Sir John Franklin

Commander of the expedition, Franklin was 59 the time the expedition set off in 1845. He had recently (1843) been removed as Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania). He was considered by many to be too old for the north west passage expedition. He was unfit and had been offered the command only after it had been turned down by Sir James Ross who at 44 had considered himself too old for the position. Franklin was desperate to re-prove himself after the rather shoddy treatment he received in Tasmania being pushed out of his position, a situation for which the Admiralty felt some sympathy, so Franklin became the man for the job.

What Franklin did have on his side was a considerable amount of Arctic experience having previously led three expeditions there. He was known as "The man who ate his boots" after an overland expedition from the mouth of the Coppermine River in Canada where he and his men endured starvation conditions causing them attempt to eat their own boots. He was a considerable establishment figure having been knighted in 1829.