Notes

Sir John Franklin, naval officer, Arctic explorer (born 16 April 1786 in Spilsby, England; died 11 June 1847 aboard HMS Erebus near King William Island, Nunavut). After the wars, the British Admiralty resumed its interest in exploration, especially the almost mythical Northwest Passage connecting the Atlantic to the Pacific. Franklin’s experience, particularly his surveying skills, made him a valuable asset in these endeavours. In 1818, he commanded a modified whaling ship, the Trent, in an expedition led by David Buchan to find a passage through the polar ice northwest of Spitsbergen (a Norwegian island in the Arctic Ocean). After months of probing pack ice, the mission was called off. Franklin entered the Royal Navy in 1800 at the age of 14. Early in his career, he developed the surveying skills and interest in natural science that would determine his career as one of the greatest explorers of the Canadian Arctic. The Royal Navy was the leader in promoting voyages of exploration and scientific research throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. From 1801 to 1803, Franklin was part of an expedition led by his uncle, navigator Matthew Flinders, that surveyed much of the coastline of Australia. He also saw significant naval action during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812: he served under Horatio Nelson at the Battles of Copenhagen (1801) and Trafalgar (1805) and was later injured during the British offensive against New Orleans (1814).