Letters of Franklin to Sir John Richardson, 1820-1844

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File 6

Content Summary:

Sir John Richardson (1787-1865) was a Scottish doctor, naturalist and explorer. He sailed with Franklin on his two expeditions in search of the North-West Passage in 1819-22 and 1825-26. His second wife, Mary Booth, was a niece of Franklin.

All the letters were filmed, although only nos. 71-82 (1837-43) relate to Van Diemen's Land. They are lengthy letters referring to many subjects including birds and animals collected by Henry Elliot, Franklin's hopes of establishing a colonial museum, the work of the ornithologist John Gould and the collector Thomas Lempriere, his relations with Alexander Maconochie, meetings of the Legislative Council, the constant press of business, Lady Franklin's journey 'in the steps of Sturt and Mitchell' (1839), the Royal Society's proposal for an expedition to the Southern Ocean, the visit to Hobart of Capt. Dumont D'Urville, the return of Henry Elliot to England, 'a young man of extraordinary merit', Franklin's dismissal and demotion of officials, the visits of Lady Franklin to New Zealand and South Australia, the Antarctic expedition led by Capt. James Ross, the visits of Capt. Ross and Capt. Francis Crozier to Hobart, Lieut. Joseph Kay and the magnetic observatory in Hobart, specimens of the Tasmanian tiger sent to the British Museum, the Hobart Regatta, Franklin's dispute with John Montagu and his relations with the Colonial Office, indignation in the colony at his treatment by Lord Stanley, Stanley's instruction on the management of convicts, Sir John Eardley Wilmot and the Royal Society, and the botanic gardens in Hobart.

(98 letters)

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