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Reference: GB 0015 Edward Adrian Wilson
Title: Edward Adrian Wilson collection
Dates of creation: 1842-1913
Held at: Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge
Extent: Expedition material, correspondence, certificates, notes and ephemera
Name of Creator: Edward Adrian Wilson
Level of Description: fonds
Language of Material: eng

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Edward Adrian Wilson was born in Cheltenham, England on 23 July 1872, second son of a respected Cheltenham medical practitioner. He was educated at Cheltenham College and studied natural science and medicine at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge and St. George's Hospital, London. In 1898, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis and spent several months convalescing in Norway and Switzerland, giving him the opportunity to hone his skills as a watercolour artist and wildlife illustrator. After qualifying in medicine in 1900, Wilson practised at Cheltenham Hospital, where in 1901 he was appointed Junior House Surgeon. Later in the same year he was selected to join the British National Antarctic Expedition, 1901-1904 (leader Robert Falcon Scott), as junior surgeon and zoologist. Less than a month before his departure to the Antarctic, he married Oriana Souper. Whilst on this expedition, he accompanied Scott and Ernest Henry Shackleton on a major sledge journey, exploring inland across the Ross Ice Shelf toward the South Pole. On 30 December 1902, the party reached 82° 17'S, their farthest south. Wilson's abilities in accurately illustrating both topography and wildlife on the expedition were invaluable and his skills as confidant and mediator were equally valued.

On his return to England in 1904, Wilson wrote up and published his zoological data, and was commissioned to illustrate books on British birds and mammals. He was appointed as principal field-observer, anatomist and physiologist to the Board of Agriculture's investigation into the cause of grouse disease on British moor lands.

In 1909, Wilson was again approached by Scott to accompany him on the British Antarctic Expedition, 1910-1913, as chief of the scientific staff. During the winters at Cape Evans on Ross Island, he sketched and painted many Antarctic landscapes, the majority of which are now held in the archives of the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge. He led a winter sledging journey with Henry Robinson Bowers and Apsley Cherry-Garrard to Cape Crozier to collect emperor penguin embryos, and was selected by Scott for the long sledging journey to the South Pole. On 17 January 1912, Wilson, along with Scott, Henry Robinson Bowers, Lawrence Edward Grace Oates and Edgar Evans, attained the Pole only to find that the Norwegian Roald Amundsen had reached the South Pole on 14 December 1911. On the return journey, the weakened party faced exceptionally unfavourable weather and sledging conditions. Wilson died with Scott and Bowers in late March 1912, laid up in a blizzard 11 miles short of One Ton Depot.

Published works, Diary of the Terra Nova expedition 1910-1912, An account of Scott's last expedition edited from the original mss. in the Scott Polar Research Institute and the British Museum by H.G.R. King, Blandford Press, London (1972) UDC number (*7) 91(08)[1910-1913 Scott] Diary of the Discovery expedition to the Antarctic regions 1901- 1904. Edited from the original mss. in the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge by Ann Savours, Blandford Press, London (1966) UDC number (*7) 91(08)[1901-1904 Scott]

The collection covers Wilson's two Antarctic expeditions, (the British National Antarctic, 1901-1904 and the British Antarctic, 1910-1913 both led by Robert Falcon Scott), correspondence and miscellaneous material.

System of Arrangement

The collection is arranged into four sub-fonds covering the two expeditions, miscellaneous material and correspondence respectively.

Accruals

Further accessions possible.

Access Conditions

By appointment.

Some materials deposited at the Institute are NOT owned by the Institute. In such cases the archivist will advise about any requirements imposed by the owner. These may include seeking permission to read, extended closure, or other specific conditions.

Copyright/Reproduction

Copying material by photography, electrostat, or scanning devise by readers is prohibited. The Institute may be able to provide copies of some documents on request for lodgement in publicly available repositories. This is subject to conservation requirements, copyright law, and payment of fees.

Copyright restrictions apply to most material. The copyright may lie outside the Institute and, if so, it is necessary for the reader to seek appropriate permission to consult, copy, or publish any such material. (The Institute does not seek this permission on behalf of readers). Written permission to publish material subject to the Institute's copyright must be obtained from the Director. Details of conditions and fees may be had from the Archivist.

Anyone wishing to consult material should ensure they note the entire MS reference and the name of the originator.

The term holograph is used when the item is wholly in the handwriting of the author. The term autograph is used when the author has signed the item.

Finding Aids

Clive Holland Manuscripts in the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, England - a catalogue. Garland Publishing New York and London (1982) ISBN 0824093941.

Additional finding aids are available at the Institute.

