Douglas Stenton, Anthropologist and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Waterloo, excavated the bones of Franklin sailors at Erebus Bay years after an unfortunate incident in 1845. As mentioned in the journal of ScienceDaily, this study revealed the facts behind the ill-fated Sir John Franklin’s 1845 Arctic expedition. A recent study conducted by Dr. Here’s all you need to know about this study. Read on to find out…
The findings Using DNA recovered from skeletal remains, researchers have officially identified four more sailors from Sir John Franklin’s ill-fated 1845 Arctic expedition. The Franklin expedition originally set out to navigate the Northwest Passage, but by April 1848, its two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, were firmly trapped in Arctic Leaving the icebound ships behind, the 105 survivors set off on a grim march south along King William Island’s western shoreline in Nunavut, dragging heavy wooden lifeboats on sleds over the ice. Found 130 kilometers away from the other remains, he is currently the only crew member from HMS Terror to be identified through DNA.
Because many crew members remain unidentified, the research team is urging other potential living descendants of the Franklin expedition to come forward and submit DNA samples. In all four newly announced cases, tests revealed a genetic distance of zero, offering definitive proof of a shared ancestor.
Back in 1859, searchers came across a skeleton carrying Peglar’s official papers, including his seaman’s certificate along with a stack of handwritten poems and notes known as the “Peglar Papers.”, the clothing on the body did not match the uniform of Peglar’s rank, creating a puzzle that stumped historians for 166 years. The discoveries, led by anthropologists at the University of Waterloo, bring the total number of crew members positively identified through genetic testing to six while resolving a specific identity debate that went unsolved for more than a century. None of them made it out alive. In the decades that followed, search teams and scientists turned up scattered human bones across King William Island and the Adelaide Peninsula. Matching those bones to specific names, though, remained out of reach until modern genetics came along. Unraveling the identity of Harry Peglar Of the recent positive IDs, the biggest historical puzzle centers on Harry Peglar, Captain of the Foretop on HMS Terror. DNA analysis has now conclusively proved that the remains do belong to Peglar. The sailors of Erebus Bay To make these connections, researchers extracted mitochondrial and Y-chromosome DNA from bone fragments and compared the genetic material against living donors who possess verified, unbroken maternal or paternal family trees. Looking for trusted parenting advice? Follow TOI Parenting Circle on Instagram for expert guidance, relatable stories, and practical tips delivered every day. Get the latest Lifestyle News and more. Download the TOI app.
These discoveries build on earlier DNA breakthroughs by the team, including identifying HMS Erebus Engineer John Gregory in 2021 and Erebus Captain James Fitzjames in 2024. Tests confirmed that Preston is a direct living descendant of Subordinate Officers’ Steward John Bridgens. The research team also identified three crew members from HMS Erebus who perished together at Erebus Bay: Able Seaman William Orren, Boy 1st Class David Young, and Subordinate Officers’ Steward John Bridgens. Their positive identifications confirm that all three men survived the initial three years trapped in the ice and were part of the final group attempting to trek to safety. desperate days, no such marks were found on the remains of these four sailors While Fitzjames’ bones bore cut marks pointing to cannibalism in the expedition’s final. A living relative discovered The search for answers led to a startling revelation for BBC News journalist Rich Preston, whom the research team tracked down and asked for a DNA sample.
Preston, who previously worked on a genealogy television show tracing family histories, expressed amazement at discovering such a direct link to one of history’s most famous maritime disasters within his own lineage.