A collection of Jane, Lady Franklin's letters written following the disappearance of her husband, Sir John Franklin, in 1845 while searching for the North West passage. Jane Franklin's letters inspired others to continue searching for her husband and kept his memory alive in the public imagination. Her correspondence, a private appeal to public figures including politicians, entrepreneurs and Lords of the Admiralty, was largely responsible for the expedition that discovered Franklin's fate and resurrected her husband's reputation. Lady Franklin became a symbol of faith and fidelity and transformed a tragedy into a celebration of fortitude, faith and heroism. Her letters provide a timeline and emotional record of the search. All letters included were signed by Lady Franklin and sent to national and international leaders both before and after the announcement of her husband's death. The letters are supported by an informative introduction about the letters and the time in which they were written, comprehensive annotations, maps and a descriptive timeline.