The Life of Sir John Franklin, R.N.

A personal memoir of Polar explorer Sir John Franklin, based on family documents and originally published in 1896.

Henry Duff Traill (Author)

9781108045124, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 8 March 2012

490 pages, 4 b/w illus. 2 maps
21.6 x 14 x 2.8 cm, 0.62 kg

Henry Duff Traill (1842–1900) was a prolific journalist, satirist and author. The son of a magistrate, he was called to the Bar in 1869 but began working as a journalist at the Yorkshire Post soon afterwards. He contributed to several newspapers, acting as chief political leader writer at The Daily Telegraph from 1882 to 1897 and editing The Observer for two years. He later became the editor of Literature, holding this post until his death. Among his diverse published works were six biographies, of which the most in-depth was that of Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin. Published in 1896 and drawing on personal documents provided by the Franklin family, it provides a picture of Franklin's character and personal life, alongside a detailed account of his career. Written fifty years after Franklin's presumed death, this work also covers the aftermath of his final ill-fated voyage in search of a north-west passage.

Preface
1. Early years afloat, 1786–1807
2. Service in two hemispheres, 1807–15
3. The Dorothea and the Trent, 1815–18
4. First Arctic expedition, 1818–21
5. The fight with famine, 1821–2
6. Husband and widower, 1822–5
7. Second Arctic expedition, 1825–7
8. Three years of repose, 1827–30
9. A Mediterranean command, 1830–3
10. Before Patras, 1832–4
11. Lady Franklin's travels, 1831–3
12. Unwelcome leisure, 1834–6
13. A new appointment, 1836
14. Tasmania, 1836–42
15. The colonial governor, 1836–42
16. Tasmanian incidents, 1842
17. Franklin and Montagu, 1841–4
18. Franklin and Downing Street, 1842–4
19. A return to the sea, 1844
20. The last voyage, 1845
21. 'Towards no earthly pole', 1845–8
22. The searches for the lost, 1848–54
23. The 'record' found, 1854–9
24. A devoted widowhood, 1859–75
25. Character and career, 1786–1847
Index.

Subject Areas: Historical geography [HBTP]