BOOK REVIEWS William Battersby. James Fitzjames: The and any undiscovered records have thus far Mystery Man of the Franklin Expedition. eluded successive searches using modern Toronto: Dundurn Press, www.dundurn technology, a clearer picture of the .com, 2010. 224 pp. illustrations, maps, backgrounds of the doomed officers and appendices, notes, bibliography, index. ratings has emerged thanks to Battersby and CDN $ 35.00, cloth; ISBN 978-1-55488- other researchers. 781-1. James Fitzjames was born in Rio de Until now, James Fitzjames, appointed Janeiro in 1813. He was the illegitimate son commander in Sir John Franklin’s HMS of Sir James Gambier, a well-connected Erebus in 1845, has been a shadowy British ambassador. Battersby uses historical figure. William Battersby has contemporary letters to sketch the “exotic produced an intriguing biography by and sub-tropical life” (p.27) enjoyed by the drawing on contemporary letters and exiled Portuguese court and the ambassador. accounts. He started with only sketchy facts By trawling through bank records, the about his subject and discovered that author also discovered that Sir James had aspects of Fitzjames’ life had been serious money problems. When Gambier deliberately obfuscated. By profession a returned to England in 1815, family British financial advisor, the author was connections were used to place his little son educated as an archaeologist and applied his with Robert and Louisa Conningham. It academic background in meticulous was a truly fortuitous arrangement for the research to construct an engaging picture of little boy who had been baptized James the people in Fitzjames’ life. William Fitzjames. The Conninghams lived Battersby has managed to uncover a wealth comfortably in an estate in Hertfordshire of detail about his subject including his within a day-trip’s distance from London. financial means. His narrative, rich with They valued education and young James, contemporary observations and the brought up as a full member of the family, backgrounds of individuals, gives was tutored along with their son William, Fitzjames’ associations with others both who was two years younger and became a afloat and ashore a sense of immediacy. staunch lifelong friend. At the age of 12, This well-written book is a bravura example James was taken on as a “volunteer” by one of what might be termed forensic history of the Gambier family in command of a and a rewarding read for anyone interested frigate. This was the first rung on James’ in the social history of the Royal Navy in climb up the naval rank ladder to become an the first decades after the Napoleonic wars, officer. He needed to accumulate sufficient and of the landed gentry of the time. Recent time afloat to qualify for advancement and, painstaking work by Ralph Lloyd-Jones due to various circumstances, this proved a published in the journal Polar Record has challenge. The story of how Robert also cast new light on the crews of the Conningham who, despite lacking Franklin expedition. While Franklin’s ships connections, was willing to go to bat for his The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord, XXII No. 4, (October 2012), 421-466 422 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord Lambert has described the contemporary protégé is an interesting sidelight. James scientific fixation on geomagnetism. It was was ingenious in exploiting opportunities to thought that precise navigation could make his record of sea time look better than facilitated if the difference between it actually was. Fitzjames was better magnetic north (or south) as recorded by a educated than most of his contemporaries compass with the true directional bearing and apparently knew at least two foreign and the dip of a magnetic needle were languages when he joined his first ship, a accurately shown on charts and maps. faculty which proved useful for his captains James Fitzjames would be responsible for during visits in both South America and the making the magnetic observations during Mediterranean. After six years of service, Franklin’s 1845 polar voyage. James had to appear before a board of three On his return from his commanding officers to be examined in Mesopotamian adventures (which seamanship, navigation and discipline. concluded with a 1,000-mile trek across the Britons were energetically desert carrying mail), Fitzjames became a expanding imperial influence around the lieutenant and in 1838, completed the new globe. At home, the industrial revolution gunnery officer’s course in HMS Excellent was humming, making Britain pre-eminent in Portsmouth. The Royal Navy had technologically. These strands were established a school of gunnery in 1830 to combined in the Euphrates Expedition in improve professional standards for officers 1835-36, a quasi-government venture aimed and men. James Fitzjames was a member at developing a new route to India and of the first officers’ course with instruction returning for passengers, mail and high in the theoretical aspects of gunnery value goods. This was to be achieved by included in their syllabus. Fitzjames’ next operating paddle