7th. The threat of damage by ice
means that the crew of the Rescue are taken on
board the Advance (both from the first Grinnell
expedition) just 50 yards away. |
|
RM
- William Kennedy (Prince Albert again) Lady Franklin's
second private expedition
from the east. Proves Somerset Island is an island. After
one winter in the ice returns to Britain in October 1852.
Nothing is found. |
1851 |
In March the Rescue
is taken into a drydock carved from surrounding ice and
refitted to repair the winter damage. Against the
odds the crew are able to return to the Rescue
which looked like it would be lost during the winter.
Breaking out of the ice on the 5th of June, they resumed
their search before returning to New York by the 30th of
September. |
RM
- Edward Augustus Inglefield (Isabel - Lady Franklin's
private steamer) in northern
Baffin Bay, one summer only. Nothing is found.
RM
- Edward Belcher with five ships from the east,
four from the returning Austin expedition of 1850, HMS Resolute,
HMS Assistance, steam tenders, Pioneer
and Intrepid. A fifth ship the supply
vessel North Star will stay at Beechey Island
as a depot ship. Four of the five ships are abandoned in
the ice, only the North Star returns. Nothing is
found.
RM
- Boat expedition up the Wellington Channel
under the command of R. M'Cormick, R.N., in HMB Forlorn
Hope. Nothing is found. |
1852 |
|
John Rae still travelling overland
since 1848 learns where Franklin lost his ship
from a group of Inuit he meets, their story describes events
in 1849/50.
RM
- Dr. Elisha Kane (USS Advance)
from the east, the Second Grinnell Expedition,
financed by Henry Grinnell and others. Nothing is found.
Almost
RM - William Kennedy,
Lady Franklin's attempted second private expedition. Aborted
when the crew mutinied in Valparaiso, Chile. |
1853 |
HMS Investigator abandoned
in Mercy Bay on the 3rd of June where it had been frozen
for three years without release.
It had sailed into the Arctic
in 1850 from the Bering Strait. The ship then became
a source of iron and copper for the Inuit after later becoming
beached. It was last reported as being seen in 1910, the
submerged wreckage was found in 2010 in 11m of water 150m
offshore.
McClure and the crew
of HMS Investigator
are rescued by Kellett of the
Resolute after being ordered to abandon
the ship, they had been on reduced rations for over a year.
21st August Breadalbane,
a supply ship for Belchers 1852 expedition is crushed
by ice and sinks near Beechey Island. The crew
of 21 were rescued by HMS Pheonix. The most northern
ship wreck known (500 miles above the Arctic Circle) and
best preserved wooden ship ever found when detected in 1980. |
|
John Rae's story told to him by Inuit
reaches London and is published on the 23rd of October.
The news is so shocking he is largely disbelieved by the
public by Lady Franklin and by the establishment. As the
bearer of unwelcome bad news, he is shunned. His report
is true however and is eventually accepted. |
1854 |
April, Belcher orders Kellett to abandon
Resolute. The ship is
prepared as for winter. The crews of the Intrepid, Resolute
and Investigator march to Beechey Island.
22nd May. Thomas Morgan of the HMS Investigator
dies aboard HMS North Star,
buried on Beechey Island.
Belchers ships Assistance
and Pioneer abandoned,
the crews march to Beechey Island.
The crews of the five abandoned ships board the
North Star to
make for home. Two relief ships HMS Phoenix
and HMS Talbot arrive as she is about to sail and
help take on the extra men, they leave Beechey Island on
the 29th of August. |
|
RM
- Land based expedition - Anderson and Stewart descend the
Back River and find relics
in Chantry Inlet. |
1855 |
20th May USS Advance is abandoned by Kane
and the Second Grinnell Expedition to avoid the
possibility of a third winter frozen into the ice, the remaining
crew reach New York on October the 11th.
10th September American whaler George
Henry finds the
Resolute in good order
1,200 miles (1,900 km) from where she was abandoned 19
months previously. She
is sailed to Connecticut with a small crew. |
| |
1856 |
The refitted Resolute
was presented to Queen Victoria. When the ship
was eventually broken up in 1879 a desk made from the ships timbers
was presented to the then American president as thanks for
the return of the ship. This "Resolute desk" has
been used by most American presidents in the oval office
ever since. |
|
RM
- McClintock sails on the Fox paid for by money
raised by Lady Franklin. |
1857 |
|
|
McClintock arrives back in London on
the 21st of September with news of his findings and the
only written record of Franklin's Lost Expedition. |
1859 |
McClintock on the
Fox finds relics
at King William Island, a ship's boat on runners
with two corpses and the only written record of the expedition. |
|
RM
- Charles Francis Hall privately funded overland expeditions,
initially driven by the idea that survivors of Franklin's
Expedition might be living with Eskimos. Finds relics and
skeletons at King William Island. |
1869 |
|
|
Allen Young (steam yacht
Pandora)
funded by Young, Lady Franklin and others. Intended
to search for Franklin records and attempt the north west
passage. Blocked at Peel Sound, returned to Britain in October. |
1875 |
|
|
Frederick Schwatka -
American Geographical Society expedition to King
William Island to look for written records. |
1878 |
Many relics were found, several graves identified along
with exposed corpses that were given proper burial.
The main conclusion was that no further
records from Franklin's Expedition had survived.
This signaled the end of Franklin related search or
rescue missions, 31 years after the first and 33 years
since the expedition left England. |
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