William Shellabear collection

The collection comprises of material relating to the British Naval Franklin Search Expedition, 1852-1854 (leader William Pullen), correspondence by Shellabear and certificates

William B Shellabear served as master's assistant in HMS Enterprise on the British Naval Franklin Search Expedition, 1848-1849 (leader James Clark Ross), sent by the Admiralty to search for Sir John Franklin's missing Northwest Passage expedition along the shores of Lancaster Sound, Barrow Strait, Wellington Channel and Prince Regent Inlet. He returned to the Arctic as second master in HMS Assistance for duty in her tender HMS Intrepid on the British Naval Franklin Search Expedition, 1850-1851 (leader Horatio Austin), instructed to search for the missing expedition by way of Baffin Bay and Lancaster Sound. On his return to Britain, he joined the British Naval Franklin Search Expedition, 1852-1854 (leader William Pullen), as master in HMS North Star, the store ship for the British Naval Franklin Search Expedition, 1852-1854 (leader Sir Edward Belcher). North Star spent two winters at Beechey Island and was the only ship of the five in the search expedition to return to England in 1854, the other four being abandoned on Belcher's orders when beset.

The collection is split into two sub-fonds comprising of expedition material and correspondence, certificates respectively

By appointment.

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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.

Descriptions compiled by N. Boneham, Assistant Archivist with assistance from R. Stancombe and reference to Arctic, exploration and development c500 BC to 1915, an encyclopaedia by Clive Holland Garland Publishing, London (1994) and Exploring Polar Frontiers, a historical encyclopaedia by William Mills San Diego and Oxford, 2003 and British polar exploration and research a historical and medallic record with biographies 1818-1999 by Lieutenant Colonel Neville W Poulsom and Rear Admiral John A L Myres, Savannah Publications London (2000) SPRI Library Shelf 737.2

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

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Further accessions possible