DNA Study Solves 1845 Franklin Expedition Mystery: Identities of Four Lost Sailors Revealed After 180 Years

Scientists have used DNA analysis to identify the remains of four sailors who perished in Sir John Franklin’s ill-fated 1845 Arctic expedition, solving a mystery that has endured for over 180 years. The discoveries provide new insights into the harrowing final days of the doomed mission.

Identifying the Lost Sailors of the Franklin Expedition

The remains of four men—William Orren, David Young, John Bridgens, and Harry Peglar—were confirmed through DNA extracted from skeletal remains and matched to samples provided by living descendants. The identifications were published in two separate studies in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports and Polar Record.

The Franklin expedition, launched in 1845 under the command of Sir John Franklin, aimed to chart a northwest passage through the Arctic. The mission ended in disaster, with all 129 crew members perishing from starvation, exposure, disease, and, in some cases, cannibalism.

Key Findings from the DNA Analysis

• William Orren, David Young, and John Bridgens served on HMS Erebus, the expedition’s flagship. Their remains were found in Erebus Bay on Canada’s King William Island.
• Harry Peglar, who served as Captain of the Foretop on HMS Terror, was found nearly 80 miles away from the others. His remains were identified in a separate study led by Douglas Stenton of the University of Waterloo.
• Previously, Stenton’s team had also identified John Gregory, an engineer from HMS Erebus, and James Fitzjames, the ship’s captain, whose remains were subjected to cannibalism.

The researchers reconstructed the facial features of David Young, a 20-year-old ship’s boy, using forensic facial reconstruction techniques. This effort provided a tangible connection to one of the lost sailors for their descendants.

Uncovering the Tragic Fate of the Franklin Expedition

The Franklin expedition’s final days were marked by unimaginable suffering. After their ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, became trapped in ice in 1846, the surviving crew abandoned the vessels in the spring of 1848 and attempted to walk hundreds of kilometers south to the Canadian mainland. None survived.

“Since the late nineteenth century, the coast of Erebus Bay on King William Island, Nunavut, has been a focal point for historical and archaeological investigations of the 1845 Franklin Northwest Passage expedition,” said researchers led by Douglas Stenton. “Its significance comes from the nature and volume of materials derived from an extraordinary and ultimately tragic event: the fatal attempt by 105 surviving sailors to escape their icebound ships in the spring of 1848 by walking hundreds of kilometres south to the mainland of North America.”

The identifications not only solve a long-standing scientific mystery but also offer closure to the descendants of these sailors, providing a face and a story to those lost in one of history’s most infamous maritime disasters.