On this day last year, 24 September, the news that some of Fitzjames’ remains had been identified was published. An incredible discovery, one that I could only have dreamed of. It provided some answers, but left many questions unanswered. Seeing as there are still so many members of Franklin’s expedition left unaccounted for, it is a small miracle that the location of Fitzjames’ death is now known. We know what happened to him after he died, but we do not know how or of what he died. That it was a miserable death is fairly certain. In a way, I am glad that those who knew and loved Fitzjames never had to learn of his fate, even though it would have provided them a sense of closure.
Fitzjames’ dear friend John Barrow (junior) still believed in survivors in 1857. When I learnt of Fitzjames’ fate last year, I had to think of how devastated JB would have been if he had known. When, in 1854, John Rae brought back to England his report of Inuit accounts of white men having had to resort to cannibalism, JB was distraught. He told Captain William Penny:
You can imagine how distressed I was at Dr Rae’s news. It made me most wretched for some days, & nights — but I have recovered the first shock — and think of it calmly now.
Fitzjames’ brother William Coningham said he never believed Rae’s cannibalism report.
Ultimately, an officer in HM’s Navy knew that his job came with risks, and I think that Fitzjames somewhat enjoyed putting himself in slightly dangerous situations. “I never shirk anything”, he proudly declared to JB. While it is a shame that Fitzjames died so young, he had lived life to the fullest. He had seen so much of the world, more than most of us will in our entire lives. Considering the many times he had narrowly escaped death, his luck had to run out at some point. It finally did in the Arctic.
I kind of see today as his death day now and will raise a glass of Highland whisky to his memory tonight.
Research updates
So what have I been up to since my last newsletter? I finally had the time to:
Read all of the Admiralty’s Arctic Papers (ADM 7/187-200, The National Archives), which were compiled and curated by John Barrow. Found quite a few very interesting details in there that I have never seen mentioned before! Very excited to share all of that in my Fitzjames biography in the chapter about the Franklin Search Expeditions.
One of the very first things I did when I started my Fitzjames research project 4 years ago, was to go to the British Library and photograph all 5 volumes of Edward Charlewood’s Euphrates Expedition journals. These were acquired by the BL in 2018 and have not been studied before. I am now finally reading and transcribing them. Since Fitzjames’ own Euphrates Expedition journals are ‘lost’ (although I think they must be in the hands of one of the expedition leader Francis Chesney’s many descendants. If that’s you, please contact me!), Charlewood can provide new details about Fitzjames during the expedition.
When I finish reading Charlewood’s journals, I can finally get back to actually writing the Fitzjames biography. I will have seen enough archival material for now!
I am also very happy to say that after two years, I have finally finished and submitted to Cambridge University’s journal Polar Record my article about the group portrait ‘The Arctic Council’. It’s over 11,000 words; I could have written my dissertation about it in hindsight. It’s now entered the peer review process, I hope that it won’t take too long until that’s completed and you can all read it!
Added to my website
In case you missed it, I was fortunate enough to acquire a photograph of Fitzjames’ half-brother Gloucester Gambier! Very nice to see what he looked like, I definitely see a similarity to Fitzjames. I also have some other Gambier family portraits, see them here.
In other news…
On Friday 24 October, I will give a talk about somebody I really have no time to properly research, but who I am very interested in: Dr Frederick Cook! Some (particularly Cook himself) might say: the discoverer of the North Pole. My talk is part of Terror Camp at the Shackleton Autumn School in Athy. Terror Camp will be livestreamed so you can all see my Fred Talk. The streaming details will be sent the day before or on the day itself, I think. See the programme for more info. If you subscribe to Terror Camp’s newsletter you will be sent the streaming details.
[A signed photo of Frederick Cook circa 1910 and a 1909 postcard of Frederick Cook, on the wall of my living room.]
In closing
I just want to say how thankful I am for every single person who supports and appreciates my work. It truly means the world to me. Thank you.
Wow, a year already! Can still remember hearing that astonishing news last year. Your research updates are always great! Good luck with the Cook talk! ❄️
Another aspect is that the male hereditary brain affliction needed to be stopped hence the appointment of Victoria meant that it could stop the affliction and Lord Melbourne could control her ..and so….the power remained in the same “hands”…