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Reference: GB 0015 Edward Adrian Wilson

Dates of creation: 1900-1904
Extent: 7 journals, 4 diaries, circa 5 sketches and charts
Name of Creator: Edward Adrian Wilson

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The British National Antarctic Expedition, 1901-1904 (leader Robert Falcon Scott) undertook the first extensive exploration on land in Antarctica. Funding came from the Government, the Royal Society, the Royal Geographical Society and private donations. The expedition set up base at McMurdo Sound from where sledging parties carried out recognisance and scientific programmes. Scott made the fist balloon ascent on the continent in 1902. A three-man sledge party consisting of Scott, Ernest Henry Shackleton and Edward Adrian Wilson achieved a furthest south of 82.28° on 30 December 1902. The expedition ship, Discovery, commissioned and built especially for the expedition was beset in McMurdo Sound from 1902-1904.

• MS 232/1-3;BJ Journals (3), 1900-1904 [volume I July 1900 to 7 July 1902, volume II 8 July 1902 to 13 September 1903, volume III 13 September 1903 to 8 September 1904] 3 volumes, holograph
• MS 715/1/1-2;BJ Journals (2)(copy) 1900-1904 [For original journals see MS 232/1-3;BJ, these copies are not identical, in places material taken from Wilson's letters has been inserted or substituted] 2 volumes, typescript
• MS 715/3;BJ Journal (copy) 1901-1904 [This manuscript copy of the journals is presumed to be the original of the typed copy, MS 715/1;BJ] 1 volume
• MS 989;BJ Journal, 15 August to 6 September 1901 [Copy in ink not in Wilson's hand, includes extract from a letter by Scott to Oriana Wilson] 28 leaves
• MS 361;MSM Track chart, undated [Outward voyage of Discovery from England to pack ice off Cape Adare]
• MS 233/1-5;BJ Field note books (5) of biological data, 1901-1904 [volume I 'Notes on vertebrate animals, other than birds', volume II 'Record of ornithological observations' 6 August to 1 December 1901, volume III 'Record of ornithological observations', 18 November 1901 to 23 November 1903, volume IV 'Annotated index of the notes on birds seen by members of the expedition', volume V 'Register of bird skins collected&apos] 5 volumes
• MS 366/12;ER Pencil sketches and sketch map, 19 to 22 February 1902 [Drawn on sledge party to the south. In Paper of the British National Antarctic Expedition, 1901-1904, volume 2 items 5-7]
• MS 963/1/1-4;BJ Diaries (4), (copies) 1903-1904 [Possibly made by Wilson's father of his diaries, volume I 20 December 1903 to 24 February 1904, volume II 3 to 13 May 1904, volume III 14 May to 24 July 1904, volume IV 25 July to 6 September 1904] 4 volumes, incomplete
• MS 428;MSM 'Cape Crozier and its neighbourhood, our probable winter quarters, drawn from memory' undated [Pencil sketch map drawn after the expedition] 1 sheet, pencil

System of Arrangement

Chronological.

Related Units of Description

See SPRI collection GB 0015 British National Antarctic Expedition, 1901-9104 for a fuller list of archival collections held by the Institute containing material relating to this expedition.

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Reference: GB 0015 Edward Adrian Wilson

Dates of creation: 1910-1912
Extent: 6 journals, lecture notes, reports, 2 logs and sketches
Name of Creator: Edward Adrian Wilson

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The British Antarctic Expedition, 1910-1913 (leader Robert Falcon Scott) spent two winters at Cape Evans on Ross Island. Extensive scientific investigations and exploration was conducted along the coast of Victoria Land and on the Ross Ice Shelf. Wilson led a winter sledge party to the emperor penguin colony at Cape Crozier where he Apsley Cherry-Garrard and Henry Robinson Bowers collected specimens. A second group led by Griffith Taylor spent three months exploring the western mountains and this work was continued after the departure of the polar party in 1911. A northern party led by Victor Campbell established a base at Cape Adare from whence they conducted scientific programmes. After moving camp the party were forced to spend the winter of 1912 in ice caves before walking back to the Cape Evans camp. The first ciné documentary film of an Antarctic expedition, 90° South was made during the expedition. After successfully reaching the South Pole on 17 January 1912 Scott and his four companions (Henry Robinson Bowers, Edgar Evans, Lawrence Edward Grace Oats and Wilson) perished during the return journey.

