#victory point note

[williamedwardparry]

April 25th, 1848: the Victory Point note is left by Captains Fitzjames and Crozier

Text of the note:

[25th April 1]848. H M Ships Terror and Erebus were deserted on the 22nd April, 5 leagues NNW of this [hav]ing been beset since 12th Sept.r 1846. The Officers & Crews consisting of 105 souls - under the Command [of Cap]tain F R M. Crozier, landed here - in lat. 69˚ 37' 42" Long. 98˚ 41' [This p]aper was found by Lt. Irving under the Cairn supposed to have been built by Sir James Ross in 1831 – 4 miles to the Northward – where it had been deposited by the late Commander Gore in May June 1847. Sir James Ross' pillar has not however been found, and the paper has been transferred to this position which is that in which Sir J. Ross' pillar was erected – Sir John Franklin died on the 11th June 1847 and the total loss by deaths in the Expedition has been to this date 9 officers & 15 men. [Signed] FRM Crozier Captain & Senior Off.r and start on tomorrow 26th for Backs Fish River [Signed] James Fitzjames Captain H.M.S. Erebus

(Images from RMG and Libraries Tasmania, transcription mine, emended from Wiki)

[xxspacevampirexx]

On a scale from 1 to badly bleaching the Victory Point Note transcript into a t-shirt how normal are you about the Franklin Expedition?

[relyonthatvoice]

It's funny. In the episode with Graham Gore, they used a nearly perfect (possibly printed?) copy of the Victory Point note at the first, but then they changed paper to another version in this scene.

Which also appears in the episode when Crozier and Fitzjames visit the stone pyramid, this note is written in a different handwriting in a very modern calligraphic way (lmao, it's much more legible than the original, so I forgive it just for aesthetic).

Graham Gore version:

Fitzjames version:

I can't say that I'm familiar with old-fashioned nibs and writing; I'm more familiar with modern decorative nib calligraphy, but my teacher would kill me for such a terrible, barely legible handwriting (especially Gore's), so really, I forgive and appreciate the show version.

[clove-pinks]

"Sir John Franklin died on the 11th June 1847": a marginal note beneath All Well on the Victory Point Record.

[crozierslanding]

Victory Point Cairn

The cairn at Crozier’s Landing, where the McClintock expedition found the Victory Point Note

[nordleuchten]

List of Subscribers to the “Fox” Expedition, 1857

Something out of the ordinary today, but I felt like it. This is the list of Subscribers to the “Fox” Expedition. The Fox-Expedition was one of several expeditions that were send out to search and hopefully rescue the man of the Franklin-Expedition. Francis Leopold McClintock was in command of the expedition and the steam yacht “Fox” (bought by Lady Jane Franklin) and when he and his crew of 25 men sailed in 1857 from Aberdeen, everybody was aware that there was practically no hope in finding any member of the expedition still alive. They could only hope to find out what happened and maybe bring the bodies of the dead back to England so that the families could find peace.

The Fox-Expedition is today particularly well remembered for discovering the Victory Point Note and therefor the only written evidence left behind by the men of the Franklin-Expedition.

Back to the list of subscribers. It is really heart-breaking to see how many people, especially family members, where still giving everything they could give in hope of bringing their loved ones back or at least finding out what happened to them. I took the liberty of colouring the list a bit. Light blue are the family members of the crew of the Franklin-Expedition or close friends (It should be said that there are eight names on the list of subscribers (Bell, Brown, Hornby, Murray, Smith, Wilson, Walker and Young) that are also (serval times) mentioned on the list of crew members. Due to age, names or other circumstantial evidence I however do not think that these people were actually related … but if somebody knows better, please let us know!) Dark blue are people that also served in the Royal Navy and who therefor maybe felt especially connected to this endeavour. Red are people of the Royal Army. Green are clergymen and yellow is for collections who have been raised by different people. Orange simply is for all the people I found interesting. For example, what do I have to do, to be listed as “Dubious”?

[smithy-smith]

Can’t believe that today of all days, the anniversary of the final note from Victory Point, is the day that some guy at work decides to do a little reflection all about cairns. I feel like the universe is trying to make me insane! 

[midweekblues]

Ok everyone, all ready to start on tomorrow 26 for Backs Fish River?