Once again, a highly anticipated book. The concept is absolutely brilliant. All those blithely scattered quotes are finally reunited with their context, there's loads of information, vividly bringing the expedition to life. The execution? Could be better, if the issues are limited to Crozier related content. Far from perfect, if they're indicative of further, pervading problems.
Last updated: Oct 2023
Comments and suggestions
Foreword, Introduction, Chapter introductions
- Foreword: "[S]uitability to be leading the expedition at all" (p. viii)
Crozier declined the overall command; he didn't doubt his suitability as a captain, or his place in an Arctic expedition. (I didn't know that Palin had written about the journeys of Erebus AND Terror.)
- Introduction: 'Understanding the Franklin expedition.' Contents: aftermath, studies, legacy.
Surely a brief review of the Arctic exploration and its peculiar status in 1845 would've been more apt? The story of the search could've been combined with the relevant correspondence, and the archaeology and cultural overviews etc. could've been part of the appendices.
- On 'The Terror' series: "it made use of extraordinarily careful historical research and gave each of the persons represented his own character arc based on his personal histories and traits" (p. 16)
Given that the series' portrayal of Crozier was extrapolated from his mental state at the start of the expedition, with a dash of James Clark Ross rumours and a huge dollop of cultural stereotype, a more sober comment or two would've been helpful.
- Chapter 1:
• Mention of Ross' Antarctic expedition – no Crozier (which is unfortunately standard, but here it's more important). When he's finally introduced, his full name is not given (he didn't usually shorten his name to 'Francis Crozier' either).
• "It is possible that another expedition under Ross might have been proposed" (p. 25)
Franklin's expedition more or less started as Ross' expedition. Sabine f.ex. was imagining Ross' next venture before they even returned from the Antarctic, "No one will go to the North Pole until you return; but it is all waiting for you & Crozier" (Jan 10, 1843 SA 1155), and later, after a discussion with Barrow, optimistically expected Ross to sort out his scientific papers and refit over winter and set out for the North West in 1844 (Mar 6, 1843 SA 1156); on their return both Ross and Crozier declined offers, but Ross still had first refusal (more here).
• "Franklin had another candidate in mind" (p. 26) – it was Ross who suggested Crozier; "in the midst of a holiday in Italy" – on arrival to Italy.
• "24 December 1844: First mention of the possibility of Franklin’s appointment to the expedition (Letter 10) / 30 December 1844: First mention of Crozier’s possible appointment as second-in-command (Letter 11)" (p. 26)
It's the first time Franklin and Crozier mention it. More on this below in the comments on notes.
- Chapter 3: "Franklin's habit of presiding over Divine Service is first mentioned by him" (p. 113)
As outlined in the Articles, all captains were responsible for holding divine service onboard their ships. Irving's letter, no. 158, mentions Crozier doing the same.
- Chapter 6:
• Map of Greenland, "New Hernhuth (Nuuk)" (p. 198)
Ny Herrnhut is only a part of Nuuk. Nuuk the capital was called Godthåb.
• "Evening of 12 July or morning of 13 July 1845: Erebus and Terror part company with Baretto Junior – the last mailbag (Letters 169, 173)" (p. 199)
As per Ross' note, Crozier's letter (no. 172) is dated Jul 13 on its cover. Ships can part company when they're both/all actively sailing (as when the steamers turned round). The expedition and the transport left the same anchorage in different directions.
- Probably a rights issue, but it would've been interesting to see a sample of each correspondent's handwriting.
Notes and Sources
The separation of the footnote apparatus from the transcripts could be debated. It's clear though that the comments section was not solved well. There's no consistency, for example, when to refer to an earlier mention, or what to highlight. Crozier comments are strange in that most of the issues are technical; a question of attention.
Letter 10. Franklin to Ross Dec 24
• "apparently Ross had written directly to Franklin to let him know
that he intended to decline the command of the new expedition for the
Northwest Passage," "planned to decline"
By Dec 24 Ross had already written to Beaufort, twice (quoted in Polar Pioneers), and also to Crozier on Dec 19 (this is what Crozier is replying to in Letter 11).
