A group of researchers from the University of Waterloo has successfully confirmed the identities of four sailors from the ill-fated Franklin Expedition, putting an end to a long-standing debate. In 1859, explorer Francis Leopold McClintock made a significant discovery when he stumbled upon a skeleton at Gladman Point, located around 75 kilometers west of Gjoa Haven in present-day Nunavut.
Among the skeletal remains, McClintock found various documents, including poems, letters, and a seaman’s certificate belonging to Harry Peglar, a petty officer on the doomed HMS Terror. The Terror, along with the HMS Erebus, was part of an expedition that ended tragically in the Arctic. After being trapped in sea ice for over two years in the Northwest Passage, the crews abandoned their ships, leading to the loss of all 129 members.
Douglas Stenton, an anthropologist from the University of Waterloo involved in the research, highlighted the unprecedented loss of life during the expedition. Despite initial disputes over the individual’s identity discovered by McClintock, recent genetic research has confirmed that the sailor was indeed Harry Peglar.
The University of Waterloo anthropologists, in 2013, embarked on a quest to find living descendants of the Franklin expedition crew. This endeavor resulted in the positive identification of Henry Peglar as one of the deceased sailors. While Peglar is the only confirmed crew member from the Terror, researchers have applied the same methodology to identify several individuals from the Erebus.
Approximately 130 kilometers away from Peglar’s remains, the bodies of three other sailors were found and later identified as William Orren, David Young, and John Bridgens. The team had previously identified John Gregory, the engineer of the Erebus, and James Fitzjames, the captain who fell victim to cannibalism during the expedition.
The genetic research has provided new insights into the Franklin Expedition story, with families of the deceased crew members actively participating in unraveling the mystery. Notably, BBC journalist Rich Preston, identified as a descendant of the crew, shared his surprise at being a DNA match.
The researchers are utilizing mitochondrial and Y-chromosome DNA comparisons with known descendants to confirm the identity of historic remains. Stenton expressed the team’s commitment to locating more living descendants to identify additional expedition remains discovered over the years. This ongoing research not only inspires young scientists but also serves as a reminder of the historical significance and relevance of the Franklin Expedition today.