The Tasmanian Connection (other than Sir John Franklin) to the Ill-fated journey in search of the North-West Passage
Overview
For more than 170 years the descendants of my maternal GGG Grand-father, James Whitelock Brown, have tried to have the mystery surrounding both the cause and location of his death unravelled. Although a step closer for some families who lost their life in the same dangerous expedition to the Arctic it is unlikely James’ definite fate may never be resolved.
The obvious place to tell James’ story is at the very beginning. James Whitelock Brown was baptised on 6 May 1817 at St James Parish Church in Deptford, now known as SE London. Deptford’s population was mainly associated with the docks since the establishment of the Royal Docks by Henry VIII in 1513 where ships were built for the Royal Navy. Deptford was a very prosperous area, particularly in time of war, but the good times ended when ship building on the Thames declined after 1815. James was born soon after this decline commenced. The Dockyard closed in 1869.
Based on the date of his baptism, and as was the practice at that time, it can be assumed that James was born early in 1817 although a definite date has not been found on the public records nor recorded by family members.
As can be seen by the baptism registration details above James’ father was a caulker who lived in New Street, Deptford. Caulkers were skilful and important shipyard workers, finishing the process of making new hulls and decks tight and leak-free.
James’ was given his mother’s maiden name (Whitelock) as his middle Christian name. There were at least eight children born to William John Brown and Ann nee Whit(e)lock, however, with the common names of William, John, Ann, Brown it is hard to establish if James had other siblings apart from baptism records for Ann Elizabeth (b 1805), Matilda (b 1808), William John (b 1809 and may have died soon after), William (b 1810), Henry Daniel (b 1811), James Barley (b 1813), Mary (b 1815) and James Whitelock, who was the youngest. All were born in Deptford, Kent and baptised at St James Parish Church, Deptford.
James’ father obviously had a great influence on him as James too became a caulker, also working at Deptford and later serving time in the Merchant Marine Service on the Duke of Sussex and Marquis of Camden. James was not well educated as on several documents he has signed with his mark X.
James married Sophia Sarah Sims Beaumont on 1 October 1838 at Bromley-le-Bow, now Poplar, East London. It was said in the family Sophie was the Matron at Guy’s Hospital in London but this has not been verified. It is more likely she worked there as a nurse or a nurse’s aide. Sophia was the daughter of Thomas Fisher Beaumont (1790-1854) and Ruth Etheridge nee Smith (1787-1856).
James was hand-picked by Captain Sir John Franklin, to be a caulker on the Erebus, in search for the North-West Passage – a vital sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Captain Sir John Franklin, a previous Governor of Tasmania, was a seasoned polar explorer who had already led two previous searches for the North-West Passage. The Erebus, along with its sister ship, Terror, sailed from England in 1845.
Both ships were lost, and all 129 men on board perished. It is the worst disaster in the history of British polar exploration. Dozens of expeditions were launched to find Terror and Erebus.
After it was believed her husband had perished, Sophia did not directly care for her children. Queen Victoria had set up an educational institute for children who had lost a father at sea. Thomas William Beaumont Brown, their son, was admitted to the Greenwich Royal Hospital School. The eldest daughter, Ruth, attended the Royal British Female Orphan Asylum, also set up by Queen Victoria; and the youngest daughter, Frances, was cared for by Sophie’s parents.
The Royal Navy officially recognised James’ death on 31 March 1854. Queen Victoria presented commemorative silver medals (Arctic Medal) to the surviving relatives. Sophia was pictured with her medal in the Mercury on 27 July 1907.
In 1859 Sophia Brown travelled to Hobart on the Oriental. Sophia was matron on board the ship and was paid to look after 106 women. Sophie and James’ children did not accompany their mother on the Oriental, the two daughters joined her later in Tasmania; the son, Thomas, who was an engineer, was “lost to his mother about half a century, and was discovered at Bengal, India, through the agency of the Salvation Army.” 12 Both daughters married in Tasmania. Sophia remarried Thomas Bird the following year after her arrival in Tasmania at St Thomas’s Church, Avoca, on 29 May 1860.
How I envisage the project developing
- More about the Greenwich Royal Hospital Schools funded by Queen Victoria.
- More about the expedition and the search for possible survivors including the many searches by Lady Franklin.
- The discovery of the Terror and the Erebus and what has been found out since the discovery.
- The Tasmanian Royal Society presentation at Utas about the discovery of the ships.
- DNA request to help with the identification of the bones of the crew found.
- More information about the Tasmanian connections and their families. Personal papers from National Maritime Museum, Greenwich: ADM 73/181 TNA, Kew “A Remarkable Woman”, Mercury, 27 July 1907, p8