Francis Crozier
Encyclopedia
Francis Rawdon Moira Crozier (September 1796–after 1848?) was born in Ireland at Banbridge
, County Down
and was a British naval officer who participated in six exploratory expeditions to the Arctic
and Antarctic
. He was named after Francis Rawdon
, the 2nd Earl of Moira, who was a friend of his father.
, County Down
, Ireland. He was the eleventh of thirteen children, and the fifth son, of attorney-at-law George Crozier, Esq. Francis attended school locally in Banbridge, with his brothers William and Thomas and lived with his family in Avonmore House in the centre of Banbridge which his father had built in 1792.
descent and first emerged when they joined the armies of William the Conqueror to invade England in 1066. A certain man called William was in the service of the Church also was the carrier of Bishop Odo's Crozier (Half Brother of William the Conqueror) and hence took the surname Crozier. Before this date surnames did not exist. He was the Founder of the Family.
Robert Crozier obtained a grant of land from the Abbot of St Bees
in Cumberland
in 1262. In the family Arms which is used to this day are four bees and a cross indicating where they obtained their first grant.
The early family consisted of Sir William Crozier (1368), who was Household Steward to John of Gaunt
and held the office of Justice in the Eyre for Pleas of the Forest, his son Sir John Crozier (1402) who held many manors including, Hinwick, Aldenham, Maidencroft, Wrestingworth, Stoke D'Abernon, Fetcham, Swanick and Pavenham in England and lived with his family at Stoke D'Abernon
in Surrey and at The Savoy Palace London. Sir William was High Sheriff of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire
for the years 1346 and 1347. He was also an Ensheator for the Counties of Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire. Sir William was also Clerk of the Market of the Marshalsey of The Royal Household. Also of the family was another William Crozier who in the 15th century was Canon
of Glasgow
, Archdeacon
of Teviotdale, and held many prebends, as well as being a Papal Legate
, one of the founding fathers of St Andrews University and a Professor of Logic. He is well recorded in history and was a kinsman of James, Earl of Douglas
.
John Crozier came to Ireland as a Cavalry officer in 1630 with Lord Strafford
, prior to that he came from Redworth Hall (Which still stands in the village of Heighington), County Durham
and his family had been there since 1407. Before that time they were in Heversham
, Westmoreland
which was then part of Yorkshire.
John Crozier had two sons. The younger son, John, had lands in Fermanagh at Coa, Cavantillycormack, Ardvarny and in County Tyrone
at Moorfields and founded the Fermanagh Branch of the family. William the elder son went to County Down and had lands in Stramore, Lower Stramore and The Parke all in Gilford near to Banbridge Co. Down, and went on to be the founder of the Banbridge line.
and joined HMS Hamadryad in June 1810. In 1812 he served on HMS Briton and in 1814 visited Pitcairn Island, where he met the last surviving mutineers from HMS Bounty.
In 1817 he received his certificate as Mate and in 1818 he served on the sloop
Dotterel during a trip to the Cape of Good Hope
. In 1821 Crozier volunteered to join Captain William Edward Parry
's second expedition (1821–23) to find the Northwest Passage in the vessels HMS Fury
and her sister ship HMS Hecla
. He returned to the Arctic with Parry in 1824, which resulted in the loss of Fury off Somerset Island. Crozier was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 1826 and in 1827 joined Parry's failed attempt to reach the North Pole. During his voyages Crozier became a close friend and confidante of the explorer, James Clark Ross
.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
in 1827 after conducting valuable astronomical and magnetic studies on his three expeditions with Parry. He was appointed to the frigate, HMS Stag in 1831 and served off the coast of Portugal during that country's civil war.
Crozier joined James Clark Ross as second-in-command of Cove in 1835 to help search for 12 British whaleships lost in the Arctic. Crozier was appointed to the rank of Commander in 1837.
and HMS Terror
. Crozier commanded Terror, and in 1841 was appointed to the rank of Captain. Erebus and Terror returned in 1843, having made the most significant penetration of the Antarctic pack ice and discovered large parts of the continent which became synonymous with the 20th century's Heroic Age of Exploration
under Roald Amundsen
, Robert Falcon Scott
and Ernest Shackleton
– including the Ross Sea and Ross Island, Mount Erebus and the Ross Ice Shelf.
