A group of scientists from the University of Waterloo have officially verified the identities of four sailors linked to the ill-fated Franklin Expedition, putting an end to a longstanding debate. In 1859, explorer Francis Leopold McClintock stumbled upon a skeleton on Gladman Point, located around 75 kilometers west of Gjoa Haven in Nunavut. Among the remains were various documents, including poems, letters, and a seaman’s certificate belonging to Harry Peglar, a petty officer on board the HMS Terror.
The HMS Terror, along with the HMS Erebus, was part of a doomed expedition that became a tragic chapter in Arctic exploration history. Trapped in ice for over two years in the Northwest Passage, the crews eventually abandoned their ships and faced extreme hardships, including resorting to cannibalism, in a futile attempt to find civilization. Tragically, all 129 crew members perished.
Douglas Stenton, an anthropologist from the University of Waterloo involved in the research, described the expedition’s loss of life as unprecedented in British polar exploration. Despite the documents found with the remains discovered by McClintock, the individual’s identity was fiercely debated due to wearing the attire of a steward, an unusual choice for a 19th-century captain.
In 2013, researchers from the University of Waterloo began seeking living descendants of the Franklin expedition crew members. Recently, they confirmed a match for Henry Peglar, affirming his death at Gladman Point. Peglar is the sole sailor from the Terror whose remains have been positively identified, while several crew members from the Erebus have also been recognized using similar methods.
Approximately 130 kilometers away from Peglar’s remains, the bodies of three other sailors, now known as William Orren, David Young, and John Bridgens, were found. Prior identifications include John Gregory, the Erebus engineer, and James Fitzjames, the captain, whose body had been cannibalized by the starving crew.
The genetic research undertaken by the University of Waterloo researchers has brought new insights into the Franklin Expedition saga, with descendants of the deceased crew members playing a significant role in uncovering their fates. One descendant, BBC journalist Rich Preston, was surprised to discover his DNA matched that of a crew member.
Ongoing efforts by the research team aim to locate additional living descendants to further identify remains from the expedition. Stenton emphasized the importance of connecting past and present through such research, highlighting the expedition’s relevance in understanding the interplay of ambition, technology, and human limitations then and now.