• Parry expeditions, "between 1818 and 1826" – 1827.
Letter 12. Crozier to Ross Dec 31
• "Both Crozier and Sabine were from established Anglo-Irish families."
Sabine was Anglo-Irish. Crozier was not. His Presbyterian ancestors immigrated from Scotland.
Letter 16. Franklin to Ross Jan 9
• "'your suggestion'; this implies that Ross had recommended Crozier as Franklin’s second"
To give the full quote, "at his cordial answer to your suggestion" (my emphasis) – Ross contacted Franklin after receiving Crozier's affirmative reply. See also the P.S. in this letter.
• "'two persons of that rank whom they have in their eye': one of these was surely Fitzjames"
The quote continues, "and are said to possess considerable scientific qualifications." Does it really sound like Fitzjames?
Letter 19. Crozier to Ross Jan 23
• "'buisiness' is so spelled in the original"
Extremely weird note when no other such comments are made, not even about the infamous "leadership" (let's not forget there's a biography chapter titled 'I Am Not Equal to the Hardship').
Letter 22. Franklin to Ross Jan 31
• "a retirement gift for Sir John Barrow"
Crozier mentions his contribution to "the Barrow plate" in Letter 30, not commented on.
Letter 24. Franklin to Ross Feb 8
• "'determined on writing to Crozier at once': Ross was now able to tell Crozier that he would be able to serve as Franklin’s second"
Only Franklin confirmed at this point, that was Ross' message to Crozier. Crozier's confirmation is in Letter 26 of Feb 10 ("this morning"), not commented on.
Letter 30. Crozier to Ross Feb 15
• Levinge, "like Crozier was from an Anglo-Irish background"
Crozier was not Anglo-Irish.
• "In the end, although Franklin wrote of Levinge, 'he can of course have him' (Letter 37), Crozier chose Little"
Note for Letter 37 gives the full Franklin quote that starts, "If he [Crozier] reaches Mr Levinge," but then repeats "Crozier chose Little." "If" suggests that reaching Levinge was not straightforward, and they might have run out of time, thus making it a forced decision. Two main points from the relevant Letter 37, not commented on: Franklin strongly recommended Little; Franklin only left the choice of 1st lieutenant to Crozier.
Letter 37. Franklin to Ross Feb 24
• "'a letter just received from him dated 15th February': in fact, this intelligence was already out of date; Crozier received Ross's letter of 6 February on 15 February and replied that he was 'all ready' (Letter 30)"
Yes, it was out of date, but it was Ross' of Feb 8 (not "18th", by the way, as Crozier writes in Letter 31; received on Feb 18) that announced the confirmation, and it's Letter 31 that sees Crozier actually closer to return – this reply was still on its way on Feb 24.
Letter 45. Fitzjames to Barrow Mar 27
• "It would also have been quite unprecedented for a senior officer to leave his ship before its return to home port"
Parry, for example, always left his ships as soon as possible – at Peterhead, Scotland in 1820, Whitby in 1823, Peterhead again in 1825; Ross landed at Folkestone. (I'm not going to protest the amount of flak Fitzjames gets in this book, but I was promised more slating of Franklin.)
• "'most comfortably fixed with my old Servant' – this was Thomas Jopson (b. 1816), who had previously served Crozier aboard Terror on Ross’s Antarctic voyage"
No comment on the steward (Robert Nixon) who turned out to be "a great rogue" and was dismissed by Crozier – also recorded in the muster books.
• "'Sally & Sarah' were Crozier’s other sisters"
Crozier had a sister called Sarah, also known as Sally, – she died in 1843.
Letter 146. Crozier to Henderson Jul 4
• "Parry's 1821-22 expedition" – 1821-23.
