31 March 1854: The bureaucratic death of the Franklin Expedition

"Officers and ships Company are to be considered as having died in the Service & their wages are to be paid to their Relatives to 31 March 1854"

[HMS Erebus muster, The National Archives]

Davechella #15: Silna

After fourteen weeks of playlists, today Dave brings you two playlists for your most voted for character: Silna! ❄️✨

Playlist 1:

Playlist 2:

For last week’s Crozier playlist, Jared Harris chose Philip Glass’ "Prophecies" from Koyaanisqatsi.

Stay tuned for a special announcement coming shortly... 📻⚡

Fitzjames is living it up in the Mediterranean but Uncle Robert reminds him that they are not rich and Fitzjames needs to be more economical. Robert Coningham wasn't poor but he certainly couldn't live large.

#Mod Erebus check this out!

#Davechella 14: Francis Crozier

Dave's penultimate playlist is for the best kind of second, Francis Crozier! 🎶❄️

Listen here:

For last week's Fitzjames playlist, Tobias Menzies chose Dire Straits’ “Brothers in Arms”.

As always, see you in the #Davechella tag to keep the party going with your own playlists!

And join us next week for the most voted for playlist — as well as a special announcement about what's coming next… 🤩

Davechella #13: James Fitzjames

With just two more weeks to go, Dave's story this week is for James Fitzjames! 🎶✨

For last week's Hickey playlists, Adam Nagaitis couldn't decide between two songs, so Dave used them both: Nina Simone's “Don't Smoke In Bed” and Ella Fitzgerald and the Delta Rhythm Boys’ “It's Only a Paper Moon”.

As always, we're excited to hear your playlists in the #davechella tag — and you can catch up with past weeks here at the Cold Boys Fandom Hub! ❄️🎧

Davechella #11: Harry Goodsir

For your weekly dose of #Davechella, a playlist for Harry Goodsir! 🎧✨

For last week’s Little playlist, Matthew McNulty chose "Leaders of the Free World” by Elbow.

See you (and your character playlists) in the #davechella tag! 🎶❄️

Davechella #10: Edward Little

Bringing you a Little something for the weekend… Dave’s playlist this week is for Edward Little! 🎧✨

Listen here:

For last week’s Jopson playlist, Liam Garrigan chose "It Serves Me Right” by John Lee Hooker.

As always, you can help us to keep the party going by sharing your own playlists in the #davechella tag! 🎶❄️

Davechella #9: Thomas Jopson

Here to steward you through your Sunday, this week's two and a half hour Davechella playlist is for Thomas Jopson (aka DJ DollEyes)! 🎶🤯

Listen here:

For last week's Blanky playlist, Ian Hart chose A Case of U by Prince.

We can't wait to see everyone channeling their inner Jopson — don't forget to share your DJ sets using #davechella! 🎧✨

Davechella #8: Thomas Blanky

Happy Sunday, campers! Dave's playlist for the eighth week of #Davechella is for Thomas Blanky. ✨🎶

Listen here:

For last week's Irving playlist, Ronan Raftery chose "Old Note" by Lisa O'Neill.

Keep your own amazing character playlists coming using #davechella! ✨🎶

Davechella #2: Tom Hartnell (+ some news!)

It’s Sunday! And you know what that means… 🎶✨

Listen to Dave K’s second playlist, for Tom Hartnell, here:

We’re also excited to announce that Dave isn’t the only one trying his hand at DJ-ing — the whole cast are joining the party!

Each playlist will contain one song chosen by the actor playing that character. But you’ll have to guess which song that is.

Hear Gibson’s playlist, updated to include Edward Ashley’s song choice (Dave’s changed the track listing up a bit to allow you to guess).

Next week when we post the next playlist, we'll reveal which tracks were picked by Edward Ashley and Jack Colgrave Hirst...

And don’t forget to share your own playlists using #Davechella! 🎶

Did you attend Terror Camp this year? Check your email for the link to our post-con survey — we’d love to hear what you think! 💖❄️

There was a time when I thought being a lighthouse keeper would be a cool job. Then I started seeing videos like this... :(

Amazing 😳

It takes a strong person to do this job, a very isolating, solitary life.

The Arctic Medal and clasp posthumously awarded to Lieutenant John Irving of the Franklin expedition, from the 2014 auction listing of Irving memorabilia. The lot included a copy of Benjamin Bell's Memorial Sketch of Lieut. John Irving, R.N. (Edinburgh, 1881) with an inscription "To John Irving Scott Moncrieff in memory of his grand uncle Lieut. John Irving R.N. 25th April 1893."

‘Whatever happens it is the will of God. I hope you do not think me so weak as to labour under any presentiment of evil; but remember this is no common voyage … Two years is a long time without any tidings, and perhaps we may be three years at least. Do not give up on us if you hear nothing.’

John Irving to his sister-in-law Kate, Woolwich, 18 April 1845

I'm reblogging this again because I need to say more about this

The Latin on top of the medal says "decorum est pro patria mori" - "it is fitting to die for one's fatherland" which is best known now probably from the poem by Wilfred Owen about how it is in fact not good to die for one's country, but since that poem was published in 1920 and the medal is from 1893, the reference is probably to the original Latin poem by Horace, where the full line is dulce et decorum est pro patria mori - "it is sweet and fitting to die for one's fatherland."

You can decide for yourself whether Horace meant it sincerely, or whether the maker of the medal might have meant it sincerely, but I think it's worth pointing out that the following lines in Horace read (my translation):

Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori: mors et fugacem persequitur virum nec parcit inbellis iuventae poplitibus timidove tergo

It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country: death pursues even the fleeing man, nor does it spare the unwarlike youth or the knocking knees or cowardly back.

Which seems to me that the point is not that it's good to go out and seek war, but rather that if war arrives, refusing to fight won't spare you.

#John Irving #the Terror

New photos of FE member buried at Greenwich

From the amazing Franklin Expedition researcher Logan Zachary's latest newsletter (subscribe to it if you haven't yet!): Historic England has added detailed photos of the human remains buried at the Franklin Expedition memorial at Greenwich. They were first thought to belong to Henry Le Vesconte, but they are now considered to be Harry Goodsir's.

See more photos here.

#Harry Goodsir

THERE HE IS! 🥰 The second Fitzjames daguerreotype of which we only had a picture. Coming up for auction soon at Sotheby's. Oh please let these daguerreotypes be acquired by a public institution. 🙏 You will be able to see the daguerreotypes at Sotheby's London from 15 until 20 September!

Also we finally get to see Francis Crozier's lost daguerreotype, of which we also only had a picture.

See the other daguerreotypes here: https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2023/travel-atlas-maps-photographs/studio-of-richard-beard-a-set-of-14-daguerreotypes

#the Terror