Lady Jane Franklin

The second wife of Sir John Franklin, 5 years younger than her husband, she was 54 years old at the start of the expedition. They married in 1828, she had been a friend of Sir John's first wife who had died in 1825. She made quite an impression in what is now modern Tasmania and was then known as Van Diemen's Land when she arrived with her husband in 1837. She encouraged the founding of schools, was concerned at the plight of female convicts and was known for her "character for kindness, benevolence and charity".

After Sir John's disappearance with his expedition she became dedicated to first of all finding the missing men and then later when it seemed that too much time had passed to find many or indeed any, survivors, of finding out what had happened. She sponsored some expeditions herself and encouraged others to help with sponsorship. She was also instrumental in helping maintain popular public support for the "Lost Expedition" and in applying pressure to the Admiralty to keep on searching when it really would have rather not.