Captain F.R.M. Crozier, R.N.: Memoranda sent by Crozier to Ross in 1839-43

A painting by Allport showing the Derwent at night

Allport, River Derwent from the Verandah,

Aldridge Lodge, 1840 (source)

On "Letters at Sea" by The Thousandth Part & HawLantern

Résumé and further comments

First brought to light by Fluhmann, Crozier's "dear John" memoranda from the Antarctic for years had been thought a strange side alley if not a cul-de-sac. Then one particular message became an equally strange by-catch for Campbell who was wrestling with the wrong birth date, also introduced by Fluhmann. Now, despite SPRI's valiant efforts to thwart the researchers, Olga Kimmins has identified a key link in this saga. And it's not one of the at-sea memos, but a letter Crozier wrote from his sickbed in Hobart, Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) – described as a letter to James Clark Ross by the archive, in reality the note begins with the same mystery salutation, "My dear John." Having made this discovery, Kimmins looked closer at the letter's context, and was able not only to confirm that it stems from June 1841, but also pinpoint the exact date.

"No change can take place on the sentiment"

During the second overwintering in Tasmania, all of a sudden Crozier fell seriously ill. Among other things, it prevented him joining an overland trek (both Sergeant Cunningham and Eleanor Franklin note this fact), and left him in care of the ship's surgeon and good friend, Dr Robertson. Having weathered the initial onslaught, Crozier was writing to reassure "John", describing the treatment he'd received (showcasing the still medieval 19th c. medicine) as well as support from numerous Hobartonians. Though Crozier only noted "Tuesday 2PM," the doctor's reply to Ross on the same matter survives as well and is dated Jun 15, which happens to be a Tuesday. Looking at when the travelling party left and returned, Kimmins concludes that both letters were in fact composed on the same day (which would make sense, particularly if the correspondence was sent by a messenger).

A P.S. in Crozier's letter also contains some information that should once and for all close the "John" debate, or at very least the identity part of it. Where E. Franklin lists Ross, Franklin, Tom [Cracroft] and Smith as those who have left for Launceston, Crozier sends his regards to Franklin, Tom and Smith. This leaves expedition commander James Clark Ross as the only possible addressee. It's not clear how or why the switch happened. Kimmins suggests that "John" was a deliberate joke, which would in a way fit the overall studiously light tone (interestingly, his old messmate seems to have anticipated it, requesting a report from the doctor as well). It's possible however that Crozier made a genuine mistake. He was really poorly, and while his letter is perfectly coherent, the person beside him round the clock the last couple of days was called John, and it's not hard to imagine Crozier automatically using that name.

This episode is inexplicably absent from the two biographies and other related literature. And yet it's a key moment. As regards the expedition, it could've caused a serious avalanche of changes. Unlike the Arctic missions, this time they had orders to continue no matter what (in a single ship or even without Ross), so Crozier ending up unable to resume command would've only resulted in a reshuffle – but not a simple one, as his third lieutenant, Kay, was picked to remain at the Rossbank Observatory, and his first lieutenant, McMurdo, was on the verge of being invalided home himself. It could've jeopardised the approaching exploration tour, and it's unsurprising that Crozier jumped back into the fray while still unwell.

The at-sea memoranda

Whatever happened on Jun 15, the name stuck. Fluhmann, identity issues aside, correctly claims that the birthday memo is not the only one containing this salutation. With the help of Cunningham's diary (following in Campbell's footsteps), the logs plus other ad hoc sources, it was possible for us to construct a provisional chronology of the extant Antarctic correspondence. Here the aim was to match what's documented, rather than to try and locate convenient blank spaces, namely, the recorded boat visits take precedent over any other speculations.

Apart from the Tasmanian letter, SPRI holds five notes, and the rather aloof Fram museum in Norway holds one. Not a single memo, written by Crozier and delivered instantly by a boat passing between the ships, carries an exact date, and both "My dear Ross" and "My dear John" (now clearly deliberate) make appearances. After an examination of the clues present, the resulting list looks like this:

1. MS 248/364/16 – Dec 23 1839 ("Ross")

Clues: "little Fox," a distance left to travel, season's greetings.