Crozier was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
in 1843 in recognition of his outstanding work on magnetism.
on the Northwest Passage expedition
as captain of HMS Terror. After Franklin's death in June 1847, he took command of the expedition, and his fate and that of the other expedition members remained a mystery until a note from him and James Fitzjames
, captain of Erebus, the other ship on the expedition, was discovered on King William Island
in 1859 during an expedition led by Captain F. L. McClintock
. Dated 25 April 1848, the note said that the ships, stuck in ice, had been abandoned. Nine officers, including John Franklin, and 15 crewmen had died, and the survivors were setting out on 26 April for Back's Fish River
on the Canadian mainland. There were later, unverified Inuit
reports that between 1852 and 1858 Crozier and one other expedition member were seen in the Baker Lake
area, about 400 km (248.5 mi) to the south, where in 1948 Farley Mowat
found "a very ancient cairn, not of normal Eskimo construction" inside which were shreds of a hardwood box with dovetail joint
s. McClintock and later searchers found relics, graves, and human remains of the Franklin crew on Beechey Island
, King William Island, and the northern coast of the Canadian mainland, but none found any of the men alive.
Crozier is the main protagonist in the historical novel The Terror
by Dan Simmons
(2007). The book concerns the Franklin expedition, adding a fantastical element to the proceedings.
Geographical features named after Crozier include:
At the moment negotiations are being conducted with regard to the Parks Canada 2011 Expedition to carry on the search for Terror and Erebus. Further announcements will be made in early spring, 2011
by Dan Simmons
and the narrator of the 2008 novel "Du bon usage des étoiles" by Dominique Fortier, a finalist for the 2009 Governor General's Awards
.
In the comic book Alpha Flight
, Crozier became the villain Pestilence
.
Banbridge
Banbridge is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Bann and the A1 road. It was named after a bridge built over the Bann in 1712. The town grew as a coaching stop on the road from Belfast to Dublin and thrived from Irish linen manufacturing...
, County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
and was a British naval officer who participated in six exploratory expeditions to the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
and Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
. He was named after Francis Rawdon
Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings
Francis Edward Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings KG PC , styled The Honourable Francis Rawdon from birth until 1762 and as The Lord Rawdon between 1762 and 1783 and known as The Earl of Moira between 1793 and 1816, was an Irish-British politician and military officer who served as...
, the 2nd Earl of Moira, who was a friend of his father.
Early life
Francis Crozier was born at Avonmore House which still stands today opposite his large memorial in Church Square BanbridgeBanbridge
Banbridge is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Bann and the A1 road. It was named after a bridge built over the Bann in 1712. The town grew as a coaching stop on the road from Belfast to Dublin and thrived from Irish linen manufacturing...
, County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
, Ireland. He was the eleventh of thirteen children, and the fifth son, of attorney-at-law George Crozier, Esq. Francis attended school locally in Banbridge, with his brothers William and Thomas and lived with his family in Avonmore House in the centre of Banbridge which his father had built in 1792.
Ancestry
His ancestors were of NormanNormans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
descent and first emerged when they joined the armies of William the Conqueror to invade England in 1066. A certain man called William was in the service of the Church also was the carrier of Bishop Odo's Crozier (Half Brother of William the Conqueror) and hence took the surname Crozier. Before this date surnames did not exist. He was the Founder of the Family.
Robert Crozier obtained a grant of land from the Abbot of St Bees
St Bees
St Bees is a village and civil parish in the Copeland district of Cumbria, in the North of England, about five miles west southwest of Whitehaven. The parish had a population of 1,717 according to the 2001 census. Within the parish is St...
in Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
in 1262. In the family Arms which is used to this day are four bees and a cross indicating where they obtained their first grant.