• MS 1225/1-3;D Lecture notes, [1910-1913] [Prepared during the expedition on the following subjects, penguins, Antarctic birds and sketching] 77 leaves, holograph (Xerox)
• MS 715/2;BJ Journal, 1 June 1910 to 27 February 1912 [Including extracts from his letters and those of his wife] typed bound copy
• MS 234/1;BJ Journal, 12 July to 16 August 1910, 1 volume
• MS 900/1/3;BJ Journals (3), July 1910 to January 1911 [Kept in 3 sketchbooks, alternate pages have been removed (carbon copies)] holograph
• MS 234/4;BJ Ornithological log, 15 June to 14 August 1910 and 29 November 1910 to 6 January 1911 [During voyage of Terra Nova from Cardiff to McMurdo Sound] 1 volume, holograph
• MS 234/2;BJ 'Observations on birds at sea made from Corinthic ', 11 to 29 September 1910 [Cape Town to Tasmania] 1 volume
• MS 234/3;BJ Journal, 24 January to 31 October 1911, 1 volume, holograph (carbon)
• MS 505/1;BJ Report, 27 June to 1 August 1911 [Winter sledge journey from Cape Evans to Cape Crozier] 1 volume, holograph
• MS 246;MSM Sketch map, June to August 1911 [Winter sledge journey from Cape Evans to Cape Crozier]
• MS 1043;BJ & MJ Journal, 1 November 1911 to 27 February 1912 [The sledge journey to the South Pole] 307 leaves, Xerox copy and microfilm
• MS 683/2;MJ Additional copy of MS 1043;BJ & MJ
• MS 797/1-2;BJ Sketch books (2) [Taken to the South Pole, including mountain range to west side of Ross Barrier from Cape Evans to Beardsmore Glacier, members of the party, Amundsen' tent] 2 volumes

System of Arrangement

Chronological.

Existence of Copies

MS 1043;BJ is a copy.

MS 1043;BJ Original manuscript in British Museum, BM Additional MS 47, 459;

Related Units of Description

See SPRI collection GB 0015 British Antarctic Expedition, 1910-1913 for a fuller list of archival collections held by the Institute containing material on this expedition.

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Reference: GB 0015 Edward Adrian Wilson

Dates of creation: 1897-1912
Extent: Circa 97 letters
Name of Creator: Edward Adrian Wilson

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The correspondence relates to the two Antarctic expedition's that Wilson was part of and personal letters.

