I'm always a bit of a sucker for any programme about Franklyn's expedition to steer the North West passage which set out in 1845. Every so often there's a bit of addition to the tale. Last night's programme on Channel 4 took us through lots of what people familiar with the story already know, but there were some fascinating new pieces and an incredible chance find which led, last year, to the resting place of HMS Erebus. And the chance find occurred because in recent years the stories of the Inuit people of that part of Northern Canada have begun to be taken seriously...of course, as always with the Franklyn Mission there are unanswered questions...this time one of those was how HMS Erebus came to settle where it did. Fascinating stuff.
On a related issue, Mrs C and me went for a stroll through the grounds of Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh a year or two back and found the gravestone to Lt John Irving, one of Franklyn's crew whose body was eventually buried there in the 1880s, while nearby is the memorial to Robert Anstruther Goodsir, the famous Arctic explorer, who perished on the 1895 attempt to discover what had become of Franklin's men. There is some contention as to whether the skeleton found was that of Lt Irving, but the moving tribute reads:
'In memory of Lt. John Irving, RN. HM Ship Terror. Born 1815. Died in King William's Land 1848-9. Her Majesty's Ships Erebus and Terror left England in May 1845 under command of Sir John Franklin KCB to explore a North West Passage to the Pacific. After wintering 1845-6 at Beechey Island they sailed south down Franklin's Strait and entered the NW Passage. Having been there beset with ice for two years Sir J Franklin and 8 other officers and 15 seamen having died the survivors 105 in number Lt. Irving being one landed on King William's Land and attempted to march to Canada but all died from cold and want of food. In 1879 Lt. Schwatka of the American searching expedition discovered Lt. Irving's grave. Through his kindness the remains of this brave and good officer were brought away and were deposited here on 7th January, 1881."
On a related issue, Mrs C and me went for a stroll through the grounds of Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh a year or two back and found the gravestone to Lt John Irving, one of Franklyn's crew whose body was eventually buried there in the 1880s, while nearby is the memorial to Robert Anstruther Goodsir, the famous Arctic explorer, who perished on the 1895 attempt to discover what had become of Franklin's men. There is some contention as to whether the skeleton found was that of Lt Irving, but the moving tribute reads:
'In memory of Lt. John Irving, RN. HM Ship Terror. Born 1815. Died in King William's Land 1848-9. Her Majesty's Ships Erebus and Terror left England in May 1845 under command of Sir John Franklin KCB to explore a North West Passage to the Pacific. After wintering 1845-6 at Beechey Island they sailed south down Franklin's Strait and entered the NW Passage. Having been there beset with ice for two years Sir J Franklin and 8 other officers and 15 seamen having died the survivors 105 in number Lt. Irving being one landed on King William's Land and attempted to march to Canada but all died from cold and want of food. In 1879 Lt. Schwatka of the American searching expedition discovered Lt. Irving's grave. Through his kindness the remains of this brave and good officer were brought away and were deposited here on 7th January, 1881."