Gell, correspondence

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

  • Reference
    • GB 15 John Philip Gell/Correspondence
  • Dates of Creation
    • October 1869
  • Name of Creator
  • Physical Description
    • Letter

Scope and Content

  • MS 248/397;D Letter to Jane, Lady Franklin, 21 October 1869 [Regarding Charles Hall's report on possibility of survivors] holograph

Administrative / Biographical History

In 1845 Sir John Franklin sailed north in command of the British Naval Northwest Passage Expedition. Sent by the Admiralty the two ships HMS Erebus (Franklin) and HMS Terror (Francis Crozier) were to search for a passage via Lancaster Sound. With provisions designed to last three years the expedition sailed north in May 1845. Whalers in Baffin Bay were the last Europeans to see the two ships in July of 1845.

Many searches were conducted for the missing expedition between 1847 and 1859, during the course of which the main facts regarding the route taken and the final fate of the expedition were established.

The correspondence relates to these searches.

Arrangement

Chronological

Related Material

Correspondence by Gell can also be found amongst the Richardson-Voss collection held at the Institute MS 1503/74/2;RV GELL JOHN PHILIP Letter to Mrs Booth,6 January 1866 [Regarding Aunt Booth]

The Institute holds numerous archival collections containing material relating to the search for the British Naval Northwest Passage Expedition, 1845-1848 (leader Sir John Franklin)