The early family consisted of Sir William Crozier (1368), who was Household Steward to John of Gaunt
John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster
John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster , KG was a member of the House of Plantagenet, the third surviving son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault...
and held the office of Justice in the Eyre for Pleas of the Forest, his son Sir John Crozier (1402) who held many manors including, Hinwick, Aldenham, Maidencroft, Wrestingworth, Stoke D'Abernon, Fetcham, Swanick and Pavenham in England and lived with his family at Stoke D'Abernon
Stoke d'Abernon
Stoke d'Abernon is a small village situated between Cobham and Leatherhead in the county of Surrey. The census area Oxshott and Stoke d'Abernon has a population of 6,100.-History:...
in Surrey and at The Savoy Palace London. Sir William was High Sheriff of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire
High Sheriff of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. One sheriff was appointed for both counties from 1125 until the end of 1575, after which date separate sheriffs were appointed...
for the years 1346 and 1347. He was also an Ensheator for the Counties of Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire. Sir William was also Clerk of the Market of the Marshalsey of The Royal Household. Also of the family was another William Crozier who in the 15th century was Canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Archdeacon
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
of Teviotdale, and held many prebends, as well as being a Papal Legate
Papal legate
A papal legate – from the Latin, authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic Church. He is empowered on matters of Catholic Faith and for the settlement of ecclesiastical matters....
, one of the founding fathers of St Andrews University and a Professor of Logic. He is well recorded in history and was a kinsman of James, Earl of Douglas
Earl of Douglas
This page is concerned with the holders of the extinct title Earl of Douglas and the preceding feudal barons of Douglas, South Lanarkshire. The title was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1358 for William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas, son of Sir Archibald Douglas, Guardian of Scotland...
.
John Crozier came to Ireland as a Cavalry officer in 1630 with Lord Strafford
Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford
Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford was an English statesman and a major figure in the period leading up to the English Civil War. He served in Parliament and was a supporter of King Charles I. From 1632 to 1639 he instituted a harsh rule as Lord Deputy of Ireland...
, prior to that he came from Redworth Hall (Which still stands in the village of Heighington), County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
and his family had been there since 1407. Before that time they were in Heversham
Heversham
Heversham is a small village and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. It has a variety of recreational facilities, including tennis courts, bowling green, swimming pool and a playground...
, Westmoreland
Westmoreland
Westmoreland is a historic county in England. It may also refer to:-Places:Australia*Westmoreland County, New South WalesCanada*Westmorland County, New BrunswickJamaica*Westmoreland, Jamaica, a parishNew Zealand...
which was then part of Yorkshire.
John Crozier had two sons. The younger son, John, had lands in Fermanagh at Coa, Cavantillycormack, Ardvarny and in County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
at Moorfields and founded the Fermanagh Branch of the family. William the elder son went to County Down and had lands in Stramore, Lower Stramore and The Parke all in Gilford near to Banbridge Co. Down, and went on to be the founder of the Banbridge line.
Naval service
At the age of 13, Crozier volunteered for the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and joined HMS Hamadryad in June 1810. In 1812 he served on HMS Briton and in 1814 visited Pitcairn Island, where he met the last surviving mutineers from HMS Bounty.
In 1817 he received his certificate as Mate and in 1818 he served on the sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
Dotterel during a trip to the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
. In 1821 Crozier volunteered to join Captain William Edward Parry
William Edward Parry
Sir William Edward Parry was an English rear-admiral and Arctic explorer, who in 1827 attempted one of the earliest expeditions to the North Pole...
's second expedition (1821–23) to find the Northwest Passage in the vessels HMS Fury
HMS Fury (1814)
HMS Fury was a Hecla-class bomb vessel. Built in the 1810s, she saw wartime service in an attack on Barbary pirates at Algiers in August, 1816, captained by Constantine Richard Moorsom. The ship after it left his command was converted to an Arctic exploration ship.The Fury made two journeys to the...
and her sister ship HMS Hecla
HMS Hecla (1815)
HMS Hecla was a Royal Navy Hecla-class bomb vessel of 372 tons. Launched on 15 July 1815, she saw wartime service in an attack on Barbary pirates at Algiers in August, 1816...
. He returned to the Arctic with Parry in 1824, which resulted in the loss of Fury off Somerset Island. Crozier was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 1826 and in 1827 joined Parry's failed attempt to reach the North Pole. During his voyages Crozier became a close friend and confidante of the explorer, James Clark Ross
James Clark Ross
Sir James Clark Ross , was a British naval officer and explorer. He explored the Arctic with his uncle Sir John Ross and Sir William Parry, and later led his own expedition to Antarctica.-Arctic explorer:...
