Mystery AtlasJohn Rae
Hudson's Bay Company surveyor and Arctic explorer who in 1854 reported Inuit testimony describing the Franklin expedition's fate, including cannibalism among the survivors, to the Admiralty; his account was dismissed by Victorian society but later vindicated by forensic evidence.
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Events
John Rae investigated Franklin Expedition — Rae relayed Inuit testimony describing the expedition's fate, including cannibalism, to the Admiralty in October 1854; his account was later vindicated by forensic evidence.
Organisations & Programmes
John Rae was a member of Hudson's Bay Company.
The Franklin Expedition: Disappearance, Dismissal, and Vindication
From departure in 1845 to the 2024 DNA identification confirming Inuit testimony that Victorian Britain had dismissed for over a century.
19 May 1845
HMS Erebus and HMS Terror depart Greenhithe, England
Under the command of Sir John Franklin, carrying 129 officers and men.
July 1845
Whalers in Baffin Bay report speaking with the expedition
The last confirmed European contact with the ships.
September 1846
Both ships become icebound off King William Island
11 June 1847
22 April 1848
The 105 survivors abandon ship and march south
24 men, including Franklin, had already died; the Victory Point Note is left recording the decision.
October 1854
John Rae reports Inuit testimony of the expedition's fate to the Admiralty
Including accounts of cannibalism; the report is met with public outrage and is largely dismissed.
5 May 1859
A search party led by Lieutenant William Hobson finds the Victory Point Note
Part of Francis Leopold McClintock's expedition, the note is the only written record left by the crew.
1997
Bone analysis finds cut marks consistent with cannibalism
Anne Keenleyside and colleagues examine remains recovered from King William Island sites, corroborating Rae's testimony.
9 September 2014
Parks Canada announces the discovery of HMS Erebus
Found in Wilmot and Crampton Bay, close to where Inuit testimony had long placed a ship.
12 September 2016
The Arctic Research Foundation announces the discovery of HMS Terror
Found in Terror Bay, King William Island, in near-pristine condition.
24 September 2024
DNA identifies Captain James Fitzjames among cannibalised remains
A cut-marked mandible found in 1993 is matched to a living descendant, confirming Rae's testimony in individual, physical detail.