The sides of the pedestal of Franklin's statue in Waterloo Place, London, list the names of the full complement of the expedition's lost, cast in bronze. To produce what I hope is a definitive list, I have combined the names from the plaques with my own transcriptions of the muster books of Erebus and Terror in the National Archives.
HMS EREBUS | |||||
OFFICERS | |||||
| Name | Qualities | Age | Birthplace | List | No. |
| Sir J. Franklin Kt. K.C.H. | Captain | 1 | 1 | ||
| James Fitzjames | Commander | 1 | 2 | ||
| Graham Gore | Lieutenant | 1 | 6 | ||
| H.T.D. Le Vesconte | Lieutenant | 1 | 3 | ||
| J.W. Fairholme | Lieutenant | 1 | 7 | ||
| Robert O. Sergent | Mate | 1 | 9 | ||
| Charles F. Des Vœux | Mate | 1 | 4 | ||
| Edward Couch | Mate | 1 | 10 | ||
| James Reid | Master (Acting) | 1 | 8 | ||
| Stephen S. Stanley | Surgeon | 2 | 2 | ||
| Charles H. Osmer | Paymaster & Purser | 2 | 1 | ||
| Harry D.S. Goodsir | Surgeon (Acting) | 2 | 3 | ||
| Henry F. Collins | Second Master | 1 | 5 | ||
| Thomas Terry | Boatswain, 3rd Class | 4 | 1 | ||
| John Weekes | Carpenter, 2nd Class | 4 | 3 | ||
| John Gregory | Engineer, 1st Class | 4 | 4 | ||
| |||||
| Samuel Brown | Boatswain's mate | 27 | Hull, Yorks. | 5 | 4 |
| Richard Wall | Ship's Cook | 45 | Hull, Yorks. | 5 | 5 |
| Robert Sinclair | Captain of the Foretop | 25 | Kirkwall, Orkney | 5 | 6 |
| Joseph Andrews | Captain of the Hold | 35 | Edmonton, Middx. | 5 | 1 |
| William Fowler | Paymaster & Purser's Steward | 26 | Bristol, Somerset | 5 | 7 |
| James W. Brown | Caulker | 28 | Deptford, Kent | 5 | 9 |
| John Cowie | Stoker | 32 | Bermondsey, Surrey | 5 | 10 |
| John Sullivan | Captain of the Maintop | 24 | Gillingham, Kent | 5 | 15 |
| Phillip Reddington | Captain of Forecastle | 28 | Brompton, Kent | 5 | 16 |
| John Murray | Sailmaker | 43 | Glasgow, Lanarks. | 5 | 20 |
| John Bridgens | Subordinate Officers' Steward | 26 | Woolwich, Kent | 5 | 21 |
| Thomas Watson | Carpenter's Mate | 40 | Gt. Yarmouth, Norfolk | 5 | 22 |
| Thomas Plater | Stoker | Westminster, Middx. | 5 | 23 | |
| William Smith | Blacksmith | 28 | Thibnam [Tibenham], Norfolk | 5 | 24 |
| Francis Dunn | Caulker's Mate | 25 | Llanelly, S. Wales | 5 | 25 |
| Edmund Hoar | Captain's Steward | 23 | Portsea, Hants | 5 | 28 |
| Daniel Arthur | Quartermaster | 35 | Aberdeen | 5 | 32 |
| William Bell | Quartermaster | 36 | Dundee, Forfar | 5 | 43 |
| John Downing | 2nd Quartermaster | 34 | Plymouth, Devon | 5 | 52 |
| James Hart | Leading Stoker | 33 | Hampstead, Middx | 5 | 54 |
| Richard Aylmore | Gunroom Steward | 24 | Southampton, Hants | 5 | 55 |
| James Rigden | Captain's Coxwain | 32 | Upper Deal, Kent | 5 | 18 |
| |||||
| George Thompson | AB | 27 | Staines, Berks | 5 | 8 |
| John Hartnell | AB | 25 | Brompton, Kent | 5 | 11 |
| John Stickland | AB | 24 | Portsmouth, Hants. | 5 | 13 |
| Thomas Hartnell | AB | 23 | Chatham, Kent | 5 | 12 |
| William Orren | AB | 34 | Chatham, Kent | 5 | 17 |
| William Clossan | AB | 25 | Shetland | 5 | 19 |
| Charles Coombs | AB | 28 | Greenwich, Kent | 5 | 3 |
| John Morfin | AB | 25 | Gainsboro., Lincolns. | 5 | 29 |