.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
Royal Astronomical Society
The Royal Astronomical Society is a learned society that began as the Astronomical Society of London in 1820 to support astronomical research . It became the Royal Astronomical Society in 1831 on receiving its Royal Charter from William IV...
in 1827 after conducting valuable astronomical and magnetic studies on his three expeditions with Parry. He was appointed to the frigate, HMS Stag in 1831 and served off the coast of Portugal during that country's civil war.
Crozier joined James Clark Ross as second-in-command of Cove in 1835 to help search for 12 British whaleships lost in the Arctic. Crozier was appointed to the rank of Commander in 1837.
Antarctic exploration
In 1839 Crozier again joined James Clark Ross, as second-in-command of a four-year voyage to explore the Antarctic Continent in the ships HMS ErebusHMS Erebus (1826)
HMS Erebus was a Hecla-class bomb vessel designed by Sir Henry Peake and constructed by the Royal Navy in Pembroke dockyard, Wales in 1826. The vessel was named after the dark region in Hades of Greek mythology called Erebus...
and HMS Terror
HMS Terror (1813)
HMS Terror was a bomb vessel designed by Sir Henry Peake and constructed by the Royal Navy in the Davy shipyard in Topsham, Devon. The ship, variously listed as being of either 326 or 340 tons, carried two mortars, one and one .-War service:...
. Crozier commanded Terror, and in 1841 was appointed to the rank of Captain. Erebus and Terror returned in 1843, having made the most significant penetration of the Antarctic pack ice and discovered large parts of the continent which became synonymous with the 20th century's Heroic Age of Exploration
Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration
The Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration defines an era which extended from the end of the 19th century to the early 1920s. During this 25-year period the Antarctic continent became the focus of an international effort which resulted in intensive scientific and geographical exploration, sixteen...
under Roald Amundsen
Roald Amundsen
Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He led the first Antarctic expedition to reach the South Pole between 1910 and 1912 and he was the first person to reach both the North and South Poles. He is also known as the first to traverse the Northwest Passage....
, Robert Falcon Scott
Robert Falcon Scott
Captain Robert Falcon Scott, CVO was a Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the Discovery Expedition, 1901–04, and the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition, 1910–13...
and Ernest Shackleton
Ernest Shackleton
Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, CVO, OBE was a notable explorer from County Kildare, Ireland, who was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration...
– including the Ross Sea and Ross Island, Mount Erebus and the Ross Ice Shelf.
Crozier was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
in 1843 in recognition of his outstanding work on magnetism.
Northwest Passage expedition
In 1845 he joined Sir John FranklinJohn Franklin
Rear-Admiral Sir John Franklin KCH FRGS RN was a British Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer. Franklin also served as governor of Tasmania for several years. In his last expedition, he disappeared while attempting to chart and navigate a section of the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic...
on the Northwest Passage expedition
Franklin's lost expedition
Franklin's lost expedition was a doomed British voyage of Arctic exploration led by Captain Sir John Franklin that departed England in 1845. A Royal Navy officer and experienced explorer, Franklin had served on three previous Arctic expeditions, the latter two as commanding officer...
as captain of HMS Terror. After Franklin's death in June 1847, he took command of the expedition, and his fate and that of the other expedition members remained a mystery until a note from him and James Fitzjames
James Fitzjames
James Fitzjames was a British naval officer who participated in two exploratory expeditions, the Euphrates Expedition and the Franklin Expedition to the Arctic. He was illegitimate, and during his life and after his friends and relatives took great pains to conceal his origins...
, captain of Erebus, the other ship on the expedition, was discovered on King William Island
King William Island
King William Island is an island in the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut and forms part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. In area it is between and making it the 61st largest island in the world and Canada's 15th largest island...
in 1859 during an expedition led by Captain F. L. McClintock
Francis Leopold McClintock
Admiral Sir Francis Leopold McClintock or Francis Leopold M'Clintock KCB, FRS was an Irish explorer in the British Royal Navy who is known for his discoveries in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.-Biography:...