• MS 1585/1;D Letter to Mr Buckell, Lyttleton, 28 November 1901 [Thanking him for his care with the treatment of his arm] 1 leaf
• MS 841/10/1-5;D Letters (5) to Apsley Cherry-Garrard, 1909-1910 [Regarding Cheer-Garrard joining the British Antarctic Expedition, 1910-1913]
• MS 1201;MJ Letters (3) to James William Dell, 1909 [Regarding Dell's arm, offers of help and advice] microfilm
• MS 1577/6/1a-1b;D Postcards (2) to John Fraser, 18 June 1899 and 21 July 1899 [From Norway, describing birds]
• MS 1577/6/2;D Letter to John Fraser, 27 February 1901 [Description of forthcoming trip to Antarctica (British National Antarctic Expedition, 1901-1904)] 1 leaf
• MS 1577/6/23;D Letter to John Fraser, 18 July 1901 [Regarding his wedding to Oriana Souper] 1 leaf
• MS 1577/6/4;D Letter to John Fraser, 30 July 1901 [Regarding his and Oriana's plans] 1 leaf, fragile
• MS 1577/6/8;D Letter to John Fraser, 15 July 1904 [Regarding Oriana Wilson and New Zealand] 1 folio
• MS 1577/6/9;D Note to John Fraser, 5 October 1904 1 leaf, fragile
• MS 1577/6/10;D Letter to John Fraser, undated [1905] [Biological notes and domestic news] 1 leaf, fragile
• MS 1577/6/11;D Letter to John Fraser, 9 May 1905 [Regarding illustration of Antarctic books] 1 leaf
• MS 1577/6/12;D Letter to John Fraser, 31 December 1905 [Regarding move to Edinburgh] 1 leaf, fragile
• MS 1577/6/13;D Letter to John Fraser, 25 January 1909 [Regarding lack of communication and views on Edinburgh] 5 leaves
• MS 1577/6/14;D Letter to John Fraser, 25 January 1909 [Addition to MS 1577/6/13;D] 1 leaf, fragile
• MS 1577/6/15;D Letter to John Fraser, 19 March 1909 [Regarding advice for treatment of a Discovery seaman] 4 leaves, fragile
• MS 1577/6/16;D Letter to John Fraser, 28 March 1909 [Regarding birth of Fraser's son] 1 leaf, fragile
• MS 1577/6/17;D Letter to John Fraser, 17 May 1909 [Regarding christening of Fraser's son] 1 leaf
• MS 1577/6/19;D Letter to John Fraser, 19 August 1909 [Regarding Ernest Shackleton and his Antarctic plans] 1 leaf
• MS 1577/6/20;D Letter to John Fraser, 1 February 1910 [Regarding Fraser's son] 1 leaf, fragile
• MS 1577/6/21;D Letter to John Fraser, 13 June 1910 [Note accompanying South Polar Times 1 leaf
• MS 1577/6/22;D Letter to John Fraser, 27 November 1910 [Regarding British Antarctic Expedition, 1910-1913] 1 leaf, fragile
• MS 1577/6/18;D Letter to Mrs Fraser, 19 May 1909 [Sent on eve of son's christening] 1 leaf
• MS 1517/5;D Letter to Archibald Geikie, 28 February 1910 [Letter of thanks regarding Vivisection licence] 2 leaves
• MS 646;D Letter to A D Gordon, 12 July 1905 [Regarding a watercolour of an emperor penguin chick] 1 leaf, autograph
• MS 1577/6/5;D Postcard to John Harris, 13 October 1901 [From Discovery in Cape Town, British National Antarctic Expedition, 1901-1904]
• MS 1577/6/6;D Letter to John Harris, 28 November 1901 [Describing voyage, British National Antarctic Expedition, 1901-1904 ] 1 leaf
• MS 1577/6/7;D Letter to John Harris, 26 February 1903 [Regarding the British National Antarctic Expedition, 1901-1904 including finding emperor penguin egg] 1 leaf
• MS 789/1;D Letter to Mr Haynes, 17 January 1911 [From McMurdo Sound to a taxidermist at [Wellington] museum, New Zealand] 1 leaf, photocopy
• MS 1249;MJ Letters (3) to Joseph James Kinsey, 4 July 1904, 29 October 1911, undated [From Discovery ] microfilm
• MS 27;D Letters (3) to Sir Clemens Markham, 24 June to 18 November 1910 [Praising British Antarctic Expedition, 1910-1913 members] 5 leaves, holograph
• MS 100/131;D Letter to Hugh Robert Mill, 31 December 1901, holograph
• MS 482;D Letter to Caroline Oates (mother of Lawrence), [1912] [Written at the last camp of the Pole Party, regarding the death of her son] autograph
• MS 641/6/1-2MJ & D Letter to Charles William Rawson Royds, 5 January 1903 [Describing Penguin Rookery Camp, Cape Royds, McMurdo Strait] autograph, microfilm with typescript copy
• MS 641/10/1-2;MJ & D Letter to Charles William Rawson Royds, 28 November 1910 [Regarding visit to Royds family and British Antarctic Expedition, 1910-1913] autograph, microfilm and typescript copy
• MS 356/93;D Letter to Robert Neal Rudmose Brown, 31 May 1905 [Regarding specimen of Ross seal] 1 leaf, holograph
• MS 1160/9;MJ Letter to Hannah Scott (mother of Robert Falcon Scott) 22 May 1904 [Regarding Scott' leadership of the British National Antarctic Expedition, 1901-1904] microfilm
• MS 1160/19/1-2;MJ Letters (2) to Hannah Scott, 17 January and 31 October 1910 [Regarding Scott and prospects for success, British Antarctic Expedition, 1910-1913] microfilm
• MS 1488/2;BJ Letters (2) to Kathleen Scott, 17 January and 31 October 1911 [In Scott's last expedition , Kathleen Scott's copy, volume 1, facing p128] 2 leaves, holograph
• MS 1453/188/1-8;D Letters (8) to Robert Falcon Scott, 30 June 1905 to 9 January 1910 [Various topics, including, report on his interview with Ernest Henry Shackleton regarding expedition plans, 8 March 1907] 22 leaves, holograph
• MS 1537/2/14/15;D Letter to Ernest Henry Shackleton, 28 February 1907 [Comments on Scott's claim to McMurdo Sound]
• MS 28;D Letter to Ernest Henry Shackleton, undated [1909] [Regarding Scott and Antarctic] copy in Kathleen Scott's hand
• MS 1537/2/14/1-3;D, MS 1537/2/14/6-7;D and MS 1537/2/14/15;D Letters (6)to Ernest Henry Shackleton, 1907 [Regarding invitation to join the British Antarctic Expedition, 1907-1909 (led by Shackleton), Shackleton's health, comments on Scott's claim to McMurdo Sound]
• MS 1537/2/15/8;D Letter to Ernest Henry Shackleton, 8 March 1907
• MS 342/33/1-7;D Letters (7) to Reginald William Skelton, 22 August 1906 to 7 April 1910 [General news on polar matters] 11 leaves, holograph
• MS 559/142/1-9;D Letters (9) to Mr and Mrs Reginald Smith, 4 January 1907 to 29 October 1911 [Mainly written during the British Antarctic Expedition, 1910-1913 giving progress reports, also mention of Apsley Cherry-Garrard, Herbert Ponting and personal matters] 18 leaves, holograph
• MS 841/11;D Letters (2) to Reginald Smith, 9 December 1909 and 20 November 1910 [First letter by Dr Filchett, second by Wilson, both regarding Apsley Cherry-Garrard] 1 leaf, copy in unknown hand
• MS 480;D Letter to Dr Snape, 24 February 1903 [Regarding birds observed during the British National Antarctic Expedition, 1901-1904] photostat copy
• MS 1395;D Letter to Sir Joseph Ward, 5 June 1904 [Requesting that he be considered for post of caretaker on one of Sanctuary Islands, New Zealand, should such a post become vacant] 2 leaves (extracts), holograph
• MS 670;D Typescript copy of MS 1395;D
• MS 963/2/1-2;D Letters (2) to E Bernard Wilson, 1901-1910 [Arrangements to meet, regarding article on Whaling he plans to write] 2 leaves
• MS 1344;D Letter to Dr and Mrs Edward Thomas Wilson, undated [1912] [Farewell letter to parents, written just prior to his death, British Antarctic Expedition, 1910-1913] 1 leaf, holograph
• MS 963/3;D Copy probably in his fathers hand of MS 1344;D
• MS 861;D Letter to Ida Wilson, 26 May 1897 [Regarding British birds] 2 leaves, holograph
• MS 1007/4;D Letter to Ida Wilson, 7 July 1901 [Letter of thanks and arrangements for seeing ship] 1 leaf, holograph
• MS 1178/15-18;D Letters (4) to Charles Wright, 31 January 1910 to 29 April 1910 [Regarding equipment required by Wright for the British Antarctic Expedition, 1910-1913] 16 leaves, holograph