| Charles Best | AB | 23 | Fareham, Hants. | 5 | 40 |
| Thomas Mc. Convey | AB | 24 | Liverpool, Lancs. | 5 | 41 |
| Henry Lloyd | AB | 26 | Christiansen, Norway | 5 | 42 |
| Thomas Work | AB | 41 | Kirkwall, Orkney | 5 | 44 |
| Robert Ferrier | AB | 29 | Perth | 5 | 45 |
| Josephus Geater | AB | 32 | London, Middx. | 5 | 46 |
| George Williams | AB | 35 | Holyhead, Angelsea | 5 | 47 |
| Thomas Tadman | AB | 28 | Brompton, Kent | 5 | 48 |
| Abraham Seeley | AB | 34 | Gravesend, Kent | 5 | 49 |
| Francis Pocock | AB | 24 | Upnor, Kent | 5 | 50 |
| Robert Johns | AB | 24 | Penryn, Cornwall | 5 | 51 |
| William Mark | AB | 24 | Holyhead, Angelsea | 5 | 52 |
| |||||
| Daniel Bryant | Sergeant | 31.5 | Shepton Montague, Somerset | 7 | 1 |
| Alexander Paterson* | Corporal | 30 | Inverness | 9 | 1 |
| Robert Hopcraft | Private | 38.8 | Nottingham, Notts. | 8 | 1 |
| William Pilkington | Private | 28.4 | Kilrush, Clare | 9 | 2 |
| William Braine | Private | 31.3 | Oakhill, Somerset | 9 | 3 |
| Joseph Healey | Private | 29.10 | Manchester, Lancs. | 9 | 4 |
| William Reed | Private | 28.8 | Bristol, Somerset | 9 | 5 |
| |||||
| George Chambers | Boy, 1st Class | 18 | Woolwich, Kent | 6 | 1 |
| David Young | Boy, 1st Class | 18 | Sheerness, Kent | 6 | 2 |
| |||||
OFFICERS | |||||
| Name | Qualities | Age | Birthplace | List | No. |
| F.R.M. Crozier | Captain | 1 | 1 | ||
| Edward Little | Lieutenant | 1 | 2 | ||
| George H. Hodgson | Lieutenant | 1 | 3 | ||
| John Irving | Lieut | 1 | 5 | ||
| Frederick Hornby | Mate | 1 | 3 | ||
| Robert Thomas | Mate | 1 | 4 | ||
| Thomas Blanky | Master (Acting) | 1 | 7 | ||
| John S. Peddie | Surgeon (Acting) | 2 | 1 | ||
| Alexander Mc. Donald | Assistant Surgeon | 2 | 2 | ||
| G.A. MacBean | Second Master | 1 | 6 | ||
| E. J. H. Helpman | Clerk in Charge | 3 | 1 | ||
| Thomas Honey | Carpenter, 3rd Class | 4 | 1 | ||
| John Lane | Boatswain, 3rd Class | 4 | 2 | ||
| James Thompson | Engineer, 1st Class (Acting) | 4 | 3 | ||
| |||||
| John Diggle | Ship's Cook | 36 | Westminster, London | 5 | 2 |
| Henry Peglar | Captain of the Foretop | 37 | London, Middx. | 5 | 3 |
| William Gibson | Subordinate Officers' Steward | 22 | London, Middx. | 5 | 12 |
| Cornelius Hickey | Caulker's Mate | 24 | Limerick | 5 | 13 |
| William Goddard | Captain of the Hold | 29 | Gt. Yarmouth, Norfolk | 5 | 15 |
| Reuben Male | Captain of the Forecastle | 27 | Woolwich, Kent | 5 | 17 |
| Alexander Wilson | Carpenter's Mate | 27 | Holy Island, N. Durham | 5 | 18 |
| John Wilson | Captain's Coxwain | 33 | Portsea, Hants | 5 | 20 |
| Thomas Darlington | Caulker | 29 | Plymouth, Devon | 5 | 21 |
| William Johnson | Stoker | 45 | Kiston-Lindsey, Lincolns. | 5 | 22 |
| Thomas R. Farr | Captain of the Maintop | 32 | Deptford, Kent | 5 | 23 |
| Luke Smith | Stoker | 27 | London, Middx. | 5 | 37 |
| David Mc. Donald | Quartermaster | 46 | Peterhead, Scotland | 5 | 40 |
| John Kenley | Quartermaster | 44 | St. Monance, Fifeshire | 5 | 53 |
| William Rhodes | Quartermaster | 31 | Redingstreet, Kent | 5 | 56 |