. Dated 25 April 1848, the note said that the ships, stuck in ice, had been abandoned. Nine officers, including John Franklin, and 15 crewmen had died, and the survivors were setting out on 26 April for Back's Fish River
Back River
The Back River , is a river in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut in Canada...
on the Canadian mainland. There were later, unverified Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
reports that between 1852 and 1858 Crozier and one other expedition member were seen in the Baker Lake
Baker Lake, Nunavut
Baker Lake , is a hamlet in the Kivalliq Region, in Nunavut on mainland Canada. Located inland from Hudson Bay, it is near the nation's geographical centre, and is notable for being the Canadian Arctic's sole inland community...
area, about 400 km (248.5 mi) to the south, where in 1948 Farley Mowat
Farley Mowat
Farley McGill Mowat, , born May 12, 1921 is a conservationist and one of Canada's most widely-read authors.His works have been translated into 52 languages and he has sold more than 14 million books. He achieved fame with the publication of his books on the Canadian North, such as People of the...
found "a very ancient cairn, not of normal Eskimo construction" inside which were shreds of a hardwood box with dovetail joint
Dovetail joint
A dovetail joint or simply dovetail is a joint technique most commonly used in woodworking joinery. Noted for its resistance to being pulled apart , the dovetail joint is commonly used to join the sides of a drawer to the front....
s. McClintock and later searchers found relics, graves, and human remains of the Franklin crew on Beechey Island
Beechey Island
Beechey Island is an island located in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago of Nunavut, Canada, in Wellington Channel. It is separated from the southwest corner of Devon Island by Barrow Strait...
, King William Island, and the northern coast of the Canadian mainland, but none found any of the men alive.
Crozier is the main protagonist in the historical novel The Terror
The Terror (novel)
The Terror is the name of a 2007 novel by American author Dan Simmons. The novel is a fictionalized account of Captain Sir John Franklin's lost expedition of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror to the Arctic to force the Northwest Passage in 1845 - 1848...
by Dan Simmons
Dan Simmons
Dan Simmons is an American author most widely known for his Hugo Award-winning science fiction series, known as the Hyperion Cantos, and for his Locus-winning Ilium/Olympos cycle....
(2007). The book concerns the Franklin expedition, adding a fantastical element to the proceedings.
Tributes
- In January 2008, Crozier's home town of BanbridgeBanbridgeBanbridge is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Bann and the A1 road. It was named after a bridge built over the Bann in 1712. The town grew as a coaching stop on the road from Belfast to Dublin and thrived from Irish linen manufacturing...
, Northern Ireland hosted a memorial event, which included a Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving at the Church of the Holy Trinity, which was attended by more than 100 descendants of Crozier and other officers of the Franklin expeditionFranklin's lost expeditionFranklin's lost expedition was a doomed British voyage of Arctic exploration led by Captain Sir John Franklin that departed England in 1845. A Royal Navy officer and experienced explorer, Franklin had served on three previous Arctic expeditions, the latter two as commanding officer...
and those who searched for it, along with the chairman of the Banbridge Council, and several Arctic historians, including Michael Smith and Russell PotterRussell PotterRussell A. Potter is an American writer and college professor. His work encompasses Hip hop culture, popular music, and the history of British exploration of the Arctic in the nineteenth century...
.
- A memorial to the memory of Sir John Franklin and his men, including Crozier, was erected by order of Parliament in 1858 in the Painted Hall of the Old Royal Naval CollegeOld Royal Naval CollegeThe Old Royal Naval College is the architectural centrepiece of Maritime Greenwich, a World Heritage Site in Greenwich, London, described by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation as being of “outstanding universal value” and reckoned to be the “finest and most...
at Greenwich, London. It was later moved to the College's Chapel in 1937, and is to be re-erected in the entrance of the college in late 2009. On 29 October 2009 a special service of thanksgiving was held in the chapel to accompany the rededication of the monument there. The service also included the solemn re-internment of the remains of Lieutenant Henry Thomas Dundas Le Vesconte, the only remains ever repatriated to England, entombed within the monument in 1873. The event brought together members of the international polar community and invited guests included polar travellers, photographers and authors and descendants of Sir John FranklinJohn FranklinRear-Admiral Sir John Franklin KCH FRGS RN was a British Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer. Franklin also served as governor of Tasmania for several years. In his last expedition, he disappeared while attempting to chart and navigate a section of the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic...
, Captain Crozier and their men, and the families of those who went to search for them, including Admiral Sir Francis Leopold McClintockFrancis Leopold McClintockAdmiral Sir Francis Leopold McClintock or Francis Leopold M'Clintock KCB, FRS was an Irish explorer in the British Royal Navy who is known for his discoveries in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.-Biography:...