System of Arrangement

The correspondence is arranged alphabetically by recipient.

Existence of Copies

MS 480;D and MS 1395;D are copies.

MS 480;D in Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand MS 1395;D Original in National Museum of New Zealand, Wellington

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Reference: GB 0015 Edward Adrian Wilson

Dates of creation: 1842-1912
Extent: Certificates, sketches, poems and ephemera
Name of Creator: Edward Adrian Wilson

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This material encompasses Wilson's academic achievements, sketches of Antarctica, a prayer book taken with him to the pole and recovered when his body was found by he search party in 1913 and other ephemera.

• MS 715/4;D Certificates and documents regarding his medical course at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge and St George's Hospital, London, 1891-1898 1 volume
• MS 772;D Watercolour panoramas of Ross Island and vicinity (copies) made by J E Davis, May 1842 onboard Terror [Letter attached from Admiralty, 18 November 1908 gives Wilson permission to make the copies] typescript and holograph
• MS 1350;BJ 'The Birds of the Antarctic Regions', undated [Notes on observations of numerous species with sketches of each] 1 volume, holograph
• MS 1585/2;D Christmas card sent to Mr Buckell, with photograph of Edward Wilson
• MS 841/12;D Poem, undated ['The barrier silence' published in the South Polar Times volume 3, p151] 1 leaf, typescript
• MS 984;BJ Prayer book [Formerly belonging to Mrs E A Wilson, taken by Wilson on British National Antarctic Expedition, 1901-1904 and British Antarctic Expedition, 1910-1913, found with his body, November 1912] 1 volume

Existence of Copies

MS 1395;D is a copy.

MS 1395;D Original held by National Museum of New Zealand, Wellington.

Descriptions compiled by N. Boneham, Assistant Archivist with assistance from R. Stancombe and reference to Encyclopaedia of Antarctica and the Southern Oceans ed. Bernard Stonehouse, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester (2002) ISBN 0471986658 SPRI Library (*7) and Dr Edward Adrian Wilson, B.A., M.B. (1872-1912) Quarto Abbot Hall Art Gallery (1972) SPRI Library Shelf Pam 92[Wilson, E.A.] and 'Heroic painter of the Antarctic' by Harold Godfrey Rudolf King in Geographical Journal (January 1976) volume 48 number 4 SPRI Library Shelf Periodical, Folio 92[Wilson, E.A.], Bound Pams volume 1 and Robert Keith Headland Antarctic Chronology, unpublished corrected revision of Chronological list of Antarctic expeditions and related historical events,(1 December 2001) Cambridge University Press (1989) ISBN 0521309034