The hidden crime of Dr Richardson
Since the 1970s, a number of writers have endorsed the belief that Dr John Richardson very probably committed discreditable, and possibly even criminal, acts during the first Franklin expedition (1819-1822). These acts, they allege, were concealed from the public by Franklin and Richardson, who inse...
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Online Access: | https://ir.library.carleton.ca/pub/21097 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0032247407006183 |
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ftcarletonunivir:oai:carleton.ca:21097 2023-05-15T18:02:37+02:00 The hidden crime of Dr Richardson Cavell, J. (Janice) 2007-04-01 https://ir.library.carleton.ca/pub/21097 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0032247407006183 en eng https://ir.library.carleton.ca/pub/21097 doi:10.1017/S0032247407006183 Polar Record vol. 43 no. 2, pp. 155-164 info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2007 ftcarletonunivir https://doi.org/10.1017/S0032247407006183 2022-02-06T21:50:48Z Since the 1970s, a number of writers have endorsed the belief that Dr John Richardson very probably committed discreditable, and possibly even criminal, acts during the first Franklin expedition (1819-1822). These acts, they allege, were concealed from the public by Franklin and Richardson, who inserted a fabricated account into Franklin's 1823 narrative. This paper examines the evidence and arguments put forward by the originator of this theory, the historian Richard Glover. It concludes that Glover was motivated primarily by a desire to vindicate the good name of another explorer, Samuel Hearne. Richardson had suggested that Hearne's narrative was not an entirely reliable account of his travels, and in Glover's view, these remarks had seriously damaged Hearne's reputation. Glover therefore sought to characterise Richardson as a deceitful man of exceptionally poor judgement, upon whose claims no reliance could be placed. Later writers, engaged in a re-evaluation of Britain's imperial activities in the Canadian north, have accepted and expanded on Glover's theories. However, an examination of the primary sources cited by Glover and others demonstrates that there is no solid basis for the revisionist version of the 1819-1822 expedition. Article in Journal/Newspaper Polar Record Carleton University's Institutional Repository Polar Record 43 2 155 164 |
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Open Polar |
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Carleton University's Institutional Repository |
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ftcarletonunivir |
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English |
description |
Since the 1970s, a number of writers have endorsed the belief that Dr John Richardson very probably committed discreditable, and possibly even criminal, acts during the first Franklin expedition (1819-1822). These acts, they allege, were concealed from the public by Franklin and Richardson, who inserted a fabricated account into Franklin's 1823 narrative. This paper examines the evidence and arguments put forward by the originator of this theory, the historian Richard Glover. It concludes that Glover was motivated primarily by a desire to vindicate the good name of another explorer, Samuel Hearne. Richardson had suggested that Hearne's narrative was not an entirely reliable account of his travels, and in Glover's view, these remarks had seriously damaged Hearne's reputation. Glover therefore sought to characterise Richardson as a deceitful man of exceptionally poor judgement, upon whose claims no reliance could be placed. Later writers, engaged in a re-evaluation of Britain's imperial activities in the Canadian north, have accepted and expanded on Glover's theories. However, an examination of the primary sources cited by Glover and others demonstrates that there is no solid basis for the revisionist version of the 1819-1822 expedition. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Cavell, J. (Janice) |
spellingShingle |
Cavell, J. (Janice) The hidden crime of Dr Richardson |
author_facet |
Cavell, J. (Janice) |
author_sort |
Cavell, J. (Janice) |
title |
The hidden crime of Dr Richardson |
title_short |
The hidden crime of Dr Richardson |
title_full |
The hidden crime of Dr Richardson |
title_fullStr |
The hidden crime of Dr Richardson |
title_full_unstemmed |
The hidden crime of Dr Richardson |
title_sort |
hidden crime of dr richardson |
publishDate |
2007 |
url |
https://ir.library.carleton.ca/pub/21097 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0032247407006183 |
genre |
Polar Record |
genre_facet |
Polar Record |
op_source |
Polar Record vol. 43 no. 2, pp. 155-164 |
op_relation |
https://ir.library.carleton.ca/pub/21097 doi:10.1017/S0032247407006183 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0032247407006183 |
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Polar Record |
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43 |
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2 |
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155 |
op_container_end_page |
164 |
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