| Thomas Johnson | Boatswain's Mate | 28 | Wisbeach, Cambridge | 5 | 46 |
| Thomas Armitage | Gunroom Steward | 40 | Chatham, Kent | 5 | 49 |
| Samuel Honey | Blacksmith | 22 | Plymouth, Devon | 5 | 50 |
| Thomas Jopson | Captain's Steward | 27 | Marylebone, Middx. | 5 | 52 |
| Edward Genge | Paymaster's Steward | 21 | Gosport, Hants. | 5 | 55 |
| John Torrington | Leading Stoker | 19 | Manchester | 5 | 58 |
| |||||
| George J. Cann | AB | 23 | Battersea, Middx. | 5 | 1 |
| William Strong | AB | 22 | Portsmouth, Hants. | 5 | 4 |
| David Sims | AB | 24 | Gedney, Lincoln. | 5 | 5 |
| John Bailey | AB | 21 | Leyton, Essex | 5 | 6 |
| William Jerry | AB | 29 | Pembroke, Wales | 5 | 8 |
| Henry Sait | AB | 23 | Bognor, Sussex | 5 | 14 |
| Alexander Berry | AB | 32 | S. Ferry, Fifeshire | 5 | 16 |
| John Handford | AB | 28 | Sunderland | 5 | 24 |
| John Bates* | AB | 24 | London, Middx. | 5 | 25 |
| Samuel Crispe | AB | 24 | Lynn, Norfolk | 5 | 36 |
| Charles Johnson | AB | 28 | Halifax, Nova Scotia | 5 | 38 |
| William Shanks | AB | 29 | Dundee, Scotland | 5 | 39 |
| David Leys | AB | 37 | Montrose, Scotland | 5 | 41 |
| William Sinclair | AB | 30 | Sallaway [Galloway], Scotland | 5 | 42 |
| George Kinnaird | AB | 23 | Hastings, Sussex | 5 | 43 |
| Ed. Lawrence | AB | 30 | London, Middx. | 5 | 47 |
| Magnus Manson | AB | 28 | Shetland, Scotland | 5 | 48 |
| James Walker | AB | 29 | S. Shields | 5 | 54 |
| William Wentzall | AB | 33 | London, Middx. | 5 | 57 |
| |||||
| Solomon Tozer | Sergeant | 34 | Axbridge, Somerset | 7 | 1 |
| William Hedges | Corporal | 30 | Bradford, Wilts | 9 | 1 |
| William Heather | Private | 35 | Battersea, Surrey | 8 | 1 |
| Henry Wilkes | Private | 28 | Leicester | 9 | 2 |
| John Hammond | Private | 32 | Bradford, Yorks. | 9 | 3 |
| James Daly | Private | 30 | Luberclue [Tubberclare], Westmeath | 9 | 4 |
| |||||
| Robert Golding | Boy | 19 | Deptford, Kent | 6 | 1 |
| Thomas Evans | Boy | 18 | Deptford, Kent | 6 | 3 |
The final two columns, "List" and "No.", refer to the individual lists within the muster books and the number of each man within them. The titles of the lists referred to above are shown in the following table.
| 1. | Commissioned Officers - Military Branch |
| 2. | Commissioned Officers - Civil Branch |
| 3. | Subordinate Officers |
| 4. | Warrant Officers |
| 5. | Ship's Company |
| 6. | Boys, 1st Class |
| 7. | Marines, Not Classed |
| 8. | Marines, 1st Class |
| 9. | Marines, 3rd Class |
Andrew Lambert notes that "In February 1914 the Board of Works corrected the spelling of des Voeux's name from des Vauex, and changed le Vesconte's middle initial from F to T in 1931, at £2 a time. Then the Board checked the Admiralty record to ensure there were no more errors."
I have to take issue with the Board of Works in two cases, Alexander Paterson of HMS Erebus, and Able Seaman John Bates of HMS Terror, who gain a "t" and lose an "s", respectively, on the plaques.
Even the legendary Richard Cyriax was not immune to error. His transcription of the muster lists spells the surname of William Clossan as "Closson" and renames Sergeant Daniel Bryant as David.
