James Fitzjames: The Mystery Man of the Franklin Expedition

As an avid Franklin Expedition researcher since the days of Dr. Owen Beattie's exhumations of the Franklin crew on Beechey Island (1984), I was thrilled to find a biography about one of the officers, Commander James Fitzjames, with the idea that it would shine some light about his origins.But as I read this book I personally found myself lost in the myriad of personal relationships and history woven into the story itself (some sadly with the author's personal interjections to support his views). It reads more like a personal publication by a country gentlemen of the time, with all the naming of names and first person beliefs. It resembles so much the biographies of today of the NASA astronauts, which paint them as saints while neglecting to tell the public they were actual human beings with all the complexities (so the public can see/feel that their heroes were one of them, not some mythical being that never really existed). This I'm sure is to not alienate families, who without their help personal details will be short, but at the same time the efforts to protect their honor and ideals of a famed loved one...we have the story of James Fitizjames' background in the end, the fragmented ideas of a person who had to lie to be anyone in, then, contemporary society.Years ago a famous Arctic author shared with me his personal notes his research assistant gathered, with a note they were to never be used for publication. I kept my word to never reveal nor publish the details (which dovetailed with what has been published in this book). The internet may have soften these privacy concerns today, but 20 years ago there were these restrictions on personal papers. Researchers so much want to know these details to understand how the Franklin Expedition became what it became, and the history that has been written about Franklin and crew has been thwarted due to family sensitivities (the British are much more strict on libel than Americans, for example). This book has opened a door into the life about one officer (and revealed some other personal details -- like Mate Thomas Blanky hid his birth origins of being Jewish, thus, changing his name to hide it [which during WWI we learned Germans did the same to hide from discrimination]).With all this secrecy and family sensitivities (which I've encountered online as well with John Shaw Torrington [the first sailor Dr. Beattie exhumed on Beechey Island] and how people wanting to associate with his past, despite the written records claims he was the last and only offspring. That was never good enough, they just h-a-d to be related!), researchers will remain stumped about who these men really were and how they could've acted in the distressing times just before/after abandoning the ships in 1848 (well, at least the HMS Terror, as we know -- with archaeological evidence now -- the HMS Erebus was manned later and sailed to near O'Reilly Island and moored into a safe harbor, thus not suffering the fate of HMS Fury).The book I feel would've been much more important if the author let the story unfold "as is", not interjecting his personal beliefs about Fitzjames' origins (we do not know for a fact who his mother was, and considering how much Franklin researchers had to respect privacy conditions to even have access to material stored at the NMM and SPRI, we may never truly know as some British family out there would probably terribly dislike the illegitimacy claim[s] even in the 21st century).Researchers, thus, may never get a true portrait of these men that were made into myths of a nation, which is sad, because history does need to be told truthfully. I terribly disliked myself reading all these years of how Franklin and crew were lambasted as bumbling European fools, yet know that these men believed so much in what they were doing to not jeopardize their very lives over stupid things as leaden themselves down with curtain rods on a forlorn hope march. Fitzjames had ambitions, as well as the other officers and men. They would not take to eating their dead lightly, as the same society that keeps researchers and their notes hidden due to sensitivities in the 20th-21st centuries, were even more ruthless in keeping horrible secrets hidden from the public record (what Charles Dickens did was horrible to blame the Inuit, all to protect the sense and sensibilities of the 129!).This book's content is worth 20 pages of details once the interpersonal history was removed (history people are best to read from dedicated history books than a biography, too), as the "notes" are pretty light but of interpersonal interactions. I've read some of the details from other officer personal papers (that again laid out in this book, showing the same resources were used), and it does give ideas about them, yet researchers will still be in a mystery about who these gentlemen truly were, not because history clouds the minds, but due to families wanting to protect their loved one's images (let alone nations -- both Britain and Canada now).Let history tell itself, so those in the 25th century won't face what we in the 20th century faced in all this secrecy!