According to Sabine, due to delays, the Terror was issued with a smaller (and fiddlier) dipping needle, and only received an appropriate one after arriving at Hobart in August 1840 (Sabine was a believer: the half-size instrument might had been considered a challenge, but "[i]t has, however, in Captain Crozier's hands, fully justified the expectations"; p. 25). Talk of a significant distance also indicates an early stage of the expedition – they are heading towards a known destination, which excludes the unpredictable exploration tours. And the season's greetings place it quite reliably in December. Regarding the day, there are two options. Cunningham notes "Fresh Beef from Erebus" on the 6th (the logs have a boat leaving the Terror and returning in the AM). Then, on the 23rd, the Erebus boarded the West Indian, a barque going from London to Tasmania – and afterwards sent a boat to Terror with 2 letters from said ship. Given that Crozier doesn't call it an 'approaching' season and conspicuously mentions "61 days" – a remark that appears in the log when describing the boarding of the barque and likely figured in the report from the Erebus, – it's quite possible this memo was sent just before Christmas.

2. MS 248/364/12 – Feb 7 1841 ("Ross")

Clues: "Sunday Evg," bobstay shackle, "barrier".

Cunningham describes two occasions where the Terror's bobstay shackle fell foul of the ice, Feb 4 and Mar 1 1841. The memo also mentions inspection of a "barrier". In February they were sailing eastward along the Great Barrier, now known as Ross Ice Shelf, and pondering the dense pack ("that ice"). In March, at the time of their fresh bowsprit troubles they were at first dreading and then crossing over the land erroneously identified by Wilkes, which Ross refers to as a barrier. However, the absence of a contact and the weather conditions definitely rule out March and leave that February Sunday with a boat arriving from the Erebus at 7 PM as the only possible date. One could also conjecture that the experimental table-leg shackle was the reason why the repairs were less successful when this new spare was required only a month later.

3. The Fram ("Ross")

Clue: pilots.

The note exhibited at the Fram could be related to the expedition departing in 1839 (Sep 26 Terror logs a communication with the commander), or Nov 1840, leaving Hobart, or Apr 1841, arriving at Hobart – those were three of the more distinct situations were the ships both sailed in company and employed pilots. The address, "My dear Ross," would also indicate a pre-Jun 15 1841 date, if one subscribes to a clean division between the two salutations.

4. MS 1226/8 – Jun 15 1841 ("John")

The Hobart letter, described above. At the moment, the fountainhead of the name change.

5-6. MS 248/364/14, MS 248/364/15 – Dec 3 & 14 1841 ("John")

Clues: notice to Davis, "former trip South," Kerguelen, variations, "swinging in Derwent" / variations, "next years present," approaching season's greetings.

These two notes are clearly related. In the first one, Crozier talks about a problem with his variations and questions the last swinging of the ship in Derwent, while in the second one he's discovered the real issue, a mistake he'd made. The Terror was swung at Hobart on Oct 20 1840 and Jun 22 1841. In December 1840 the ships were at Auckland and Campbell Islands, surveying. Thus the only possible post-Derwent date would be December 1841. The direction southwards and the "approaching Season" would point towards the first half of the month, and Cunningham's diary mentions a corresponding pair of boat visits, on the 3rd (Erebus' 1st cutter sent to Terror) and the 14th (Terror's cutter going to Erebus).

7. MS 248/364/13 – Aug 14 1843 ("John")

The 'birthday' memo, dated by Campbell (and discussed here).

Whatever the reason for its first appearance, "John" stayed for over two years. Ross clearly didn't object, but with his side of correspondence missing, it's not possible to know what he really thought about it – or whether the innovation was reciprocated. Crozier and Ross' companionship did survive it and kept on developing further after the June 1841 health scare – on their return Crozier abandoned all flippancy and made the last switch, to the cordial "My dear James."