In the light of the above, I can make no claims for perfection, but hope that this is an improvement on previous compilations.
Correction: 25 July 2023. The surname of 1st Mate on Erebus, Robert O. Sergent had been erroneously listed as Sergeant. Big thanks to Logan Zachary for reporting the error.
Thanks for this, Peter. I might however mention that the domestic ratings were unclassed at this time, and were not petty officers.
ReplyDeleteThanks Peter, this is a fabulous resource! By domestic ratings, Glenn, do you mean the stewards?
ReplyDeleteYes, that's correct.
DeleteThanks for the kind comments, both. The categories are as they appear on the bronze plaques. Perhaps we can think of the stewards receiving a postumous promotion when the monument was unveiled in 1866.
ReplyDeletePerhaps a third source would be the periodic Admiralty List books, listing of officers and , perhaps crew. I looked at the early 1850s version. Before the ships were declared lost for good, several of the officers had been promoted after the expedition started.
ReplyDeleteI'm a little late with praise, but I have to mention just how often I've used this resource over the past month or so. Thanks for the hard work in compiling it, Peter!
ReplyDeleteGreat list! One question if I can: there is missing "Thomas Burt, Armorer, age 22" among petty officers at Erebus, see http://www.ric.edu/faculty/rpotter/muster.html and http://franklinsghost.blogspot.cz/2009/06/muster.html . Is he missing at the pedestal?
ReplyDeleteI reply youself (I hurried too much to ask). Thomas Burt was sent home from Greenland. Somehow he managed to get to the lists of Erebus crew instead of James Hart (leading stoker is missing in some of these lists).
DeleteIs there more information on each individual in the muster books then what is listed here?
ReplyDeleteHi Peter I see that Marine Joseph Healey on the Erebus as listed in Manchester would you know his address Iv'e found that he come from Middelton but I'm unable to find the street etc.
ReplyDeleteHi Peter,
ReplyDeleteMy father and I have taken a keen interest in your blog since discovering (only this week through Ancestry.com) that Thomas Armitage (one of the petty officers on board the Terror) is our fourth and fifth times grandfather. We are making contact to see if anything else is known about him and the rest of the crew and to thank you this wonderful blog which has got us so excited about continuing our research.
Best wishes,
Andy (son) and Nigel (father)
Hi My Great Great Grandfather was Thomas Armitage, Gunroom Steward and myself and my son Andrew are keen to learn as much as possible about the crew members and the ordeal they must have gone through. Did Thomas manage to survive to the very end. Is it possible that the ship can be recovered and brought back to England. Is it likely that there will be a memorial service for the crew with any remains being brought back home. Nigel and Andrew Hardy
ReplyDeleteArmitage may have been the person they found that was carrying the peglar papers
DeleteI stand corrected by dad - Thomas must be my great great great grandfather.
ReplyDeleteGreat information, thank you.
ReplyDeleteMy ancestor Able Seaman David Sims on HMS Terror was only "known as" David by his family and obviously signed up under that name and is recorded on ALL named memorials under this name and on muster rolls. He was actually baptised and recorded in death on his Will as HENRY JEREMIAH SIMS otherwise DAVID. No one is aware of this information! the memorial at Gravesend records him at DAVID TIMS which is totally incorrect!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJosephus Geater was my great great grandfather
ReplyDeleteI know this is probably a long shot and it's an old post but would anyone want to hazard a guess as to why William Bell (quartermaster on Erebus) is listed as being from "Dundee, Forfar", as these are two separate towns in Scotland which are about half an hour's drive (by modern transport) from each other? Found it a bit curious, as both are in the same county of Angus.
ReplyDeleteHave "familytalk" of a family ancestor that may have set sail and disappeared on the dubious Franklin Expedition. Unfortunately have only "Edwards" as clue for family name. Supposedly from Kent as family tale goes. Was to say a tall person exceptionaly tall and known enough to be the "Great Man of Kent" as could be recounted, as some element of folklore, but now lost to history...
ReplyDeleteHow did you come to find different names than cyriax?
DeleteMy son has been researching our family tree and has discovered that my great great grandfather was John Kenley, Quartermaster on HMS Terror. This list is great
ReplyDeleteGood to hear from you. I have met quite a few people whose ancestors were on the expedition, and corresponded with others who I haven't yet met. I can recommend the Facebook group "Remembering the Franklin Expedition" as a friendly forum where information about the expedition and its crews are shared and discussed.
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