Collection search - Robert John Le Mesurier McCLure fonds [textual record]

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1
Robert John Le Mesurier McCLure fonds [textual record]

Hierarchical level:

Fonds

Date:

1851-1854.

Reference:

R6790-0-8-E, MG24-H30

Type of material:

Textual material

Found in:

Archives / Collections and Fonds

Item ID number:

103964

Context of this record:

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Robert John Le Mesurier McCLure fonds
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Record information – Details
Date(s):

1851-1854.

Place of creation:

No place, unknown, or undetermined

Extent:

0.4 cm of textual records (10 p.).

Language of material:

English

Scope and content:

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Fonds consists of the record left by Captain McClure at Point John Russell on Banks Island, 21 April 1851, while participating in a search for Sir John Franklin; and photocopies of letters written by McClure to his uncle, the Rev. Richard W. Elgee, during the course of the former's search for Franklin, 1850-1854.

Provenance:

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McClure, Robert, Sir, 1807-1873

Biography/Administrative history:

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McClure, Robert, Sir, 1807-1873 : Sir Robert John Le Mesurier McClure was born 28 January 1807 in Wexford, Ireland and entered the navy in 1824 after being educated at Eton and Sandhurst. He had his first experiences in the Arctic in 1836 when he served as a mate on the Terror under George Back. Before his second visit to the Arctic from 1848 to 1849, however, he served on the Niagara in 1838 during the Upper Canadian Rebellion and commanded the Romney at Havana from 1842 to 1846 after which, he went on coast guard duty for two years. From 1848 to 1849, McClure served as first lieutenant on the Enterprise in an expedition commanded by Sir James Clark Ross to search for Sir John Franklin. After the failure of this mission, however, the ships were recommissioned and McClure was made commander of Ross' ship, the Investigator.

During the next voyage, Investigator found itself frozen in Prince of Wales Strait. Further exploration by sledge from this spot, however, showed McClure that the strait led to Viscount Melville Sound which convinced him that he had discovered the northwest passage which indeed he had. McClure left on Banks Island a record of his achievement dated 21 April 1851 which was discovered in 1917 by Vihjalmur Stefansson. Despite the early success of the voyage, Investigator was plagued by the Arctic winters and was trapped in the ice in the Bay of Mercy through to 1852. By the spring of 1853, they were rescued by another ship, the Resolute, which subsequently became trapped in the ice itself. McClure and his crew were able to return to England finally however in 1854 when they boarded the transport North Star on Beechey Island. McClure died 17 October 1873 in London, England after finishing his career in the navy.

Finding aid:

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(No finding aid)

Additional information:

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General note:

The record left on Banks Island in 1851 was discovered by the Canadian Arctic Expediton, 1917, and presented to the Archives by the Department of Naval Service in 1920. The letters from McClure to his uncle were copied from originals in the possession of Richard J. Elgee, Wexford, Ireland and presented on his behalf by M.V. O'Brien, Dublin, through the Surveys and Mapping Branch, Department of Mines, Energy and Resources, 1967.

Location of originals note:

Originals with Richard J. Elgee, Wexford, Ireland.

Availability of other formats note:

Transcriptions accompany the photocopied letters.
Subject heading:

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Great Britain. Royal Navy - Officers, 1850-1854 Point John Russell (Bank Island, N.W.T.), 1851

Arctic regions - Discovery and exploration, 1850 Sir John Franklin, 1850-1854

1854 Richard W. Elgee, 1850-1854

Arctic regions - Exploring expeditions, 1850-1854 Northwest Passage, 1850
Source:

Private

Former archival reference no.:

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MG24-H30
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Textual records

[Consultation90 Open]

Volume [MG24 H 30] 1--2

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