Sophia Cracroft, correspondence

This material is held atScott Polar Research Institute Archives, University of Cambridge

  • Reference
    • GB 15 Sophia Cracroft/Correspondence
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1844-1872
  • Name of Creator
  • Physical Description
    • 1 letter book, circa 300 letters

Scope and Content

  • MS 248/228;BJ Notes on letters sent, 20 June 1844 to 1 February 1856 [Including proposal by Francis Crozier, mention of James Ross, George Back, Franklin search expeditions, Jane, Lady Franklin etc] 1 volume, holograph
  • MS 248/243/1-2;D Letters (2) to John Barrow, 1851-1856 [Regarding Admiral Berkley and second edition of Sherard Osbourne's Discovery of the north west passage by McClure] 2 leaves, holograph
  • MS 1100/6;D Letter to John Barrow, undated [Regarding the tonnage of the ships Erebus and Terror] 2 leaves, holograph (Xerox)
  • MS 248/244;D Letter to Francis Beaufort, 7 April 1857 [Requesting help in promoting Franklin Search Expedition]
  • MS 248/245;D Letters (draft) to Richard Collinson, 17 March 1857 [Objects of final Franklin Search Expedition] holograph
  • MS 248/246/1-8;D Letters (8) to Thomas Cracroft (brother), 5 April 1839 to 26 March 1844 [Regarding John Franklin's reception an Swann Island and Melbourne and visit to Arthur's Seat in memory of Mathew Flinders] 23 leaves, holograph
  • MS 248/247/1-28;D Letters (28) to mother and sisters, 25 July to 1 November 1849 and 30 May to 26 August 1851 [Accounts of visit to Orkneys and Shetlands] 57 leaves, holograph
  • MS 248/247/29-38;D Letters (10) to mother and sisters, 30 October to 27 December 1852 [Regarding Franklin search] 23 leaves, holograph
  • MS 248/247/39-48;D Letters (10) to mother and sisters, 4 February to 22 August 1853 [Reference to Edward Inglefield, J R Bellot and Franklin search] 20 leaves, holograph
  • MS 248/247/129;D Letter (incomplete) to mother and sisters, 31 December [1553] [Reference to Elisha Kane Franklin Search Expedition] holograph
  • MS 248/247/49-51;D Letters (3) to mother and sisters, January to October 1856 [Mainly regarding Franklin search] 7 leaves, holograph
  • MS 248/247/52-68;D Letters (17) to mother and sisters, 26 January to 28 October 1858 [Account of David Livingston's farewell visit to the RGS, visit to a Tunis harem, Lady Franklins presentation to the Queen of Greece] 25 leaves, holograph
  • MS 248/247/69-72;D Letters (4) to mother and sisters, 11 August to 22 September 1859 [Description of Jane, Lady Franklin's tour of the Pyrenees during which news of the return of the Fox reached them] 6 leaves, holograph
  • MS 248/247/73-83;D Letters (11) to mother and sisters, 13 December 1860 to 9 June 1862 [Regarding Jane, Lady Franklin's reception by the Emperor of Brazil, G H Richards in British Columbia, American Civil War] 31 leaves, holograph
  • MS 248/247/84-96;D Letters (13) to mother and sisters, 23 January to 18 July 1870 [Reference to Charles Hall, Jane Franklin etc] 39 leaves, holograph
  • MS 248/247/97-128;D Letters (32) to mother and sister, 4 February 1871 to 14 July 1872 [References to Charles Hall, portrait of James Ross, last series of Jane, Lady Franklin's travels] 50 leaves, holograph
  • MS 116/16/10;D Letter to William Hogarth, 27 March [18--] [Enclosing copy of agreement between Shareholders of the Albion and extracts from its log] holograph
  • MS 248/248;D Letter (draft) to La Roquette, 18 March 1856 [Regarding his memoir of Sir John Franklin] holograph