, Rear Admiral Sir John RossJohn Ross (Arctic explorer)Sir John Ross, CB, was a Scottish rear admiral and Arctic explorer.Ross was the son of the Rev. Andrew Ross, minister of Inch, near Stranraer in Scotland. In 1786, aged only nine, he joined the Royal Navy as an apprentice. He served in the Mediterranean until 1789 and then in the English Channel...
and Vice Admiral Sir Robert McClureRobert McClureSir Robert John Le Mesurier McClure was an Irish explorer of the Arctic.In 1854, he was the first to transit the Northwest Passage , as well as the first to circumnavigate the Americas.-Early life and career:He was born at Wexford, in Ireland, the posthumous son of one of Abercrombie's captains,...
among many others. The gala was directed by the Rev Jeremy Frost and was organised by High Commission of Canada to the United Kingdom. It was a celebration of the contributions made by the United Kingdom in the charting of the Canadian North, which honoured the loss of life in the pursuit of geographical discovery. The Navy was represented by Admiral Nick Wilkinson, prayers were led by the Bishop of WoolwichBishop of WoolwichThe Bishop of Woolwich is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Southwark, in the Province of Canterbury, England....
and among the readings were eloquent tributes from Duncan Wilson, chief executive of the Greenwich Foundation and H.E. James Wright, the Canadian High Commissioner. At a private drinks reception in the Painted Hall which followed this Arctic service, Chief Marine Archaeologist for Parks CanadaParks CanadaParks Canada , also known as the Parks Canada Agency , is an agency of the Government of Canada mandated to protect and present nationally significant natural and cultural heritage, and foster public understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment in ways that ensure their ecological and commemorative...
Robert Grenier spoke of his ongoing search for the missing expedition ships. The following day a group of polar authors went to London's Kensal Green CemeteryKensal Green CemeteryKensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in Kensal Green, in the west of London, England. It was immortalised in the lines of G. K. Chesterton's poem The Rolling English Road from his book The Flying Inn: "For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen; Before we go to Paradise by way of...
to pay their respects to the Arctic explorers buried there. After some difficulty, McClure's gravestone was located. It is hoped that his memorial, in particular, may be conserved in the future. Many other veterans of the searches for Franklin are buried there, including Admiral Sir Horatio Thomas AustinHoratio Thomas AustinSir Horatio Thomas Austin was a British officer in the Royal Navy, and an explorer of the Canadian arctic. Following the 1849 failure of James Clark Ross's attempt to locate the lost Franklin Expedition, Austin led an 1850 expedition that also attempted to find Sir John Franklin and his crew....
, Admiral Sir George BackGeorge BackAdmiral Sir George Back FRS was a British naval officer, explorer of the Canadian Arctic , naturalist and artist.-Career:...
, Admiral Sir Edward Augustus InglefieldEdward Augustus InglefieldSir Edward Augustus Inglefield was a Royal Naval officer who led one of the searches for the missing Arctic explorer John Franklin during the 1850s. In doing so, his expedition charted previously unexplored areas along the northern Canadian coastline, including Baffin Bay, Smith Sound and...
, Admiral Bedford Clapperton Trevelyan PimBedford Clapperton Trevelyan PimAdmiral Bedford Clapperton Trevelyan Pim, RN, MP, FRGS was a Royal Navy officer, Arctic explorer, barrister, and author...
, and Admiral Sir John Ross. Franklin's redoubtable wife Jane Griffin, Lady Franklin, is also interred at Kensal Green in the vault, and commemorated on a marble cross dedicated to her niece Sophia Cracroft.
Geographical features named after Crozier include:
- Cape Crozier on the eastern side of Ross IslandRoss IslandRoss Island is an island formed by four volcanoes in the Ross Sea near the continent of Antarctica, off the coast of Victoria Land in McMurdo Sound.-Geography:...