Letter 172. Crozier to Ross Jul 12
• "not to any ill-will between him and Franklin"
Yes, the immediate meaning is that he misses Ross. However, absence of ill-will does not equal devotion. The fact is Crozier's social and rank obligations towards Franklin didn't counteract the sadness of going to Erebus and not finding Ross there. Also, "James I wish you were here, I would then have no doubt as to our pursuing the proper course." He doubted Erebus' decisions.
• "'has not the leading stoker': this was leading stoker John Torrington, who died in January of 1846 and was the first buried at Beechey Island"
If there's no leading stoker, he probably cannot be buried? Still no comment on the strange stoker situation onboard the Terror.
The biography
- "protestant Anglo-Irish family"
As already explained, Croziers came from Scotland and were Presbyterian, until FRMC's father shifted towards the established church around the time of his son's birth. So they didn't enjoy quite as many privileges as the above description implies (and Protestant is spelled with a capital P).
- "Crozier, who was known as 'Frank' to friends and family, got his first taste of Arctic exploration when he joined HMS Fury as a midshipman (although having passed his exam as mate in 1817) in William Edward Parry's second Northwest Passage expedition from 1821 to 1823"
'Frank' only to closest friends; his friends normally addressed him in writing as 'Crozier'. He became a Midshipman in 1811, and later served as Mate aboard Doterel 1818-21 (Mate is a senior Midshipman). He passed his Lieutenant's exam in 1817.
- "temporarily held command of the Hecla"
Very temporarily – only when the 2nd Lieutenant was away. (Also, Ian R. Stone would've had kittens over "Spitzbergen".)
- "Sophia Cracroft, who rejected his proposal"
Source-less speculation.
- "without employment and still depressed by Sophy's rejection, Crozier decided to join family members and friends for a prolonged stay in Italy"
It looks like the rejection actually happened in the summer 1844. There were also other causes that left him feeling down. While the stay in Italy was long, he spent even more time traversing France.
The transcripts
The editors have established several rules in order to present the letters most accurately. The list is clear and reasonable. However, looking at the Crozier transcripts, it would appear that these rules were habitually treated as a suggestion (NB, the following ignores most capitalisation or formatting issues as well as underscores added or absent, and is not exhaustive). It's clear why Crozier's letters from autumn 1844 are not included, but perhaps it would've been a good idea to add a summary of the comments he makes about his plans, so that it's easier to understand his later vacillations.
Letter 11
• "leadership" – leardership
• whole postscript missing ("Direct to me" etc.)
Letter 12
• rogue line break before "Now my dear James" which appears in the middle of a line in the manuscript
• "would start from here", "my friends from here" – hence (compare to 'there')
• "the old fellow said it was he was a very pleasant fellow" – "said it was he was"
• "I met then a Welsh acquaintance" – there
• "then is a precedent for it" – "there is a presedent for it"
• "To you and dear Thot I wish you many very many returns" – "I wish you many"
Letter 19
• "inundation" – inundations
• "and dear 'Thot'" – 'thot'
• "it will go on so soon as I hear from you" – learn
• "cannot tell you how much it shocked me" – "cannot tell you how much it shocked me"
• "'Tis James dear a road we must all travel" – lead (Crozier was not anchor-faced, but he did use a naval term now and then in everyday conversation)
• "Athenaeum" – Athenæum
• "about this business" – buisiness (two instances in same letter)
• envelope: a sheet that folds into a cover, with text on the inside, and the p.s. is on an inner flap
Letter 30
• "a volunteer for the New Expedition" – NW
Letter 31
• "cannot leave Leghorn by Steamer" – Steam
• inconsistency: "Lord H" expanded, but not "Sir John F" or "Sir George C"
• "I was indeed to start on the moment" – induced
• "till was settled one way or the other" – "one way or other"
• "Expense etc." – "expense &c." (the strike is over the 't' in the word below)
• "I hope you excused my last" – received
Letter 33
(comparing to transcription by Kimmins)
• "and write Captain Ross on the subject" – wrote
• "when is there any more honourable" – "where is this any more honorable"
• "had I only to go by sea" – "had I only time to go by sea"
Letter 82
• "she will tell you how I stand etc." – &c
• "With kind Rems" – 'remembrances' not expanded
Letter 106
(comparing to transcription by Kimmins)
• "it was the chain of contrary winds" – chance
• FRM – FRMC
Letter 128
(comparing to transcription by Kimmins)
• "too smart for me and I am delighted" – indeed
• "at the Orkneys when I increased my pets" – "where I encreased"
• "Eggs out of number at 4 d per dozen" – 2?
