John Rae (1813–93): Explorer of the Canadian Arctic, the great pedestrian

• Published in: Journal of Medical Biography
• Main Author: Loosmore, Brian
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publications 2009
• Subjects: History and Philosophy of Science; Medicine (miscellaneous); Arctic; Canada; Rae
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1258/jmb.2009.009062; http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1258/jmb.2009.009062; http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full-xml/10.1258/jmb.2009.009062

Born and raised in the Orkney Islands, Dr John Rae joined the Hudson's Bay Company and rose to be Chief Factor. Unusually tough and intelligent, he explored much of northern Canada, mapping the north eastern shore and finding controversial evidence of the lost Franklin expedition of 1845. A talented botanist, geologist, anthropologist and cartographer, he was northern Canada's most distinguished explorer.