IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 0402 JCR
Held at: Royal Geographical Society
Title: ROSS, Rear-Admiral Sir James Clark (1800-1862)
Date(s): 1819-1842
Level of description: Collection level
Extent: 1 box, 5 files
Name of creator(s): Ross | Sir | James Clark | 1800-1862 | Knight | polar navigator
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
Born 1800; entered the Royal Navy, 1812; served first on the BRISEIS under his uncle John whom he followed to the ACTAEON, DRIVER, and, in 1818, to the ISABELLA, in which the Rosses made their first Arctic voyage in 1818, searching for the north-west passage from Baffin Bay to the Bering Strait; appointed to undertake similar scientific work in the BECLA under William Edward Parry, 1819-1820; Arctic expedition, again under Parry in the RURY, 1821-1823; joined Parry's third voyage in the FURY, 1824-1825; second in command in the HECLA expedition on which Parry tried to reach the north pole over the ice, 1827; joined John Ross in the VICTORY to search for the north-west passage, 1829-1833; conducted the first systematic magnetic survey of the British Isles, 1835-1838; Antarctic, making geographical and magnetic observations, 1839-1843; expedition to search for Franklin, returning 1849; died, 1862.
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
Papers of Sir James Clark Ross, 1819-1875, including log as sub-lieutenant on HMS HECLA, on W E Parry's first expedition on search of the North-West Passage, 1819-1920; letter, letter-draft and memorandum, 1838, containing proposals for an expedition in search of the North-West Passage; letter from Ross on the HMS EREBUS to the Royal Geographical Society reporting on his Antarctic voyage, 1842; and copy, made by Allen Young in 1875, of a message left by Ross at Cape Coulman, 7 Jun 1849.
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English
System of arrangement:
As outlined in the Scope and Content.
Conditions governing access:
Accessible via The Foyle Reading Room. Free of charge for Fellows, Members and those with valid academic identification. All other users pay a charge and must bring identification in order to register on arrival.
Conditions governing reproduction:
Photocopying at the discretion of the Archivist and subject to completion of 'application for copies' form. No publication or reproduction without the permission of the RGS-IBG Archivist.
Physical characteristics:
The log from the HECLA is in poor condition and should be consulted by microfilm.
Finding aids:
Card index available in the Foyle Reading Room.
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Accruals:
Archival history:
The copy of the message had been left by Allen Young in Cape Coulman and was later remioved from there and donated to the RGS.
Immediate source of acquisition:
ALLIED MATERIALS
Existence and location of copies:
Microfilms of the log from the HECLA are held by the RGS and the Public Archives of Canada. The letter, letter-draft and memorandum, 1838 are also held in microfilm at the Public Archives of Canada.
Related material:
The collection also contains a list of material held by Miss Esther Ross concerning James Clark Ross.
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Archivist's note: Prepared by Archives Volunteer using existing finding aids. Revised by Sarah Drewery.
Sources: Oxford DNB.
Date(s) of descriptions: 26th April, 2001. Jul 2008.