• "remembrances" – here expanded from "rems" but not in Letter 82
Letter 146
• "Whale Fish Island," – Islands
• "Rattler" – Ratler
• rogue line break after "most glorious"
• "with observations of various kind" – kinds
Letter 147
"indeed everything is going on" – "indeed everything going on"
Letter 172
• segment from "they directed my things" to "growling again No" is positioned at the top of page 1, above the date and place, hence the additional signature
• "July 12" – 9 (corrected from 10); Ross noted it's dated July 13 on cover; Franklin starts his own letter to Ross on Jul 9 with "Crozier I know is writing to you"
• "with dips etc." – &c
• "I have sent Col. Sabine" – not expanded
• "when I knew they would be more valuable" – where; followed by a rogue line break
• "one word about dear 'Thot'" – 'thot'
• "in the most extraordinary rough way" – extraordinarly
• "my name sufficiently accurately" – accurate
• "just so much bother then" – there
An example of a ~500-word biography
Captain Francis Rawdon Moira Crozier (b. 1796) Crozier was born in Banbridge, County Down. His Presbyterian family moved from the Scottish Borders to Ireland in the 17th c. Crozier's father was a solicitor. Francis was known as Frank to his closest friends and family. One of at least thirteen children, he was named after Francis Rawdon, Earl of Moira. Crozier joined his first ship, HMS Hamadryad, Capt. Thomas Staines, as Volunteer in June 1810. Under Staines he took part in the war against the US and sailed as far as the South Pacific while still a teenager. Crozier continued his career as Midshipman in the Atlantic and domestic waters.
In 1821 he joined William Edward Parry's second North-West Passage attempt and for the first time ventured into the Arctic regions. Crozier and James Clark Ross were both midshipmen on Parry's HMS Fury and became lifelong friends. They returned for the third attempt in 1824, Crozier on HMS Hecla, Ross on HMS Fury, but the expedition was cut short when the Fury was lost at the start of the second season. Crozier also joined Parry and Ross' North Pole try via Spitsbergen in 1827, as a Lieutenant, but didn't participate in the trek itself.
After another stint in the European waters Crozier returned to the Arctic in 1836, on a whaler rescue mission masterminded by Ross. In 1839 Ross and Crozier set out on a four-year Antarctic exploration tour. Now a Commander, Crozier captained HMS Terror, accompanying Ross' HMS Erebus. The Terror was a converted bomb, outfitted for but not used during the 1836 operation – instead, the ship was commissioned for an Arctic voyage under George Back. The Ross-Crozier expedition made scientific observations along its route, with a special focus on magnetism. They also collected specimens and charted previously unknown features of Antarctica. During the overwintering in Hobart, Tasmania, the captains met John Franklin and his family. Crozier fell in love with Franklin's niece Sophia Cracroft there, but the feeling was not reciprocated.
Crozier achieved the rank of post-Captain in 1841. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1827, for his work in astronomy and magnetism during the Parry voyages, and a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1843.
In 1844, as Ross retired to a family life and his own affairs were not advancing, Crozier spent several months travelling through France and Italy. He conducted all his preliminary 1845 North-West Passage expedition correspondence from Florence and didn't return to London until he was officially confirmed as Franklin's second. Crozier was given his old ship, HMS Terror, but not the usual responsibilities. After Franklin's death at Qikiqtaq on Jun 11 1847 Crozier took over as the expedition commander. He survived at least until Apr 25 1848 when the Victory Point note was deposited. Crozier's later fate is still not known.