This book was a fascinating read--I actually read it all over the course of a single day. It's a much-needed biography of James Fitzjames, especially since the man led such an interesting and exciting life even before the Franklin Expedition. The fact that it's the only book of its kind makes its flaws all the more unfortunate.The author clearly cares a *lot* about his subject, which is good and perhaps necessary in order to have the dedication to compile a biography with such disparate sources. However, I find that he takes it too far at times, to the point that it affects his credibility. He can be incredibly defensive of Fitzjames, painting him as a man whose only flaws are being too charming and courageous for his own good. What's more, there are times when the author pulls you out of the narrative by saying things like "Fitzjames must have felt this way" without providing any evidence whatsoever on why that is. I feel a better biography would have been more open about Fitzjames's flaws and less inclined to rely on the pure opinion of the author himself.In contrast, there are some figures that the author seems to feel are a threat to Fitzjames's legacy in some way. I actually rolled my eyes at times due to the hostility with which he writes about these people. With Captain Crozier, for example, he omits information and interprets quotes in the least generous way in order to paint the captain as petty and vaguely incompetent. One example near the end of the book is when the author implies that Crozier left the Terror understaffed after sending some men home--when in reality Crozier himself mentions that he has more men with him than when he went to the Antarctic a few years prior. Given the juxtaposition between that hostility and the author's never-ending praise for Fitzjames, I can only assume he thinks that there is only room for one good-natured and competent captain on the Franklin Expedition. In reality, the two men are no threat to one another, and the insecurity reflected in the author's biases is very unbefitting.In the end, I recommend this book with a grain of salt. As a biography of Fitzjames's life before the Franklin Expedition, it seems to do the trick. There are lots of endearing, funny, and tragic moments and I was completely invested even with the jarring inserts of pure authorial opinion. However, I would just skip the parts that have to do with the Franklin Expedition. Most of the chapter is essentially a retelling or a direct quote of Fitzjames's own diary anyway, which is available for free online. Read that if you want to know what his life was like on board Erebus, and read a proper book on the expedition for the rest.

I am not going to delve into the details of the entire life ofJames Fitzjames except to say,he was born out of wedlock(which could make if difficult for someone to,get ANYWHERE inthe Victorian world). Fitzjames found himself set back but,somehowwould go forward ( by omission,chance,or deception ).The author has created a well rounded bio using many sources but,one glaring missing link and that is the identity of Fitzjames mother.I did enjoy the book and it revealed to me all the info known thus faron James Fitzjames and am I a little bit smitten with the romance of fantasyafter staring at the two daguerreotypes of James for the past 30 yearsand never knowing much about the man ? ? ? YES. Where is my time machine ?Overall,a VERY good biography on a member of the Franklin Expedition.

Battersby's book is definitely the best quality biography of the life of Commander James Fitzjames. It branches information together that was originally not known about him, and gives more insight into his past and career with a significant amount of historical accuracy not present in other biographies about him.The quality of the book itself is also wonderful. Readable print and durable pages, as well as a section devoted to wonderful quality pictures that give you a glimpse into the man you're reading about. I really enjoyed the inclusion of Fitzjames' sketches, as an artist myself it gives me another way to relate to the man.Definitely worth the price if you're interested in learning more about the people involved in the Franklin Expedition!

A fascinating mystery relating to the Franklin Expedition.

Hitherto unknown or unpublished details on Post-Captain James Fitzjames and some other key contributors to the ill-fated Franklin expedition of 1845-1848. William Battersby has prepared a wonderful study. It is my personal hope that he or other researchers will soon pursue the ideas advanced by Rear Admiral Noel Wright CB OBE (1890-1975) which concern the disappearance of the ships in the the North Atlantic in the early 1850s. Did ice carry away the Terror and the Erebus?

