Maguire, British Naval Franklin Search Expedition, 1848-1854

• MS 1130;MJ Journal, 3 January 1852 to 20 April 1854 [In HMS Plover] microfilm

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 during the course of which the main facts regarding the route taken and the final fate of the expedition were established.

The British Naval Franklin Search Expedition, 1848-1852 (leader Thomas Moore) sent by the Admiralty to the Bering Strait region to serve as a depot ship for Sir John Franklin's missing Northwest Passage expedition and to assist the British Naval Franklin Search Expedition, 1848-1850 (leader Henry Kellett). Maguire took over command of Plover from Thomas Moore with instructions to remain in the Bering Strait region assisting in the search for the missing British Naval Northwest Passage Expedition, 1845-1848 (leader Sir John Franklin). The expedition spent two winters at Elson Lagoon near Point Barrow, returning to Port Clarence in September 1854.

Chronological

This is a copy

The Institute holds several archival collections containing material relating to this expedition, see SPRI collections GB 015 Sire George Back, GB 015 John Busbridge, GB 015 William Pullen and GB 015 John Simpson

The original journal is held by the National Library of Ireland (1982)