steamers on the rivers of two appointments were as gunnery officer what is now Iraq, and eventually linking the aboard large ships of the line. A nascent upper Euphrates to the Mediterranean, first Egypt was on the move against its recent by rail and later by canal. Fitzjames, now overlord, the Ottoman Empire. The major qualified as a Mate, joined this ambitious powers were attempting to restrict Egypt expedition. Iron-hulled steamers in sections from completely enfeebling the Ottoman were shipped out to the coast of what is now Empire. Fitzjames was in the fleet flagship Syria and moved overland along with their in 1839-40 during a blockade of Beirut and massive boilers and engines to the river during an opposed landing in Egypt. He system. The challenges to be overcome next went out to China, again as the included attacks by hostile tribesmen, gunnery officer of the fleet flagship, in time disease and the hazards of using an for the “Opium War” in which Britain used unknown river route. An adventuresome overwhelming force to impose trade young German couple, improbably traveling arrangements on the Chinese empire. James in the Middle East for their honeymoon, Fitzjames emerges from contemporary joined the expedition as far as India. letters and other accounts as a gregarious Battersby tells a compelling story of this and high-spirited officer with a bent for exotic episode in Fitzjames’ life. The theatrical impersonations. A naval expedition carried out mapping surveys for colleague and close friend observed how which Fitzjames was given a crash course in Fitzjames was able to cultivate senior mathematics. Interestingly, it also carried officers. Battersby characterizes him as out magnetic surveys. In Franklin Tragic being “ambitious, determined and [someone Hero of Polar Navigation (2009), Andrew who] lived off his wits” (p.46). Book Reviews 423 Eventually, Fitzjames’ career was standards, it’s striking that the officers were favoured by patronage from Sir John not formally appointed to the expedition Barrow who, as the second lord of the which would sail in May 1845 until the Admiralty, was the senior official beginning of March. Battersby covers the responsible for naval administration. Sir preparations for sailing and takes the story John—who was in office for an astonishing as far as July 1845, when Franklin’s ships period of nearly forty years—occupied this were last seen by whalers in Baffin Bay. position throughout Fitzjames’ career and Dundurn Press has produced an became legendary as a promoter of British attractive book enhanced by several well- global exploration. James had first chosen illustrations on glossy paper along befriended John Barrow, one of Sir John’s with maps which fully cover Fitzjames’ sons, in 1838. They became regular activities in Mesopotamia and China. The correspondents and Battersby cites a “Dear Franklin mystery continues to fascinate. In Jim” letter from John Barrow. The author James Fitzjames: The Mystery Man of the discovered through this correspondence, Franklin Expedition William Battersby has that in late 1841, when his ship was in produced an engaging three-dimensional Singapore, Fitzjames was able to help picture of a determined naval officer during George Barrow, another of the second sea a dynamic period of technological transition lord’s sons, to overcome an undisclosed when the Royal Navy was used to support crisis. James achieved this by advancing an assertive British foreign policy as well as money to George, at the time the local carrying out expeditions intended to expand colonial secretary. Fitzjames was promptly geographic knowledge and scientific promoted to the rank of captain and given research. Highly recommended. command of a warship in the Indian Ocean. Jan Drent When he returned to England in late 1844, Victoria, British Columbia another polar expedition was being planned and Sir John Barrow intended that Fitzjames would have a prominent role and Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, possibly even lead it. Until Battersby’s (Trans. Freeman M. Tovell). Voyage to the relentless research had uncovered the Northwest Coast of America, 1792. Juan patronage link with the second sea lord, Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra and the earlier writers had been at a loss to explain Nootka Sound Company. Norman, OK: The why Fitzjames evidential had influential Arthur K.H. Clarke Co., www.ahclark.com, backing. Eventually, Sir John Franklin was 2012. 196 pp., illustrations, maps, appendix, appointed to command the expedition, one notes, bibliography, index. US $34.95, of the stout veteran ships, HMS Erebus, cloth; ISBN 978-0-87062-408-7. being strengthened and equipped with a removable screw and railway locomotive In the late-eighteenth century, five maritime engines. Command of her sister vessel, powers–France, Great Britain, Russia, Spain HMS Terror went to Captain Francis and the United States–claimed rights Crozier, a veteran of four major polar variously to visit, study, trade with or exert expeditions recently returned from the dominion over the northwest coast and its Antarctic.