.. und jeder, der von der Geschichte der Franklin-Expedition besessen ist, wird in diesem Buch eine seltsame Zeitreise in die Jahre zwischen 1813 und 1850 unternehmen. "Seltsam", denn Fitzjames wird als Mensch und als historische Figur greifbar.Das Buch von Battersby ist sehr gut recherchiert und so reich wie möglich mit Zitaten ausgestattet. Alle Quellen, Erläuterungen und Karten sind ausserdem am Ende des Buches zu finden.Schon mit der ersten Seite nimmt Battersby den Leser mit auf die Suche nach James Fitzjames. Er schildert dessen früheste Kindheit, den familiären Hintergrund und erklärt auch den, schon damals sonderbar klingenden Namen "James Fitzjames".Alle Lebens"phasen" des jugendlichen und erwachsenen James Fitzjames werden entweder mit kurzen Darstellungen des geschichtlichen oder persönlichen Hintergrunds angereichert. Beschreibungen des Charakters von Fitzjames sind sachlich und doch berührend. Und auch wenn Battersby James Fitzjames so nah wie möglich kommen möchte, vermeidet er es erfolgreich in sentimentale oder idealisierende Schilderungen abzuschweifen, die Fitzjames nur transzendentieren würden. Batterby will aber genau das Gegenteil erreichen - und es gelingt ihm. Er lässt James Fitzjames selbst erzählen - in Zitaten aus Briefen oder er lässt die zu Wort kommen, die James Fitzjames kannten.In den letzten drei Kapiteln des Buches, die sich mit der Franklin-Expedition beschäftigen, entwickelt Battersby eine erzählerische Dynamik, die das Drama auf King William Island und vielleicht darüber hinaus wie einen Sturm am Horizont aufziehen lässt. Mit dem Wissen über den Verlauf der Expedition werden die wenigen gesicherten Informationen über James Fitzjames in den Jahren 1845 bis 1848 zu Kostbarkeiten, die Battersby in einer Weise erzählt, die das Ende unausweichlich machen. Und dann ist auch das Buch zu Ende .. Aber aus dem Schneesturm der Geschichte kommt einem schliesslich ein Mann von weit her über das Eis entgegen und es ist - James Fitzjames.

