IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 0402 SJF
Held at: Royal Geographical Society
Title: FRANKLIN, Sir John (1786-1847)
Date(s): 1801-1986
Level of description: Collection (fonds)
Extent: 1 box & 2 oversized files stored separately
Name of creator(s): Franklin | Sir | John | 1786-1847 | Knight | Arctic explorer | Rear Admiral
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
Born, 1786; educated at a preparatory school in St Ives, Huntingdonshire and at Louth grammar school; first-class volunteer in the Royal Navy; joined the Polyphemus, 1800; midshipman on Investigator; served aboard HMS Bellerophon at the Battle of Trafalgar, 1805; served at the Battle of New Orleans; first Arctic expedition, 1918-1822; second Arctic expedition, 1825-1827; Member of the Raleigh Club, Vice-President, 1830; Founder member of the Royal Geographical Society and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, 1830-1847; Lieutenant-governor of Van Diemen's Land, 1836-1843; Northwest Passage expedition, 1845; died on the expedition, 1845.
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
Papers of Sir John Franklin, 1801-1847, chiefly relating to the ill-fated Franklin Expedition in search of the North-West Passage on HM Ships Erebus and Terror, 1845-1847, and the subsequent expeditions sent to search for survivors or relics of the expedition. Also, some earlier letters from Franklin mainly to relatives and letters from relatives to or about him. Some items relating to the bicentenary of Franklin's birth celebrated in 1986.
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English
System of arrangement:
10 files some with sub-files, items have been brought together from disparate sources over time and have not undergone any arrangement beyond the internal structure of the files.
Conditions governing access:
Open by appointment only, subject to completion of application form. Non-Fellows require a letter of reference.
Conditions governing reproduction:
Photocopying at Archivist's discretion, and subject to completion of 'application for copies' form. No reproduction or publication without permission of the RGS-IBG Archivist.
Physical characteristics:
Some items are fragile.
Finding aids:
The RGS archives: a handlist / compiled by Christine Kelly. London: RGS, 1977.
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:
Accruals:
Archival history:
Immediate source of acquisition:
Multiple sources (see file level descriptions for details)
ALLIED MATERIALS
Existence and location of originals:
Existence and location of copies:
Some files (1-6) were microfilmed by the National Archives of Canada in 1971
Related material:
RGS Archives - Correspondence Blocks 1841-50 & 1851-60: Franklin, Lady Jane. RGS Archives - Sir George Back Collection.
Publication note:
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Note:
Archivist's note: Prepared by Huw Thomas, Archives Assistant using existing card index, DNB entry and JRGS and The record of the RGS 1830-1930 / by H. R. Mill. London: RGS, 1930. The fifty years work of the RGS / by C. R. Markham. London: RGS, 1881. Revised by Sarah Drewery.
Date(s) of descriptions: 11th May 2000; Nov 2008.