  • MS 695;D Letter to mother and sisters, February to April 1861 [From Victoria, Vancouver Islands] 35 leaves holograph (Xerox)
  • MS 1040;D Letters to mother and sisters, 1861 to 1870 [Travels in western North America] 250 leaves
  • MS 248/249/1-2;D Letters (2) to Henry Eliot [1851]-1857 [Regarding Lady Franklin's efforts for Franklin Search Expeditions and Sir George Back] 3 leaves
  • MS 248/250/1-17;D Letters (17) (drafts and copies) to Henry Grinnell, 15 March 1851 to 17 December 1869 [Plans for American Franklin searches, George Back etc] 23 leaves, holograph
  • MS 248/251/1-3;D Letters (3) (drafts) to Robert Inglis, [1851] [Regarding support for Franklin search expedition] 3 leaves, holograph
  • MS 248/252;D Letter to Mrs Inwood Jones, 23 April 1870 [Regarding visit to South America and San Francisco] 4 leaves, holograph
  • MS 248/253;D Letter (draft) to Kalakaua, King of Hawaii, 5 September 1881 [Regarding Jane, Lady Franklin and portrait] holograph
  • MS 248/255;D Letter (draft) to John Leask, 9 April 1851 [Arrangements for British Naval Franklin Search Expedition, 1851-1852 (Leader William Kennedy)] holograph
  • MS 248/256/1-4;D Letters (4) to Leopold McClintock, 26 December 1854 to 1 July 1878 [Drafts or copies regarding Franklin search expeditions] 5 leaves, holograph
  • MS 248/257;D Letter (draft) to Roderick Murchison, 12 February 1857 [Refers to report by James Anderson of discovery of encampment of white men at Great Fish River area] holograph
  • MS 248/258/1-6;D Letters (6) (copies) to J E Nourse, 12 April 1877 to 9 July 1878 [copies regarding Nourse's projected narrative of C F Halls second Arctic expedition] 6 leaves, holograph
  • MS 248/259/1-3;D Letters (3) to Sherard Osborn, 2 October 1851 to [1859] [Drafts or copies regarding Wellington channel, Horatio Austin and William Penny, discovery of North West passage] 3 leaves, holograph
  • MS 248/260;D Letter (copy) to Edward Parry, Bishop of Dover, 28 July 1881 [On Beesly's memoir of Sir John Franklin] holograph
  • MS 116/16/1-7;D Letters (7) to William Penny, 1851 to 1854 [Regarding letter to The Times, Sherard Osborn's promotion, Jane, Lady Franklin etc] 9 leaves, holograph
  • MS 116/16/8-9;D Letters (2) to Mrs William Penny, undated [Regarding meeting] 3 leaves, holograph
  • MS 248/261;D Letter to Edward Sabine, 11 September 1852 [Regarding steamers and Bering Strait]
  • MS 1100/1/1-42;D Letters (42) to William Scoresby Jr, [1848]-1857 [Regarding Franklin's will and searches for the missing expedition] 215 leaves, holograph (Xerox)
  • MS 248/262;D Letter (draft) to [Messrs Searle], [1851] [Regarding repairs to gutta-percha boat of Prince Albert and need for a second] holograph
  • MS 248/263;D Letter (draft) to William Parker Snow, [1851] [Regarding his refusal to serve as first mate on the Prince Albert] holograph
  • MS 1259/1/1-12;D Letters (12) to William Parker Snow and Mrs Snow, September to November 1850 [Regarding Voyage of the Prince Albert and the expedition] 26 leaves, holograph (photocopy)
  • MS 248/264;D Letter (partial draft) to [American] undated [Appeal for American help in western Franklin search] 2 leaves, holograph

Administrative / Biographical History

The correspondence includes personal letters to her mother and sisters relating family news and mention of her travels. There are also a large number of letters relating to the search for the British Naval Northwest Passage Expedition, 1845-1847 (leader Sir John Franklin)

Arrangement

The correspondence is arranged alphabetically by recipient