Along with many others, no doubt, my interest in all things Arctic & Franklin related were reawakened by the TV showing of “The Terror”, which supernatural elements notwithstanding, I found surprisingly good. Cue a quick rereading of Michael Palin’s marvellous “Erebus, the Story of a Ship” and a flick through Fergus Fleming’s excellent “Barrow’s Boys” which I’ve had a copy of for years. The author says it was this book that sparked his interest in the Franklin expedition(s), and it is certainly the go-to book for the 19th Century Navy’s pre-eminence in discovery and exploration. It also answered the question I didn’t know I wanted to ask – why the Navy for exploration of the Arctic and Antarctic wastes? When in a white, featureless waste, it’s helpful to have people who can navigate equally featureless oceans by sun, stars, and compass. Plus a ship is both accommodation and a useful means of conveying all equipment. Crewed with a selection of personnel who cover all the required trades – carpenters, blacksmiths, cooks, sailmakers, which with the British Tar’s ability to turn his hand to virtually any task, makes the Navy a less unusual choice than it first seems. Not to mention the end of the long Napoleonic wars meaning there were a lot of ships and personnel at a loose end.So why Fitzjames? Mr Battersby says he noticed how little information there was about him compared to most of the other officers on the final fatal expedition. Given how thorough the Navy records were, this was a tad unusual. So what follows is a brilliant piece of detection and genealogical research. It is both thorough and convincing, and utterly fascinating. My own family researches have turned up military members of dubious parentage, who through their own efforts, a certain amount of subterfuge and a huge, partly unmapped Empire in which to make a mark and/or disappear, were able to transcend their beginnings. I felt the author “got” the feel of the slide from the rumbustious Georgian world, to the early Victorian one very well. Being illegitimate was a big disadvantage, but not necessarily disastrous, given a bit of subterfuge and suitable foster parents.The great difference between the Army and the Navy was that Naval officers had to have a certain level of actual intelligence, and were required to learn “on the job” – hence the time periods required for each level of promotion (still in existence in today’s Navy) plus the need to pass actual exams. The difficulties of sailing and navigating a wooden sailing warship were considerable, and the Army system of merely purchasing a commission, (with the fashionableness of the Regiment dependent on the depth of pocket and grandness of connections) more or less worked when waving a sword, shouting hurrah and leading your men to almost certain death was the most that was required of a young officer. The exception of course being the Gunners and Engineers – both trained at Woolwich (“The Shop”). Most Naval officers were sturdily middle class (Nelson himself was the son of a relatively poor parson, although his mother had grander connections). And despite not purchasing a commission, and having to pass exams, connections, or “interest” as it was known, were vital for a young man wishing to become an officer. He had to be taken on board in a lowly capacity by a sponsor, in order to achieve the steps towards becoming a Midshipman and then a Lieutenant. Battersby is particularly good on this complex ladder, and navigates Fitzjames’ slightly dubious path with clarity.He is interesting and reasonably fair towards a number of other protagonists, although it is inevitable that he becomes hopelessly partial to Fitzjames – I don’t see how a biographer who has put in so much footslogging research could be otherwise. But the open, amused and attractive face that stares out of the famous daguerreotype suggests a warm, friendly personality, as do the extracts from his own letters and writings. It does seem likely that Fitzjames used his charm and presence to advance himself whenever he could, and his acts of reckless bravery were possibly a means of proving himself equal to those of more exalted birth. But in the sclerotic world that the high Victorian Navy became – slow promotion, fewer opportunities to shine, more aristocrats, holystoning and ceremonial and less of the fabled fighting machine that had been the Nelsonian Navy, how else could a young man of dubious antecedents shine? Nelson himself showed reckless bravery in his youth (including an incident with a polar bear). I did ask myself though how the author could be so sure of the superiority of his education and intelligence, especially as he failed his Lieutenant’s exams the first time (but this was possibly owing to a young man’s carelessness and lack of preparation). Cambridge tutors were doubtless very sound on the classics – which seem to have been a lasting enthusiasm of Fitzjames’s, but probably less good on the mathematics and calculations required by the promotion board. But then all the public schools of the day were firmly classics orientated, hence the very first Naval College in the world – the Old Naval Academy in Portsmouth Dockyard, still going, and in my career used as accommodation, overspill offices,(I had one there with an alarmingly slanting floor) and latterly as a very lovely Wardroom Mess.Relentless sucking up to his seniors and volunteering for obscure expeditions aside, there seems little doubt that Fitzjames’s later ascendancy was almost entirely due to his becoming the protégé of the fearsome Sir John Barrow for unspecified services rendered to his family. This rang very true, even though the author was clearly mildly frustrated at not being able to find out exactly what that service was. I favour suppressing a homosexual incident – nothing got the Victorians in more of a twitch – and the fact it involved Sir John’s son & heir – the future 2nd Baronet, the Colonial Office where the son worked, and could possibly tarnish Sir John’s own long-established primacy at the Admiralty, means it was clearly a pretty important favour. Tongues must have wagged though when Barrow tried to get Fitzjames appointed in command of the 1845 NW Passage discovery attempt – he had never even been to the Arctic, and was still very young, junior and inexperienced in comparison to the rafts of hoary old Arctic veterans jostling around Somerset House. So the 59 year old Sir John Franklin, with various unsuccessful ventures to his knighted credit was appointed, and the rest is history. Which is rather where the book ended – quite suddenly, and with rather less conjecture than I’d anticipated about the endlessly discussed possibilities of the protracted and horrid end of the members of the expedition. Of course, the book was written in 2010, before the 2014 discovery of the EREBUS and 2016 one of the TERROR; one could argue that the biography was completed when Fitzjames disappeared and nothing more could be said, but I did feel a slight sense of disappointment at the lack of discussion.Full credit to William Battersby though for taking the trouble to go on board an RN Ship, and for getting the terminology right. I’m afraid it is tooth grindingly annoying to ex Naval people when historians write about matters Naval (but are not Naval Historians ) and make endless minor (and sometimes major) errors of usage. Worst, and most repeated, of course is the endlessly used “the HMS So & So” No, you wouldn’t say ”the Her Majesty’s Ship”, would you? You can say, however, “when I was in the TERROR”. A whole new debate can be opened up about “on” a ship and “in” a ship – you are “on board” but in the olden days “in”, never “on” a ship. But this is by the bye, and it was a riveting read about a hitherto little known figure from history.

An excellent overview of a fascinating man, this book is a well written and genuinely interesting account of James Fitzjames. Battersby has gone to painstaking lengths in his research to find details that have been long forgotten, especially regarding Fitzjames' parentage. These paint a very vivid portrait of Fitzjames, who comes across as an extremely likeable, intelligent, brave, and entertaining young man. It is evident that Battersby is a big Fitzjames advocate so the book is not very neutral, but with the firsthand stories from friends and writings and art from Fitzjames himself, I would say that this advocacy is totally justified. I enjoyed the book immensely and it has given me good starting points for new areas of research-deginitely a must have for anyone interested in the Franklin Expedition, especially as Fitzjames tends to be done a bit dirty in other accounts!The book itself is nicely printed with a smart dustcover, there are pictures printed inside that help to illustrate the text. It was delivered quickly and in perfect condition.