Finding “Harry Peglar”: Re-examining the discovery of a Franklin expedition sailor’s skeleton by the 1859 McClintock search expedition

Abstract A review of historical documents concerning the 1859 discovery of the skeleton of a member of the 1845 Franklin expedition on southern King William Island revealed a significant but previously unrecognized geographical error about the site’s reported and mapped location. Archeological inves...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Polar Record
Main Author: Stenton, Douglas R.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2022
Subjects:
General Earth and Planetary Sciences
Ecology
Geography, Planning and Development
King William Island
William Island
McClintock
Polar Record
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247422000237
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247422000237
Description
Summary:Abstract A review of historical documents concerning the 1859 discovery of the skeleton of a member of the 1845 Franklin expedition on southern King William Island revealed a significant but previously unrecognized geographical error about the site’s reported and mapped location. Archeological investigations conducted in 2019 established the site’s correct location and the fact that it had unwittingly been rediscovered in 1973. Misconceptions concerning the site’s location and key aspects of its interpretation highlight the importance of careful evaluation of historical and archeological data regarding the 1845 Franklin expedition.

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