McClure Robert John Le Mesurier - Discovering the North-West passage: the four-year Arctic odyssey of H.M.S. investigator and the McClure expedition

Glenn M. Stein

McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGUING DATA ARE AVAILABLE

BRITISH LIBRARY CATALOGUING DATA ARE AVAILABLE

e-ISBN: 978-1-4766-2203-3

2015 Glenn M. Stein. All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

On the cover: (top right) Arctic Medal issued by the United Kingdom (photograph by Spencer J. Fisher); (bottom) H.M.S. Investigator trapped in the ice, lithograph by Samuel G. Cresswell, 1854 (both from authors collection)

McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com

For my wife Marsha, our daughters Aleah and Rebekah,
and my parents, Edward M. and Dorothy H. Stein
to all of whom I owe a debt which can never be repaid

and

In memory of my friend,
Theresa Anne Terry Ferguson
(196284)

My debts are enormous, spreading far and wide, and my sense of thankfulness runs deep. I want to especially thank my good friend and excellent professional researcher Peter John, for his vital assistance and unfailing support throughout the long course of this projecthis belief in me never faltered.

Barbara Jannasch and Emanuel Jannasch (the widow and son of Niels Windekilde Jannasch, descendant of Johann A. Miertsching) most kindly permitted me to quote freely from Frozen Ships. In turn, Emanuel introduced me to Mechtild and Wolfgang Opel, whose friendship and generosity in sharing their original research and interpretations about Miertschings life and writings brought greater insight into this gentleman.

The friendship, extensive research, and authorship of polar historians Dr. William Bill Barr, Dr. Herbert J.G. Dartnall, Dr. Russell A. Potter, Dr. Hal Vogel, and Douglas W. Wamsley, have provided me with energy and support. In particular, Bill graciously offered up his transcription of Carpenter Fords journal, and Doug kindly allowed the use of images from his superb Arctic collection.

The fine abilities of professional researcher Kevin J. Asplin, and my friend and professional photographer Spencer J. Fisher, were very important throughout, and they are much deserving of my gratitude.

I cannot write enough about the expertise, enthusiasm, and helpfulness of Dr. Jim Molnar, Ryan Harris, and all of the scientists and staff at Parks Canada.

With the gracious permission of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, material from The Royal Archives was instrumental in uncovering the creation of the Arctic Medal 181855 (Appendix 7).

The patience, support and encouragement of the following people can hardly be overemphasized, and I owe them all my heartfelt thanks: Robert Gottlieb, and especially my agent Don Fehr, at Trident Media; Scarlett Gragan Bland, Dr. Veena Bush, Dr. Azhar Chaudhry, Dr. Dominique Dirou, David Erskine-Hill, Mark Fowler, Dalia Katz, Marjorie LeVangie, Michael Osbun, Charlie Samaha, John Stewart, Laura Waterman, and Jeffry D. Wert.

Lara Andrews (Canadian War Museum)

Philip Attwood (The British Museum)

Heather Aylesbury

Alan Barclay (Plymouth & West Devon Record Office)

Dr. J.D. Bateson (Hunterian Museum)

William Battersby

Aimee Benoit (Glenbow Museum)

Michael Bevan (NMM)

John Boadle

Naomi Boneham (SPRI)

Mark Bougourd

Martin Brady

Dr. Barbara A. Brannon

Fred D. Calder, Jr. (descendant of John Calder)

Julie Carrington (RGS)

Pamela M. Clark (The Royal Archives)

Lieutenant Ernie Coleman, RN (retired)

M.J. Peggy Collins

Sim Comfort

Rory Cook (Science Museum, London)

Rory M. Cory (The Military Museums, Calgary)

Jon Cray

Georgina Cronin (SPRI)

Tony Daly (Coastguards of Yesteryear)

Jennie De Protani (The Athenaeum)

Rachel Edwards (St. Clements Parish Office)

Dr. Todd Farmerie (Haswell family genealogist)

Frederick Feather (descendant of John Woon)

Martin French (SPRI)

David Hannam

Jane George

Mark Gilbert (SPRI)

Jonathan Gregson (The Natural History Museum, London)

the late Dominick Harrod (descendant of Samuel G. Cresswell)

Henry Harrod (descendant of Samuel G. Cresswell)

Andrea Hart (The Natural History Museum, London)

Robert F. Hartley (Charnwood Museum)

John H. Haswell (descendant of William H. Haswell)

Dr. G.W. Hawkes

Robert K. Headland (SPRI)

Leilani Henry

Christopher Hill (DNW)

Terry M. Hogan

Colin Hulott

Robert Hulott

Avis Hutchins (Warren County Historical Museum)

Sylvia Hynes

Jane Inglesby (descendant of Edward H. Fawcett and James Williams)

Heather Johnson (Royal Naval Museum Library)

the late A.G.E. Jones

Dr. Roger Knight (Visiting Professor of Naval History, GMI)

Susan M. Kooyman (Glenbow Museum)

Heather Lane (SPRI)

Miranda Lowe (The Natural History Museum, London)

Mary Lozier (Warren County Illinois Genealogical Society)

Travis Lutley (Glenbow Museum)

Dr. C. Stuart Mackinnon

Michael Hargreave Mawson

David McCullough

Danna Messer (Borthwick Institute for Archives)

Lia Melemenis (Glenbow Museum)

Dr. Keith Millar

Glenn Minehart

David A.E. Morris

Thelma Mort (Tenby Museum & Art Gallery)

Alexandra Mould (Borthwick Institute for Archives)

Paul and Anne Murawski

Jim Murray

the late Dr. Leslie H. Neatby

Margaret Newman (Royal Naval Museum Library)

Stephen Nicholson

Dr. Dirk Notz (Max Planck Institute for Meteorology)

Richard Noyce (Royal Naval Museum)

Steve Nye (Guildhall Museum, Rochester)

Marg OLeary

Dr. Dean Oliver (Canadian War Museum)

Theresa Palfrey (Norfolk Record Office)

William Pick Pickering

Tim Popp

Elaine Pordes (The British Library)

Sondra K. Pritchard

Dr. Cameron Pulsifer (Canadian War Museum)

Dylan Read (Norfolk Record Office)

Alexa Ress (Nottinghamshire Archives)

Laurie Richards (3Rs Used Books, Port Robinson)

Frances Roback (Glenbow Museum)

Tom Russell (local historian, Port Robinson)

Andrs Paredes Salvador (Remembering the Franklin Expedition)

Arthur Satterley

Shirley Sawtell

Robert J. Scarlett

David J. Scheeres

Marlene Schuster (Parish of Stoke Damerel)

Barry E. Scott

Ship Modeler

Willow Silvani (SPRI)

Jack Skead

Thomas Skead

Harry and Laurie Stein

Sarah Strong (RGS)

Kevin Thomas (Tenby Museum & Art Gallery)

Linda Tree (Kings Lynn Library)

Cameron Treleaven (Aquila Books)

Clare Valentine (The Natural History Museum, London)

Clifford Walters (Kings Lynn)

Becky Wash (Essex Police Museum)

Robert Watt

Jill Wellby (The Old Vicarage B&B, Morwenstow)

Joy Wheeler (RGS)

Frank Whitehead (Morwenstow Church, Cornwall)

Freda M. Wilkins-Jones (Norfolk Record Office)