, Antarctica - Cape Crozier on the western flank of King William IslandKing William IslandKing William Island is an island in the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut and forms part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. In area it is between and making it the 61st largest island in the world and Canada's 15th largest island...
in the Canadian Arctic - Cape Crozier at the western entrance of the Bay of Mercy on Banks IslandBanks IslandOne of the larger members of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Banks Island is situated in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is separated from Victoria Island to its east by the Prince of Wales Strait and from the mainland by Amundsen Gulf to its south. The Beaufort Sea lies...
in the Canadian Arctic - Crozier StraitCrozier StraitCrozier Strait is a natural waterway in Qikiqtaaluk, Nunavut, Canada. It separates Bathurst Island's Gregory Peninsula to the west from Milne Island and Little Cornwallis Island to the east. The strait, an arm of the Arctic Ocean, connects Queens Channel to the north with the McDougall Sound to the...
which lies between CornwallisCornwallis IslandCornwallis Island may refer to:* Cornwallis Island , Canada* Cornwallis Island , Australia* Cornwallis Island , South Shetland Islands...
and Bathurst IslandBathurst IslandA member of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Bathurst Island is one of the Queen Elizabeth Islands in Nunavut Territory, Canada. The area of the island is estimated at , making it the 54th largest island in the world and Canada's 13th largest island. It is uninhabited.The island is low-lying with...
s in the Canadian Arctic - The Crozier River which is found near Fury and Hecla Strait in the Canadian Arctic
- Crozier Point on SpitsbergenSpitsbergenSpitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
in the Arctic north of Norway - Crozier Channel, to the north of Banks Island in the Canadian Arctic
- Crozier IslandCrozier IslandCrozier Island is one of three islands located in Kennedy Channel of Nares Strait in the high Arctic, and is part of Greenland. Its two sister islands are Franklin Island and Hans Island. The former is also part of Greenland, whilst the latter's ownership is disputed between Greenland and...
in the Kennedy ChannelKennedy ChannelKennedy Channel is an Arctic sea passage between Greenland and Canada's most northerly island, Ellesmere Island.It forms part of Nares Strait, linking Kane Basin with Hall Basin. From the south, its beginning is marked by Capes Lawrence and Jackson; its junction with Hall Basin is marked by Capes...
between Greenland and Ellesmere IslandEllesmere IslandEllesmere Island is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Lying within the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, it is considered part of the Queen Elizabeth Islands, with Cape Columbia being the most northerly point of land in Canada... - The lunar crater CrozierCrozier (crater)Crozier is a lunar crater that is located on the southwest edge of Mare Fecunditatis, a lunar mare in the eastern part of the Moon's near side. It lies to the east-northeast of the prominent crater Colombo, and southeast of the small crater Bellot....
, located at 13.5° S, 50.8° E on the Moon's near side
Latest news at 24 November 2010
- A Canadian Expedition by Parks Canada archaeologists attempted to locate Terror and Erebus in the summer of 2010, but failed to find any sign of the ships.
At the moment negotiations are being conducted with regard to the Parks Canada 2011 Expedition to carry on the search for Terror and Erebus. Further announcements will be made in early spring, 2011
Pop Culture
Francis Crozier is the main protagonist of the 2007 novel The TerrorThe Terror (novel)
The Terror is the name of a 2007 novel by American author Dan Simmons. The novel is a fictionalized account of Captain Sir John Franklin's lost expedition of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror to the Arctic to force the Northwest Passage in 1845 - 1848...
by Dan Simmons
Dan Simmons
Dan Simmons is an American author most widely known for his Hugo Award-winning science fiction series, known as the Hyperion Cantos, and for his Locus-winning Ilium/Olympos cycle....
and the narrator of the 2008 novel "Du bon usage des étoiles" by Dominique Fortier, a finalist for the 2009 Governor General's Awards
2009 Governor General's Awards
The shortlisted nominees for the 2009 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit were announced on October 14, and winning titles will be announced on November 17...
.
In the comic book Alpha Flight
Alpha Flight
Alpha Flight is a fictional superhero team published by Marvel Comics, noteworthy for being one of the few Canadian superhero teams. Created by John Byrne, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 ....
, Crozier became the villain Pestilence
Pestilence (comics)
Pestilence is a comic book supervillain who has battled the Canadian super-team Alpha Flight. The character Pestilence is a literary version of the real life Francis Crozier, who was second in command in Franklin's lost expedition to the Northwest Passage and later disappeared after taking command...
.
Further reading
- Michael Smith, 2010, 'Great Endeavour – Ireland's Antarctic Explorers', Collins Press