1.) Letter from James Thompson to his parents, 3 May, 1844, concerning their visit to see him in London.

2.) Letter to John Thompson from James Thompson written aboard HMS TERROR, 1 June 1845. Stamped 'Missent to Wick'. Describes the voyage around the British coast at the beginning of the Arctic expedition.

3.) Letter from James Thompson written from South East Bay Whale Fish Islands, Davis Straits, on 10 July, 1845, to his brother. He does not know when he will be able to write again. He decribes food provisions in some detail, types of sea life he has seen and caught, icebergs, weather, the surrounding landscape, and exchanges with the indigenous people of the area.

4.) Letter from John Thompson to his brother James, 3 January, 1848, with a 'Returned to Sender' stamp, as it could not be delivered. He writes expressing his anxiety regarding James's safety, and what the newspapers are saying.

5.) Letter to Mr Thompson from John Philip Gell, March 1849 inviting him to unite in prayer on Sunday March 18th with other friends and family of those on Franklin's expedition.

6.) Letter to James Thompson from one of his brothers, 25 April 1849, expressing his anxiety regarding James's safety, and what the newspapers are saying, and about how their father continues to receive his half-pay.

7.) Manuscript note (2 pages) entitled 'The Pacific' copied from the London Time, 29 August 1849, about Franklin's expeditions, and a further note 'Sir John Franklin' copied from the London Time, 5 September 1849. No signature.

8.) Manuscript note entitled 'Sir John Franklin's Arctic Expedition', copied from the Leeds Mercury 15 September 1849 by Charles (?) Thompson (brother of James Thompson). It describes a lecture delivered at the Southwark Literary Institution by Dr King, late medical officer to the arctic land expedition in search of Sir John Ross, about the Government's efforts to find and save Franklin and his crews.

9.) Letter from Charles Thompson to a brother, 17 September 1853, about their mother having given him a portion James Thompson's pay, and his ideas for what to do with the money.

10.) Letter to Charles Thompson, Leeds, from Accountant General of the Navy Sir Richard M. Bromley, 18 April 1854, informing Charles on behalf of Elizabeth (James Thompson's mother) that the allotment made in her favour was stopped, and that the rest of the money (about £1300) can only be paid on Letters of Administration or Probate of Will.

11.) Letter from Charles Thompson to his brother John Thompson dated 23 April 1854, copying a letter from the Admiralty (see letter from Accountant Sir R. M. Bromley) received by Charles on April 18th, concerning the stoppage of their mother's allotment, and Charles' answer to it, to be sent to legal representatives, for John to look over.

12.) Manuscript copy of a letter from R. Saville in Constantinople to his brother Joseph and his sisters, dated 1 May 1854, describing the voyage from England to Turkey, and the military camp in which he is stationed with the 7th Royal Fusiliers. The hand looks like that of Charles Thompson, and a note at the end explains the family link between the Savilles and Thompsons.

Administrative / biographical background
Upon the crew list of John Franklin's ship, the HMS TERROR, James Thompson is listed as a Warrant Officer, previously a 1st Class engineer at Woolwich (see Cookman, Scott. Ice Blink, The Tragic Fate Of Sir John Franklin’s Lost Polar Expedition. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2000. Appendix IV.)