John Barrow

John Barrow was the second secretary to the Admiralty, in 1816 he launched an ambitious programme of worldwide exploration. At his disposal in this quest was a peace-time Royal Navy stood down from the Napoleonic wars and financed by money produced in the industrial revolution. His reasons for exploration were to increase scientific knowledge, to aid commerce and for reasons of national pride. He had sent expeditions to look for the North West Passage previously in 1818 and 1819. Franklin himself had been part of Barrow's Arctic exploratory expeditions in 1819-22 and 1825-27.

In 1845, John Barrow was 81 years old, the Franklin expedition was to be the last one he sent out. It was to be what he hoped, possibly expected, to be his greatest triumph. The discovery of the near legendary route to the Orient from Europe that had been discussed and spoken of for hundreds of years was near at hand. John Barrow died in November 1848, two rescue attempts had been sent out to find Franklin by that time though nothing had been heard or found.