John Franklin

Lore & Background

Franklin was born in Spilsby, Lincolnshire, the ninth of twelve children. After a trial voyage on a merchant ship at age 12, he secured a Royal Navy appointment on HMS Polyphemus in 1800. He saw action at the Battle of Copenhagen, survived the sinking of HMS Porpoise, and was present at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. During the War of 1812, he was wounded at the Battle of Lake Borgne. He later commanded HMS Trent on a journey to Spitzbergen in 1818.

In 1819, Franklin led the Coppermine expedition overland from Hudson Bay to chart Canada's north coast. The expedition was disastrous: 11 of 20 men died from starvation or exhaustion, with at least one murder and suggestions of cannibalism. Survivors ate lichen and their own leather boots, earning Franklin the nickname 'the man who ate his boots.' He later led the Mackenzie River expedition in 1825, reaching the mouth of the Mackenzie River and exploring westward. He served as Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land from 1837 to 1843.

In 1845, at age 59, Franklin commanded his third and final Arctic expedition to complete the Northwest Passage. His ships became icebound off King William Island, where he died in June 1847. The ships were abandoned ten months later, and the entire crew died from starvation, hypothermia, and scurvy.

Reader's Guide

John Franklin's significance lies in his contributions to Arctic exploration and the tragic end of his final expedition. His overland surveys of the Canadian Arctic coastline, despite severe hardships, advanced geographical knowledge of the region. His governorship of Van Diemen's Land saw efforts to establish educational and cultural institutions, though his legacy there is complicated by the abandonment of an Indigenous child, Mathinna, whom he and his wife had raised. The loss of Franklin's 1845 expedition became a defining mystery of Victorian exploration, prompting decades of search efforts that mapped much of the Arctic. His story illustrates both the ambitions and the perils of 19th-century polar exploration, and his name endures in landmarks such as the Franklin River in Tasmania and Franklin Square in Hobart.

Did You Know?

• Franklin fell into the Hayes River at Robinson Falls during his 1819 expedition and was rescued about 90 meters downstream.
• He was knighted by George IV on 29 April 1829.
• His second wife, Jane Griffin, was a seasoned traveller who proved indomitable.
• Franklin's diary from the Mackenzie River expedition describes his men playing hockey on the ice of Great Bear Lake.