#may we spared to meet on earth

[shloodles]

I requested a copy of May We Be Spared to Meet on Earth from my library because its huge and expensive and they accepted it! so I've been working my way through it the past few weeks. many things about this book and these letters make me uncontrollably emotional but nothing nearly so much as harry goodsir's letters. what's really getting to me right now is harry's relationship with his aunt ann taylor on his mother's side. she knit him things, and in one of his letters where he's requesting clothing items from his family for the expedition (I believe it's to his sister) he mentions requesting to have his aunt knit the wooly things for him, since he knows the quality of her work to be better than anything he's seen in the shops in london.

I know genaology is a lot more complicated than this especially when it comes to scottish clans but I'm thinking about how I had a great grandmother who was a Taylor (my little brother was named Taylor for her). back in 2019 I was in a short summer program to study scottish literature in Edinburgh. It was the first time I had ever been out of the country for so long. when I had finished my program, I stayed a while longer and my family came up to visit me. we went to one of those tartan plaid shops (one of the nicer more legit ones but still largely for usamerican tourists like us lol) and they actually had a taylor tartan, despite it being such a small clan!! (they were so small they later merged with the camerons.) my brother and I bought matching taylor scarves...and just the other week, not at ALL knowing what I would learn that day, I was wearing mine while reading the letter where I learned about harry's aunt :')

all this to say, with each letter I read I slowly fall a little bit more in love with this darling, brilliant man, who I may in some way be a descendant of?? I think about scotland almost every day since that trip, but especially now as I learn more about harry's life. like when I was in edinburgh I had the extraordinary opportunity to visit the royal surgeons hall museum, which I LOVED. but at the time, I didn't even know Harry existed, let alone that he had been the curator there right before he left for the expedition!! If I ever get to go back I want to visit his hometown of anstruther and cry

[cockroachesunite]

James Fitzjames in his letter to John Barrow Jr. 10th July 1845

(transcript from May We Be Spared To Meet On Earth)

[hacash]

jared harris doomed grouchy alcoholic captain of my heart and all, but I cannot emphasise just how moving it is to read the actual crozier’s letters to his ‘dear sisters’ and nicknaming his sister charlotte as ‘dear small’ and gushing over how excited he is to serve under someone so honourable as sir john franklin and constantly asking james clark ross to pass on his love to ross’s wife and baby and nicknaming anne ross ‘thot’ (??) and the baby cute things like ‘the dear little stranger’ and ‘little sir james’

and yes I love terror’s francis ‘crankypants’ crozier, but the fact that we think of victorian men as being repressed and emotionless and yet every single one of the real man’s letters just overflows with affection and good humour just Does Something to me ok

[jamesfagjames]

[snepperpack]

When I say I annotate my books it's a lot of this.

[ilmapatsas]

On the Franklin expedition, both Fitzjames and Crozier were meant to take measurements of the magnetic field - and both went "Fine, if the Admiralty thinks I can't take the measurements by myself, I guess I don't need to take any":

[...] not that my observations with Fox [dip circle, used to take magnetic measurements] can ever be of much use. [...] in fact the instrument is rotten and it grieves me much because it prevents my taking the great interest I otherwise should in the observations and experiments I perceive might be made with a good instrument. – why the Admiralty should have palmed off a rotten affair like this on us I am at a loss to determine. I can only suppose that it was supposed my observations would not be of use as compared to Captain Crozier’s – if so I cannot see the use of keeping any.

James Fitzjames to Edward Sabine, 11 July 1845

I find by the instructions that Fitzjames is appointed to superintend the Magnetic observations I will therefore take just so much bother then as may amuse without considering myself as one of the staff.

Francis Crozier to James Clark Ross, 12 July 1845

From May We Be Spared to Meet on Earth

[wormsinperil]

unfit to lead.

[bossybigeyes]

do you ever see those cute stickers of books and think damn i wish someone would make some of those for my favourite titles about the lost franklin expedition?

[hetchdrive]

The funniest thing about Little’s fandom reputation being that he’s a sad wet cat of a man is that he also wasn’t first pick for this expedition. According to May We Be Spared Crozier had someone else in mind for his first lieutenant, another Irish guy, in fact, a Reginald Levinge who, although he did not go on the Franklin expedition still died the same time as he would have if he had. His ship the HMS Penelope was wrecked on April 24 1848, the day before the Victory Point Note was amended.

[crancisfrozier]

Made it to John Irving’s grave today after arriving in Edinburgh. What an absolutely beautiful spot it’s in, I think he would have really liked it

[butchsaint]

jfj is never beating the allegations

[moongazeonastarfillednight]

Were none of you going to tell me that the Goodsirs dog, Caesar, which Harry tried to bring aboard, was an itty bitty tiny Scot Terrier?

Omg Harry what were you thinking, sweet summer child 😭

[cockroachesunite]

Sir John Franklin to Lady Jane Franklin:

James Fitzjames to John Barrow Jr. (x) :

LOVE the juxtaposition between these letters, these men are having very different experiences

[werewolfetone]

I was originally just reading polar stuff for my oc story but I fully see how people get obsessed with this in and of itself now jfc

[clove-pinks]

I'm not done with Edward Couch (although I feel very sorry for his tragic fate). He not only looks like this but writes with the voice of an 1840s Gent in his letters home. He visits Greenland and writes to his parents: "Arrival took place this morning at 3 o’clock & one of the rummest snug little places I ever saw. x x x x x" (He uses tons of Xs in his letters, from the example in May We Be Spared to Meet on Earth).

"Old Franklin is an exceedingly good old chap." And he continues:

In our mess – we live uncommon well – too well almost – we commenced preserved meats & soups etc, a day or two ago & find them very good – in fact every thing is most comfortable – couldn’t be more so. x x x x We shall have plenty of shooting by & bye – when we arrive at our station – jammed in the ice – a regular set of game laws will come out

[yurufuwajukaiboy]

Reading one of Fitzjames’s letters in May We Be Spared and this caught me as odd- is pine tree succession not a thing in Britain?